The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1918-06-14
ENEMY SLOWS
TACTICS IN
ATTACKS ON
THE FRENCH
French Official Statements
Report Only Local Fighting
Along the Front Between
Montdidier and SCISSORS.
AMERICANS BOMBED
tBy Associated Press)


French salient between Montdidler
and scissors seem to have been def
nitely checked. Halted in their rush
toward Compeigne and unable rapidly
to outhank the French by their on
slaught southwest of scissors, the en-
emy apparently has ceased his plung
ing tactics which begun last Sunday
and for time threatened vital posi-
tions. The French official statement
says that only local fighting has oc-
CURED along the front of attack dur
ing the last few hours.
The latest German attempt to break
through the French lines lasted but
five days before it reached the phase
OF the equilibrium which has markell
the end Of the critical period in the
Picardy, Flanders and Aisne drives.
The Germans have been held north
Of the Aronde and Matz rivers to the
west of the Disc. They have failed
to make serious attacks against the
new French position east of that river.
Southwest of scissors they advanced
approximately a mile over a four-Tile
| front but their progress was so slow
i that after the inception of the fight
| ing little anxiety was felt concerning
| future events in that region.
Americans Bomtarded.
| Sectors farther south, which include
| the points at which the American
| forces are fighting have been heavily
| bombarded by the enemy but no fur.
! ther enemy attacks have been launch
| ed by him.
An inference that might be drawn
from the apparent haste of the Ger
mans in beginning their great at.
| tack east of Montdidier almost as
soon as their sweeping advance on the
Aisne front had been checked at the
Marne is that another German offen-
sive may be speedily launched. It is
not improbable. according to French
opinion, that this blow will fall on the
British front farther north either in
front OF Amiens or In the Flanders
sector where the Germans may at.
tempt to cut their way through to the
channel ports.
In this connection, the British Off
cial statement speaks of strong To-
cal attack by the Germans In the re-
| gion OF Merris. on the extreme angle
| OF the Flanders salient This attack
was completely repulsed it is said
The Amiens front and the Scarpe
| river valley, near Arras, have been
| bombarded by the Germans who have
not as yet, however, attempted in
| fantry attacks on the allied line in
| those regions.
Repulsed in their efforts to reach
Compiegne and to drive the French
back in the Montdidier region, the
Germans are increasing the weight OF
their attack northeast of Villers-C Cot
terets with the apparent hope of fore
| ing a passage between the Villers- Cot
terets forest and the Compiegne for
est and thus overcoming the French
resistance east of the Oise
French Grow Stronger.
The German offensive west Of the
Oise is now in its sixth day and the
enemy has made slower progress in
the present movement than in any of
the other three he has carried out
since March 81. French resistance
has been growing stronger as the
days have passed and Thursday, the
Germans, despite heavy attacks
against the height positions around
Merry were unable to gain and suffer-
ed severe losses from the French fire.
Along the Disc. he has been thrown
back across the Matz and his efforts
to regain south of the river, have been
unavailing.
South of the Aisne, on a front Of
three miles, the Germans have pushed
back the French about one mile in
two days. Bitter fighting continues
in this region and the French resist
ance Thursday at Laversine, Coroy
and Coeuvre was powerful enough to
prevent the enemy from advancing
further Westward. The Germans have
a foothold in Laversine but have been
unable to complete the occupation OF
the villages.
While attempting to outflank the
formidable natural barrier of the Com
piegne forest, the Germans have
shown no desire to try a frontal at
tack against the new French line
north of the Laigue forest. north OF
the Compiegne forest. There has been
no fighting here and the battle fronts
west of the Disc and south of the
Aisne although closely related, have
not been connected up yet.
New Movement May Come.
German official statements Of
Thursday, make no claim of any gains
west of the Disc and the evening re-
port says the situation is unchanged,
with fighting continuing southwest OF
Noyon, south of the Aisne and south
of Ypres. There are no allied reports
on fighting south of Ypres and this
may herald a new movement in the
north.
Between the southern edge OF the
Villers-Cotterets forest and Chateau.
Thierry. American troops celebrated
the anniversary of the arrival of Amer.
lean troops in France by repulsing
violent enemy attempts to drive them
from their recently won positions at
Belleau wood and Bouresohes. The
enemy attacked after heavy BON
bardment but was driven lack with
heavy losses by the defensive fire Of
the Americans who took prisoners and
machine guns. Allied airmen continue
to herass the area behind the German
lines in the Montdidier-Noyon region