, 1918-06-06
BY EDWARD w. PIckARp.

Last week witnessed a renewal of
the kaiser's drive on the west front,
but to the surprise of everyone not in
the confidence of the German high
command, the blow was directed, not
against the allies in Flanders, nor
against their lines in the Amiens re-
gion, but in Champagne. His appar-
ent intention was to rush his forces
swiftly on Paris, breaking through
where the allies were weakest. The
location was well chosen and the prep
arations made with wonderful secrecy,
but up to the hour of writing the re-
suits were, as in the former drives, not
comparable with the losses sustained.
The apex of the drive had advanced
some IS miles beyond the starting line,
reaching vezilly, six miles from the
Marine and A miles from Paris. The
famous Chemin des Danes had been
taken, as had Craonne, Vailly, Fismes
and other towns and villages, and
finally, on the west side of the new
salient, the allies retired from Sois-
n But by that time General Foch's
reserves were arriving in large num-
bers and the desperate efforts of the
Germans to widen the salient were
stubbornly resisted and virtually
checked. In the suburbs of Scissors
the French were holding onto the west
ern outlets from that city, and north
west of Reims, on the east side of the
wedge, the Franco-British forces were
repulsing every Hun assault.
The commanders of the allies viewed
the situation with calm confidence and
seemed to have no doubt that they could
stem the onrush of the Germans long
before they reached the neighborhood
of Paris. They were not yielding a
foot of ground easily or cheaply, but
were pursuing their former policy of
retiring In good order before vastly su-
perior numbers, maintaining their line
intact n sparing their reserves as
much as possible.
The German armies selected for this
third drive were those of the crown
prince, though they are commanded
really not by that degenerate SOB of
the kaiser, but by Generals Won Boehm
n Won Below. About thirty divisions,
with large droves of tanks and much
artillery, were brought up to the Che
min des Danes front in the nights and
kept concealed In the daytime so that
the allied ~aviators had no inkling that
the long expected attack was to be
made there. Facing the 80 divisions
were nine French and our British d.
visions to stop the Germans when they
began their attack on Monday between
Coucy and Reims, after n terrific bonn
bardment with gas and high explosive
shells. They forced their way down
to the Alsne the first day, and even
crossed that river at some points.
Next day they made n further advance
of some five miles, reaching the Vesle
river and forcing a crossing at Fismes,
but already they were being slowed up,
and on the TANKS they were able to
make little progress. Wednesday they
directed great masses of troops at Sois-
sons, and the French and British there,
after exacting n fearful price in lives,
withdrew to the western environs.
Meanwhile the German center was
pushed forward to Fere-en-Tardenois
and Vezilly. On Thursday the entire
allied line was reported TO be holding
well, and thereafter the Huns made
slow Inc difficult progress, or none at
all.
Foch's arrangements for handling
bis reserves proved excellent, and the