Norwich bulletin., 1918-08-01
LULU PoRTENDs A
 BATTLE OF MAGNITUDE
How Washington Officials Interpret
 Latest Adviees From France.

Washington, July 31.-An odd calm fell oyer the Aisne Marne battle area today with only the thunder of the guns to tell of new and more terrible gusts of the war storm to come.
 Just what the luli may portend was not apparent. Possibly the enemy already is on the move after the de- cisive defeat he met in the battle which @began Saturday and centered on the American positions along the north bank of the Ourcq. Here the American Third division and the now famous Forty second division, the Rainbow division, composed of former rational guardsmen of many states, have made good their positions against the enemy's best fighting units. They have met, outfought and forced back ward by their fierce ardor picked Prussian and Bavarian divisions brought fresh to the field with orders to hold the line of the Ourcq at all costs.
 Enemy Line Has Been Broken.
 That line has been broken. The American spearhead. driven forward again and again, finally broke the fighting edge of the enemy defence. When supporting columns surged for ward across the Ourcq to consolidate the ground so valiantly wen and held by the first rush. enemy hopes of clinging to the present line dwindled. Holding the apex of the allied line at the center, the Americans had paved the way for the dashing capture of ChalmoRt Butte to the westward by the Franco British forces. Allied guns now dominate the enemy's lines from this height, foretelling new inroads to hIs positions and the strong prob ! ability that he will be compelled to fall back to the Vesle line.
 All ohiectiwes Abandoned. Putting aside the reserve with which he hitherto has commented or l the wider aspects. of the battle, Gen. l eral March told the neWspaperInen al his mid-week conference today thai each army was now bent on the de struction of the ether; all lesser stra. l tegic objectives having been swept | away on both sides. The mission O each is to kill; to destroy the fghtins power of the other. It is tine ultimate military objective that both are seek. 1 ing now and there can be no haltins short of the goali
 AS General March never before ha! l talked at these conferences in genera l tSFNlS, Wf-Sn ne turned tOOQy rom lht l pin dotted map where the turn ant sway of the battle was outlined in de tail, therefore and for the first tim' | disclosed the true significance Of tn struggle in the narrow confined of thu I Aisne Marne field, his words carried conviction to his hearers.
 Six New Divisions Created. l Coming to the army being traine, here to support the men ct the front General March said he had ordered si
 new divisions created making the fighting elements of two new arm
 corps or twelve divisions which ha
 added to the military establishment
 in the last two weeks. Again two wel
 trained regular regiments will be use as the center on which each dlvisio
 is built.
 The chief of staff made it plai
 that it is a monthly programme of in
 crease upon which the war depart
 ment has embarked. The cycle ap
 pears now to be an army corps
 month to be shipped abroad. its plae
 to be taken at once by a new corp
 to be created here. The men, guar
 ters and equipment are available keep that up for the rest of the yea
 and longer if necessary. Present can