Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-07-25

fore, in one week not only has
brought the fifth German offensive
to a hasty halt, but has turned 1t
into a disastrous repulse and also
forced the enemy to bring in re-
served troops from other fronts.
Look For Counteroffensive
Military observers in Paris believe
that the German command is pre-
pairing for a new blow against the
allies in order to 'counterbalance the
situation on the Rheims Scissors
front.
From the west along the Ourcq
and from the south the French and
Americans are closing in on Fere-
en-Tardenois. the German base of
supplies on the lower side of the
pocket. The town has been under
violent. shell fire for several days
and the enemy has made vicious
counterattacks which, although part
~ successful temporarily, finally
/ were turned into advances for the
hard-hitting French and Americans.
Not only has Epieds- been retaken,
but the Americans have advanced
beyond Courpoil, five miles south of
Fere. Between Courpoil' and the
Marne the French and Americans
are fighting their way forward
Bridgeheads along the Marne have
been extended further.
Allied Pressure Steady
While the advance on the western
side of the salient has been more
spectacular, the steady allied pres
sure on the eastern side continues
undated and is making progress.
British troops around the important
point of Vrigny, three miles south
of the Vesle and the Rheims-Sois-
sons railroad, slowly are pressing
the enemy back. This advance not
only threatens the German lines west
of Rheims, but places the enemy
| forces between Vrigny and the
Marne in a bad position. The ter
rain there is hilly and wooded and
there is still quite a bulge in the
German line. The bulge on the west
ern end of the line was wiped out
when the Germans retired from
Chateau Thierry.
From all sides the allied artillery
is hammering the German positions
increasingly. Bombs by the hundreds
are being dropped with good effect
on dumps and depots. American
aviators are reported to have brought
down five German machines in aerial
combats, north of the Marne, Wed
nesday.
Berlin Claims Success
The German Crown Prince has not
, yet been forced into a general rre-
treat, but not a day of the allied
! offensive has gone by without ad-
ditional gains being made by the
allied troops. Virtually all but one
of his lines of communication have
been lost and his position is becom-
ling increasingly uncomfortable as
| fresh troops in repeated efforts fail
to check the steady sweep forward
| of the allies.
Berlin continues to report that all
allied thrusts are being defeated
using the adjective completely in
telling of Tuesdays fighting. SINH
larly the German war office de-
scribes the French advance toward
the Avre northwest of Montdidier
! in which the enemy lost 1850 pris.
oners, four cannon and 800 machine
guns, as of no effect.
U-Boat Losses Small
The lull on the other fighting Sec
tors in France and in Italy still Is
unbroken. In Albania the French
have completed their present move.
ment by the capture of important
| heights and the occupation of two
additional villages.
British and allied shipping losses
in June were the lowest in twenty
one months, or since September
1915. Losses due to German sub
marines and mines and marine risk
totalled 276,629 tons in June, the
British losses being 161.000 tons
Compared with May the sinkings in
June We're 81 900 tons less and with
June, 1917, $4,000 tons less. The
| losses for the quarter ending June
| 80 was the lowest for any quarter
since the third of 1915.