Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-07-27

| the Germans were massing forces
| on the western front Reports came
! that large units were training be
hind the lines and that new and
more terrible engines of war than
| had been known before were to be
used in the German effort to break
| the allied lines, crush their armies
and force them to make peace. The
drive was well advertised and even
the place where it was to be
| launched was known with compare
tive certainty.
On the morning of March u the
Germans began their attack from
the vicinity of Arras, on the north,
to La Fere, on the south, and cen
tering their heaviest columns
against the British forces, under
! General Cough at st. Quentin.
Staggering before the impact OF
the blow, the British army fell back
RAPIDLY. For eight days the Ger
mans poured through the old allied
! line in an effort to crush the British
and drive a wedge between them
and the French, who were holding
[ the lines to the south. Then came
a period of reaction and the Ger
mans came to a stop. They mad
driven ahead for 35 miles, along a
front extending more than nifty
miles before they were halted.
Hardly had their legiOns been
held before Amiens than new Of
/ fensive was begun in Flanders, on
April 2. 1t swept the British back
through Armerrferes, but did not
| break their lines. The British, with
the French who were rushed up to
! the front, stopped the Germans aft
| or they had reached the hills south
west of Ypres. There, on April 8,
the Germans suffered a terrible de-
/ feat that halted their offensive in
that quarter.
| FOch in Supreme Command.
| In the midst of the drive in the
! sector toward Amiens the allied ma
! tiops took a vitality important step.
They named General Ferdinand
Foch. hero OF the first battle OF the
: Marine, generalissimo of the alhed
/ forces on the western front, which
/ includes all the line in Italy as we'll
as in France Even the Thurman
coast. in northern Russia, has been
/ held TO be under his command.
After a period of quiet, the Ger
mans attacked once more, this time
on the Aisne river, and in seven
( DAYS they reached the Marine n
Chateau Thierry, making a penetra-
ton of about twenty-eight miles
/ AT the Marine they were checked
/ and the impetus of the blow was
/ broken.
I With hardly a days pause for re-
/ organization of their forces, the
/ Germans again attacked, choosing
! the sector between MOntdidier and
NOvOn, on the southern side of the
salient driven into the allied line
( during the March offensive. as the
/ stage of their onslaught. %his Of
! fensive ran for five days and was
! stopped north of Compiegne after
! losses which were described as I'M
/ precedented had been inflicted upon
the Germans.
From June IA until July Is the
! Germans were engaged in Shifting
/ their forces and then they again
struck. This time the line of at
( tack was from Chateau Thierry
! eastward, around to the north oil
| Reims and then down the Vesle riv-
er to Prunay and from that village
| eastward to Massiges. This attack
at the close Of the year developed
into one of the most ambitious OF
! the Germ1n strokes.
Yankees Stop Huns.
( German forces crossed the Marine
over a wide front, but were unable
to make ground against American
troops near Chateau Thierry anC
could not advance rapidly further
east. They did, however, forge
ahead on the north side of the
Marine and between that stream anC
the Mountain of Reims. 1t appear
cd for time that they might reacl
t Epernay.
Then General Foch struck :
counter blow, which is still in prog
ress. American and French troop!
| attacked the Germans between
| F'Ontenoy, on the Aisne west o
| scissors and Belleau, on the Gig
non, northwest of Chateau Thierry
So sudden and powerful was thu
blow that the Germans fell bacl
rapidly until their reserves coulc
be hurried up.
/ The rapid advance of the allies
however, so menaced the German
forces further south that on July
10 the enemy began a retrea
/ across the Marine. On Sunday, july
Il. French and Americans entered
Chateau Thierry and pressed OF
after the retiring Germans.
Since that time the allies have
gained slowly but steadily, not only
south of Scissors, but also north o
the Marine and between that rive
and Reims. There are indication.
that a German retreat from the sa
lient is now under way.
Italians Stand Firm.
On June Is, the Austrians begar
a drive against Italy. 1t was a fail
ure. The Austrians crossed thu
Piave. but on the west bank me
with such stubborn resistance tina