New-York tribune., 1918-06-05
Military Comment
By William l.. Mcpherson


They are still trying desperately to
make headway on the west front of
that salient between Noyon and
Chateau Thierry.
On Monday night and yesterday
morning violent attacks were
launched at various points along this
line. They would undoubtedly have
yielded considerable gains against
an Allied defence no more rigid than
the defence which Foch had been
constrained to offer in this sector
even up to the end of last week. But
the French defensive has now been
greatly stiffened. Ludendorff's latest
blows have made no very appreci-
able impression, according to yes
terday's French day communicue,
except at the extreme southern tin
Of the Scissors side Of the salient.
In the north the main German ef-
fort was centred west and south
west of scissors. The French stood
on line running south from Per-
nant to Saconin-et-B Breuil and
Mlssy-sous-Bois. These last two
villages lie southwest of Scissors;
Pernant is directly west of it. Per-
nant was taken by the Germans, and
the French withdrew behind the
others. The present French line is
a mile or two west of the line held a
few days ago. There had been rela-
tive quiet on this sector at the end
of last week and slight withdrawal
was probably effected then, due to
German progress further south. In
this sector the Germans have now
crossed the high road leading from
Scissors to Villers- Cotterets.
In the Ourcq Valley similar vio-
lent attacks were made in the neigh
borhood of Faverolles and Troesnes.
They broke down, however. The
French retained possession of both
these towns. The German advance
had reached this line-and even
passed it-last Saturday night and
last Sunday morning. Below the
Ourcq American troops checked an
attack at Neuilly Wood. just west
of the village of Neuilly-St. Front,
which has been in Ludendorff's pos
session since Saturday.
Still further south, near the Marne,
the Germans made an advance of
two miles in the district northwest
of Chateau Thierry. Here the
French have kept only a light hold
ing force. On Monday the Germans
got as far northwest from Chateau
Thierry as Bouresches. Monday
night and yesterday they pushed on
tc Torcy and Veuilly-la-P -Poterie.
This last village, which lies seven
miles north of Nanteuil, on the
Marine, is almost as far west as
Troesnes, at the tip of the small
salient which the Germans have
been pushing down the Ourcq Val.
ley. In this region the Crown
Princes armies are not following
the course of the Marine, but bending
northwestward toward the Ourcq.
A small body of Germans crossed
the Marne at Jauglonne midway
between Chateau Thierry and Dor
mans. They were driven back and
roughly handled by French and
American troops stationed on the
south bank.
The battle in Champagne will un-..
doubtedly continue, just as the battle
in the Lys Valley continued after
the Flanders drive had been definite
ly checked. Won Arnim kept on try
ing to break the Allied line south
west of Ypres after he had taken
Mount KENNEL and had been held
north of it. He persisted until he
suffered the costly reverse of April
29. So the German armies in the
Aisne-M Marine salient will continue 10.
try for local successes. They may.
gain ground here and there. But
the momentum of the original drive
has been used up. Warfare of move
ment on big scale is dying down
again into warfare of positions.
Fuller knowledge of the character
of the German U-boat raid on the
Atlantic Coast accentuates its mill
tary failure. The enemy submarines
have been in our waters, for more
than a week. But they have ap-
parently kept we'll south of the trans
atlantic lanes. If they have no base
IN the West Indies, they must soon
turn toward home. They have De.
monstrated the possibility of long
distance campaign against our coast
wise trade and of sniping operations
against unprotected seaboard towns
and cities. But they have not SC
compllshed anything worth while in
military sense. They have not dis
closed any ability to sink troop ships
or TO break tbro,.,~l, 1,... ~.o-ont eny-s