Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-05-29

onarnander Made
10 Pay High on
Aisne
~ LOSE PLATEAU
WALTER DURANrY
! - Evsnins Public Ledger
1875. ~ Nsso Yo,h Tsmss Co.

flXy1Us ~ NS0 Yorh Tymes co.
1ng1can Armies, May 20.
" has struck at last and,
ected. the blow has been
"a and execution almost
Afallel Of the original at.
1eoh 81.
] in previous cable dis.
~ French have known for
nat the Germans had con-
- psrong forces Of picked divt.
10 Hirson-Mezieres region
&ney had done in March
II repeat the eleventh.hour
ohing tactics which enabled
4 Znfow an overwhelming force
n point and thus gain the
4vAntAge Of surprise.
u and road communications
lngly good. either west and
toward Amiens. or south
kWest toward Rheims; and,
. nave been informed that in
NAs generally expected that
would fall in the region
Dterday, which was one Of
le why the Allies expert.
fsAin dimculty at the outset, /
y olng on the outside Of the
d had to move their reserves
nfeater distance than the
4 4Hdendorn evidently hopes
~ them again in the same
8oe Some Importance
4r1s the attack itself, there 10
Qying to conceal the fact that
qmplished results Of a certain
According to the latest in
here II what occurred.
n. Q terrific bombardment. in
D Aefcre, gas shells largely pre-
- was opened along a twenty
+ Front. from Neuilly. north of
IN Brimont, north of Rheims.
Uk3oe hours an assault was de-
! overwhelming force, a quarter
59n men at least being thrown
the Franco-British defenders.
y eutnumbered.
n6ieton attacked was the historic
~ Chemin-des- Danes, a long.
~ ridge. whose widest portion
eAfd. and which tapers down
80 knife edge above Craonne.
4 sector was held by a British
1Aat had been severely engaged
~ battle.
eknre Of the gas attack is that.
Elhe necessity of wearing masks
II. oral and telegraphic. COM
~ becomes virtually impossible.
Il 3efenders. who must counter
(which they are in ignorance,
special disadvantage as coin-
n the assailants, who know cx.
y they want to do.
IboeSrsphicsl Conditions
n the very steepness of the
pFaonne region gave the enemy
longs. ~ It sheltered them as by
Unn the Allied IRE until they
'StoAched the summit, where
@xhf Of numbers enabled them
- ttothcld. Exploiting the ad-
lns gained, they thrust the
j the ridge and progressed
klnsly westward.
aNlb occasion there was no such
enr line as occurred in March.
- fully realised by the Allied
~ that the enemy's ability to
~ tremendous strength at any
- necessitate q withdrawal,
1reS had been taken accord
- BY step the Allies retreated
~ Aisns. infictins terrible
u me Germans, who, as before.
eellessly forward new masses of
~ their comrades bodies.
earl t. Lose Plateau
~ Il II regrettable to lose the
Ateau and the enemy will cer-
III utmost to exploit the moral
sAis advance. The value of the
'Sne far greater for the Allies
Ewhen we were attacking and
4 WAS on the defensive. as it
~ hastion Of q gigantic natural
f which Laon is the center
1Dafatively small forces hold
1eap and the successful nature
~ prove that Foch had no
Atqut the situation and de-
~ tn with Ludendorff's plan
344 In unfavorable conditions
Sthat will be needed.
the moral value Of yester.
~ II not to be ignored, but
are NO less confident than