Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1918-05-23
BY EDWARD w. PIcKARD.

Monday Of last week was a bitter
day for the Hun-the day Of his worst
defeat since the great spring drive be-
gan. Under orders from General Won
Arnim to take Scherpenberg, Mont
Rouge, Mont Noir and all the high
ground back of KENNEL, the Ger
mans hurled themselves time after
time against the stone wall of Brit
ish and French defenders, only to fall
back in disorder, leaving thousands of
their men dead and wounded on the
field. The enemy employed about
thirty fresh battalions, in addition to
the numerous divisions already In po-
sition on that front, and his onslaughts
we're so frequent as to be almost con-
tinuous throughout the day.
When the morning of Tuesday came
the great numbers of gray-uniformed
dead In front of the defending posi-
tons showed the awful price the Hun
had paid. Moreover, he had nothing
TO show for this expenditure of life,
for the allied lines were virtually in
tact at all points, and the British late
In the afternoon counter attacked
north of KENNEL and regained conSid-
cradle ground previously lost. Just
TO the west of this position, about
Locre and at the cross roads between
Scherpenberg and Mont Rouge, the
French met the fiercest assaults OF the
day. Changing hands several times,
Locre was held by the Germans at
nightfall, and they had pushed ahead
until the situation was most critical
for the defenders, but the French
came back with such Irresistible dash
that the advance was stopped, and af-
ter dark they pushed the Germans out
of Locre and back from the positions
they had won between the two hills.
In this. the most pretentious attack
,on the Ypres salient, the British and
French, largely outnumbered, fought
with equal gallantry and determine
ton. At the same time the brave
Belgians, farther north. repulsed an
other attack, not yielding a foot Of
ground. The kaiser had Just visited
the German lines and exhorted his
troops to push the British back TO the
channel, "where they belonged" but
the stubborn Tommles didn't wish to
be pushed, and they were not. The
big attack probably had the double
purpose OF capturing Ypres and d.
verting large numbers Of allied troops
from the Amiens salient so the Ger
mans could make another drive there,
nHt 70
artillery fire from both sides was con-
t1nuous and very heavy, and the Ger
mans, despite the excellent work of
the airmen, improved their transport
and brought up many OF their large
guns. The British batteries west of
KENNEL devoted much Of their efforts
during the week to deluglng the top
of that hila with shells, so that the
Huns were unable to obtain any bene-
fit from It's capture.
The intense activity observed be-
hind the German lines indicated that
Won Arnim was preparing to resume
the attack on the Ypres salient imme-
diately. Except for KENNEL hill, his
troops are occupying lower ground
tndn tnat neiu Dy tle diies' huu they
cannot Continue there long under the
mothering Gre Of the British and
French artillery. If they cannot gain
the line Of heights they seemingly
must soon retire.
Ia
Following their disastrous repulse
in Flanders, the enemy made two at
| tacks In the AIniens region. The first
was directed especially at the AmerI-
can troopS. llow revealed as holding
positions q the vicinity of Villers-