Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1918-07-31
Wednesday, July 81, 1918.
Is Final Struggle Near?

Early bulletins Tuesday indicated
that the German crescent-shapeo
front below scissors and Rheims has
become so shallow that heavy re-
Inducements have been dumped In
to pull out the shattered remainder
Of the crown princes army. Re-
serves, and divisions hastily drawn
from other fronts, have hurled them
selves AZ the advancing allied lines.
r.. Americans we're thrown back ut
two points by vicious counter
thrusts.
wave Of anxiety swept across
.,rnerica as the report was briefly
rablcd. And get it should have been
.ypected - indeed it had been count
cd upon by the allied command and.
while temporary halt or even gains
nav be made by the foe. we should
neither lose confidence nor relax IN
our war work.
Tuesdays bulletins tell US in brief
but grim sentences that this Is war.
We should accept these setbacks as
-crnindors that our work is far from
ended AMI that ven in time OF ma
,ori.y successes we must take pun
ishment-
II is altogether probable that Cen
Foch welcomes this evidence that
ne German high command has seen
~ TO draw into this Soisaons- Rheims
territory all the reserves it has lett
Ard no doubt the allied commander
in-chief hopes the enemy Will also
concentrate heavily their many dl-
visions from other fronts. We may
assume that better here than any
where between the channel ana
Su-itzerlaad could the allies meet IN
nnal test the greatest strength OF
the central allies. At the allied back
IN easv distance are such bases Of
e,pplies and reservoirs of forces as
Paris and Troyes.
II is the German selection and her
own bases and sources of communi-
cation were arranged for her might
lest effort there. as indicated by the
vast stores Of ammunition captured
by French and Americans in the for
es-s north of the Marine Did YOU
notice that dispatch from the Ameri-
can front published on page OF
Tuesday mornings kcnnebec jour
nal? II you did not it will do you
good to read it. In part the dispatch
reads
AT places on the edges Of the woods
there were large shells piled like cord
wood over large areas. thousands OF
these shells were intended for the Ger
man 10 millimeter guns, only rev OF
which have been captured The Ameri'
cans assume that the Germans with
drew many OF those guns and that 9th
~rs intended for the great drive had not
vet arrived when the allied offensive
began All through the forests the
Americans came upon ammunition de.
pots. at some places more than an acre
OF ground being covered with shells o.
all kinds Some of the smaller shell:
were labeled for immediate use, From
the roadways skrtins the forests IL
every patch OF woods shells were vs
bic Every clunp of trees or shrubberN
sheltered shells of various calibres
Some OF the depots were devoted entire
~ to big shells and others exclusively
70 projectiles and cartridges for ma
chine guns and rifles. From the road
WAYS through forest edges mile after
mile Of cases Of rife cartridges were
- = -
trees The Allies are planning syste'
ratized assembly of the shells for use
later against the Germans.
1t is evident that the German hisf
command is madly struggling to re.
take the initiative and retrieve ir
part the blow that has come like ar
o'-alanche 10 all Germany at a time
when the masses had been told t.
expect a great triumph.
The blow on blow that has beel
dealt the German arms in the las
II days has done much to open tn
eyes OF TIE Kaisers subjects. TIL
moral effect has been tremendous
The people SEQ in continued demon
stration Of allied strength confirma
ton Of Won Kuhlmanns confessio,
that the Teutons can never win h.
force alone.
And SO. II the battle surges bac
and forth on the Scissors Rheim
front and both sides relieve exhaust
ed forces and add reserves until tn
supreme struggle of the four year
of the worlds most terrible Of al
wars is there. we shall know tina
the sooner the end will come.
So far as anything We can elea,
from all tie sources available. sue,
chapter would now be welcome,
by the allied command by the allie,
armies. and with great confidence :,
allied capitals. Let the Hun do HI,
worst and the sooner it comes tn
sooner the world will be rid Of him
--->~S-
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