Mexico Missouri message., 1918-07-25

village Of vaux and the Bois de la
| Roche, advancing their lines on front
of several kilometers and occupying
strong strategic positions. Previous
| to the attack the American artillery
utterly demolished Vaux, and the as
Eault which followed was equally eff
6cient and complete. The enemy lost
heavily in killed and wounded and sew
eral hundred prisoners and consider
able material were taken. All next
| day the new American positions were
subjected to heavy bombardment and
then the Huns made fierce counter
attack, but did not regain foot Of the
| ground they had lost. The American
machine guns and artillery moved
down the enemy In heaps, and our
losses were comparatively slight. A
complete American army corps of 22O-
900 men under command of Gen. Hunt
er Liggett now holds the Chateau
Thierry sector.
The French started off the week with
an important advance between Sois-
sons and Chateau Thierry, capturing
commanding ridge and other points
that the Germans had organized as the
jumping off place for their next attack.
The British moved their line forward
/ northwest Of Albert, but after several
counter attacks they were compelled
to withdraw to their former positions.
On Independence day the Austral-
ians, assisted by some Americans, took
the town of Hamel and neighboring
woods, and the French cut through the
enemy lines near Autreches.
NJ
Observers at the front believed the
Germans were about ready to launch
another great blow, perhaps the great
est of all, despite their terrific losses
since the beginning of the offensive
| on March 81, estimated at 100000. The
| opposing forces there are now nearly
or quite equalized by those losses and
the arrival Of more Americans, and the
allied commanders and troops have
not the least doubt Of the solidity Of
their lines of defense.
IA
The Italians continued their brill
liant work last week, and the Austri-
ans suffered accordingly. The latter
were gathering their forces for new
attacks In the mountain region, but
General Diaz struck there first, and in
fierce battle won the formidable
heights of Monte del Rosso, Monte di
Val Bella and the Col di Chelo. These
mountains on the northern edge of the
Aslago plateau and just west of the
Brenta river, are of great strategic i'm
portance. Their capture put the Ital-
ians In the strongest possible position
to meet the expected offensive, In
which German troops were expected
to take part. The Italians also kept
up a continuous series of attacks on
the enemy along the Piave, and on
Wednesday they forced their way for.
ward across the partly flooded ground
near the mouth Of the river.
Ia
A characteristic piece of German
brutality was the torpedoing Of the
Canadian hospital ship Llandovery
Castle Off the Irish coast. About 200
lives were lost, including medical
corps men and nursing sisters. The
commander of the submarine ques-
toned officers of the steamship con-
cerning American flying officers whom
ae mistakenly supposed to be on board.
Berlin sought to evade responsibility
for this new outrage by asserting that
the ship was sunk by British mine.
1t may be that the sinking of the
Llandovery Castle will cause our war
department to abandon its plan to
send the hospital ship Comfort across
without convoy or any attempt to
avoid the enemy. 1t is difficult to see
how Secretary Baker can find any ex-
cuse for trusting to the decency and
humanity of the Huns, for they have
repeatedly proved that they are who'll
ly lacking In those qualities.
-A-
Holland has again aroused the Unit
ed States and Great Britain, this time
by making an agreement to sell 10000
tons of potatoes to Germany in ex
: change for the right to purchase 10000
tons OF German coal. In Washington
and London 1t was more than intimat
Z ed that unless Holland Cancelled this
agreement the breadstuffs promised
: the Dutch from America win not b
provided.
-M=
The sultan OF Turkey died on July 3
: but this is unimportant for he was bu
2 the tool Of the Young Turk party.