Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-07-24
JOLT BOCHE HARD
At DIFFERENT POINTS
Foch Likely 10 Continue His Big
Local Drives. Huns Yet in
Danger, Says Expert.

Washington D. c.. july u \ noted
military critic Whites thus If the situation
IN the European war.
"A slight diver sion from the nam the
atre of activities occurred Yesterday ON
The front between AmicDs ard Mont
dldlcr. The French, taking advantage
ot the German picoccuT alton south ot
SosSOnS, struck the German lines IN a
surprise attack between Morcml and
Malpart just west of the Awe River
The operation bore alt of he character
istlcs of the series OF heavy local attpcks
which were launched bv the French pre-
vious To the 18th Of July II was n
quick surprise attack. lasting but a short
time, with but little lighting The result
was the capture Of thicc small towns
MaDly Aubvilhcrs, and SauviIlers aud
the advance Of the French tines some
httle distance beyond them
GERMAN POSITION UNCOMFORTABLE
The Germans now arc rot moIe than
mile and a half at the lurthest point
from the Avrc IN positions which ale not
altogether comfortable The French TOW
Fold practically all of he high ground
west of the IINcr
fore exposed So that an attack from this
quarter Is almost IN mposslhllltN The
French on the other hand are IN a very
fayorahlc position for = further advSrce
bringing their successes up 20 the river
itself
The operation. howcvcr was intended
As nothing but a local operation,
possibly orly fcelcr 10 determine to
what extent The Germans had weakened
then positions m order 10 send help TO
the Maine salient
CAUGHT RorHE NApPt> >G.
Apparently the Germans we're not
present ID very great str,rCth nor were
they altogether awake The consequence
was that General Foch obtained the
desired information readily
The fighting within the Mame salient
continues unabatcd Another day has
gwen us additional advantages and the
occupation Of not unImportant territory
The great efforts of the Allies are being
concentrated, not against Soissons but
toward Fcre en- Tardcnols, which, rs
was noted IN these columns few days
ago is h real key to the entire ter
man positions
sTKIkI>G FROM TWO DIRECTIONS.
These efforts arc being made IN two
directions from thc south. whore the
work IS largely that of the American
forces. and from the cast where the French
are operating alone On tho southern
sections the Americans wiped ont IN
Yesterday fighting a decided curve III
their lines between In CroiN and tpIcds
The line before Yesterdays effort ran
around the western and southern border
Of the Chatclct woods These woods
are on very high ground, much higher
than the surrounding country They stood
rs q defence IL the very vital plateau
which runs parallel to the railroad from
Armenticrcs 10 Coincy he German
retirement from thus woods position
seems to he fairly complete the French
reporting that tho Allies are IN possession
of the greater part 81 the wooded area
This move rs apt to prove extremely valu-
able
GERMANS STRONG on oURCQ.
'~The greatest resistance which the
Allies have met SINCE the offensive he
Can has been where their lines are
astride the Ourcq River Here the
fighting has been unrcmitting and has
been steady series Of attack and
counter-attack The French have been
able 10 make little impression on the
German resistance ON this section OF
the front for several DAYS Every foot
Of ground has had 10 be taken by stub
born fighting and probably with con
siderable loss The situation. however
j, almost certain 10 he relieved u a Ger
tain extent by yesterday developmentst
by the capture yesterday Of Rocour
the allied hne has been advanced con-
siderablv to the east Of the positions on
the Ourcq, so that a thrust northward
will take in the rear the German posi-
tions about Bronv and force a rectifca-
ton OF the lIne at this point
WILL DRAW ALLIES CT osER 10 solssoNs.
This viii throw the allied line across
the Soiss0ns4 hateau-Thierry highway
from Ouchv south and bring us within
not more than four miles and half of
Fere-en-Tardenois
Astride the Ourcq Yesterday the
French made some progress IN spite of
the German defence, but the gong was
very hard The German position on the
heights about Cugny give them a decid-
ed advantage for the defence of this
region. and this IS doing more TO hold
40 the French advance than any other
one factor
FoCH KEEts HUNS UNDER PRESSURE
Foch is still certain apparently, that
he can force the German retirement
from the entire salient, and does not
propose that this retirement shall take
place except under heavy pressure. The
Germans, if left alone, would undoubt-
edIv retire Of their own accord, which
would Re Of some advantage but would
not cause any material loss in men
and equipment But if Foch can keep
them under pressure at considerable
number Of points and force them to