Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-07-17
m EAFAlURE
EASTERN HALF
ne Crossing Worse
Nm Hell," Is German
Report
ERICANS WIN PRAISE
ties of Heroism in Big
Jattlc Show How Boches
We're Held
Z By WALTER DURANTY

nj ny WALlEN UUnANl1
4 ectal Cable to EUening Public Ledger
~ ~ teSvrioht. 1918. by New York Times Co.
Nj 91eh the French Army, July II.
III The crossing Of the Marine is worse
Nm hell" runs a German message
= 1lSid on a captured pigeon. Could
T. t6fe be better evidence of the sue.
ss OF the Franco-American resist
S1nce against the terrific drive?
q. 1As to the American troops, French
C1cer said to me, They fought with
fHo skill and elan Of one Of our crack
1Ivssions."
4S East of the Surmelin there was bit
- ilghting in the wooded hills from
Geuiily to the hamlet Of Vassy. but
tkete, too. the stubborn defense holds
EMk1n against the pick of the German
hock divisions.
lAcross the river the line swayed
Rek slightly toward Marfaux. but the
WAlIans, holding that sector, rallied
4endldly after the first shock of an
NlEensive on a scale to them unparal-
|*lDfOU &uu tHTouBn tne dltei Hooii II
&ased the French beside them in
1olrase and determination.
East of the Rheims the artillery
{{locked the attacks at the outset by
0heer weight of metal, and, whereas
north of Souain the Germans tried
10 facilitate their infantry advance
~ the use of numerous tanks. the
French gunners soon put the majority
nut OF action.
Defenders Well Protected
sstn the Marine battle the defenders
"a not possess the advantages of long
DtAblished Notifications, and were
zMrther handicapped by the dominat.
- height Of the German positions al
{eyeral points.
But the hollows and dense covers OF
- plateau south Of the river gave
k0ei1ent protection to the defenders,
5Jrho wisely spread out among them
small bodies. readily masked.
Hoke and gas settled in the deep
4tting formed by the Marine Valley
~. though affording the enemy cover
~ bridging operations, proved less
f13so hindrance than might have been
!3Npeeted to the Allies on the hillside
A a4@ee For time the passage was unat-
94e9 by very serious difficulty, and
- first German rush made some
sNgress up the slopes.
sInon the scene changed as the Allied
k4tck hrers and artillery began to To-
fZ9e the bridges. aided by the improving
&k Many times the enemy. stream
lDFward across the river. were halted
rain of bullets until the bridge
Uo pAed high with dead and the water
9etsd with floating bodies.
~ ~ one point two polus in rifle
ftfa1lleuse post barred the issue from
~ bridge before them until the slug
~ current was blotched and streaked
H. the Meuse at Verdun with the
4neon of German blood.
81 Mschine-Gun Captain Hero
Is Elsewhere a captain in charge of a
Zmahine-gun company fired the piece
tnself when his soldiers were put out
I; action by shell and only abandoned
~ post when the boche grenades were
3DJoding about his ears at point-blank
Z f1aGp
II Another group of six machne-gun
lNon fred till the last minute and then
1D11oAted. carrying the piece. ammunition
Qn4 badly wounded sergeant. Once In
!&n&ofy hve Of them reinstalled the gun
~ position and reopened fire, while the
snlxth continued with the sergeant on
HI back to a dressing station.
& A. the sun dissipated the dense cloud
s4onk that had hung six or seven hundred
II 41Dt above the battle. the French bomb
Djaues, which at first had been ham
4)1rod, were able to wreak terrible havoc
sX 1t can be stated that the bombers
&Fe playing q more important part than
s3u any previous struggle. Their team
EHgerk formation enables them to brave
.hoetiie battle planes and the Allied re-
.%jotance Is stiffened and the German
f4porale distressed by the knowledge that
10y and night they continue their at
4acks. Indeed, they are giving the boche
n Goretaste Of hell.
Kaiser's Best Troops Beaten
~ It is still too early to give the
Eln1Act number of German divisions
s16l(ing part in the offensive, but
fDough have already been identified to
tfovo by quantity and quality that
!, ,Yh both sectors of the attack it was
E3Ionuine big-scale drive, and not
!fDAre diversion
- Almost ali the divisions identified are
So The highest quality. INCLUDING several
M the Prussian Guard. Son:e neve- be-
|DUre engaged this year belong to the
uoec1Al first t-class reserves, which Hin
enburg has been jealously keeping for
lle supreme effort. The flower of the
& 3auuan army Is once again being
1cr1dced on the historic banks of the
1arne
How striking was the success Of the
FDy defending the Rheims Massignes
91t against the attack of fourteen
oFnan shock divisions with more than
Fop In immediate support, according
the Won Hutier method. may be
4ued by the fact that wherever the
bNnanding general passed among the
onders he was greeted with spontane-
II cheers. Even the outpost zone was
1tttle disorganized by the attack that
nh Withdrawals as were necessary
(oro carried out In perfect order with.
~ , break in the liaison
DUVAL FACES FIRING SQUAD