The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1918-06-19
ATTEMPT
To TAKE
.1RHE|MS
T. 8 5 six Thousand Huns De-
ned to Capture French
Town at Any
Price.
WERE DRIVEN BACK
WERE DRIVEN BACK
Desperate Fight on Fifteen Mile
Front Ended In Defeat
For the Boche
Troops.

UNITED Press Leased Wire Service.
PARIS, June ia desperate Ger
man attempt to take Rheims "at any
price" last night was completely block
ed by the defenders, the French war
office announced today.
The assault was made on fifteen
mile front between Vrigny and Fort
LaPompelle, forming a complete half
|circle about the city on the north front
east to west. Thirty-six thousand Ger.
mans participated in the repeated at
tacks.
Yesterday at six p. M, the Ger
mans launched a violent artillery BON.
bardment on the whole Rheims front,
from Vrigny to eastward Of Fort La
PompcIIe. 1.-THE communique said.
(vrigny is FIVE miles west and
|slightly south of Rheims. Fort La
Pompelle is in a corresponding posi-
ton to the eastward.)
German infantry attacked the
French positions between those two
points. The French resisted the en-.
emy assaults with full success.
Between vrigny and Ormes (two
miles east of vrigny), the Germans
were stopped by the French fire and
hurled back several times upon their
lines of departure. They were unable
to reach the French lines at any time.
'.In the vicinity Of Rheims there
was violent fighting with heavy enemy
losses. The Germans were repulsed
everywhere there.
"To the eastward of Rheims the
lighting resulted to the advantage OF
the French. The Germans who pene-
trated the wood northeast of Sillery
(two miles south of Fort LaPompelle)
were hurled back by French counter
attack
Prisoners taken in the Rheims re-
gion declare the town was attacked
by three divisions $4,000 mem, and
was to be taken the same night at
any price"
Germany Still has Reserves.
[By Henry Wood, United Press Staff
Correspondent
WITH THE FRENCH ARMIES IN
THE FIELD, June 19.-Despite the
four great drives the Germans have
undertaken on the French front
since March 81, in which many dl-
visions have been engaged two,
three or four times, Hindenburg is
still jealousy guarding his untouched
reserve divisions.
It is positively known that the Ger
man high command plans repeated
attacks between the North sea and
the Champagne region, to kill off OF
wear out the allied reserves.
In the meantime the Germans seek
to advance their lines towards Paris
along the Marine and the Disc, until
they are convinced the allied re
serves are completely exhausted
Then they will throw in their fina
absolutely fresh divisions for de
cisive battle before Paris.
The allied reserves are being
| nursed along in masterful manner
vet owing to the present numerfca
superiority of the Germans nothing
but continued arrival of Americana
can give the allied nations the ad
vantage in man power when the en-
emy plays its final trump.
| This card is likely to be thrown
down within the next two months
1t is now established that the seconc
German shock division ordered bacl
from repose with the fifth PrussiaI
guard-under orders to prevent ;
serious American success, at an!
cost-was the twenty-eighth division
The division, originally engaged Ma!
q on the Chemin Des Danes suffer
ed such losses in capturing Cal1for
ME plateau and crossing the Aisn'
region, that the kaiser PERSONAL!
promised it relief within three days
The twenty-eighth, however, wa
ordered to push southward as fas
as possible. Arriving at Laulgonne
it encountered casualties that brough