Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1918-07-18
Southwest of Rheims the Enemy Makes Gains at
 Isolated Points.
18,0O0 PRISONERS
 TAKEN, HUNS CLAIM
Americans Not Only Hold Their Lines, but Improve
 Them Near Fossoy.
Associated Press Summary.)

AlthO the Germans are still attack ing the allied lines viciously on both sides Of the Rheims salient, what gains they are making continue to be small ones on isolated sectors and seemingly are confined to the region along the Morne ,and immediately southwest of ,Hheims Eastward from Rheims thru Champagne ths French report that they everywhere are holding the enemy and keeping their lines intact, notwithstanding the prOdiguOus expenditure of shells by the Germans and the determination with which their troops are delivering their thrusts.
 Everywhere the battles are being stutbornly contested and where the French and Italians have been com pelled to give ground it has been only after extremely heavy casualties on the invaders.
 Americans Improve Gains.
 The Americans nowhere have been forced to withdraw. On the con- trary near Fossoy, near the bend Of the Marne, between Chateau-Thierry and Dormans, they have made further improvement in their positions. Like their French comrades in arms, the Americans also have engaged in violent fighting with the enemy.
 Daily it becomes increasingly ap- parent that the strategy of the Ger man high command in the present battle has foremost in its considera- tion the plotting out of the Rheims salient and the straightening of the line eastward thru Champagne to- ward Verdun. The hardest fighting of Tuesday was southwest of Rheims where the enemy is endeavoring to break thru the hill and forest region and reach the railroad running from Rheims to Epernay and force the evacuation of Rheims.
 In these endeavOrs the German war ic.' a-sert: the Germans have driv- ed back the allied troops on the mountain of Rheims between Man. tenal and north of Purcy. the last place being scant five miles distant from the Rheims -Epernay railroad. The iFrench official communica- tions admit that the Germans hold the nAes west of Manteil-LaFossy. about a mile and half south of Purcy and relatively five miles west of the rail- road.
 Berlin Claims 1S,OOO Prisoners.
 The German war office is claiming the capture of 18.00O prisoners since the present offensive began. It Is re- ported that French reserves have en- tered the fighting line along the Marpe and to the north of La Chap pelle-Monthodon. They have re- captured lost territory. The Ger mans also, as was expected. have brought up fresh forces in an en- deavor to push forward their pro- ject in this region.
 There is veritable deluge of shells from the guns of both sides along the entire Marne front. On the British front in northern France and Flan- ders the Germans are keeping up vio- lent bombardments on various sec tors, using both gas and high explo- sive shells. Gas has been used ex- tensively on the Villers-Bretonneux sector where the British for several days have been delivering successful Datrol attacks and taking prisoners.
 The Albert sector is coming in for pn ircrea sed shower of shells of all kinds. Nowhere. however. has the German command seen fit as yet to start an infantry engagement, If ono is contemplated.
 In Albania, the French and Italians continue to make progress against the Austrians and in the Italian sec tor up in the mountains. repeated Austrian attacks have been repulsed by the Italians.