The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1918-09-26
6 Months of War
Battle Line Same
After Sacrifice of Thousands Germans are
Back on Hindenburg Line

London. Sept. 21.-Six months ago
today the gerat German offensive be-
gan. For wce.s victory &c .n.cd about
to perch on the German banners. To-
day the Allied star is in the ascend
ancy.
Anxiety an encouragement, depres-
sion and Joy, have succeeded each 9TH
er since at dawn on March 81, the
greatest battle of history began. 1t
has been a period of almost incessant
fighting and Of ~bewildering changes
in the situations that developed from
day to day and from week to week.
The Allies knew they faced Ger
mans mightiest effort last March, but
they stood unafraid. Released by the
absolute collapse of Russia as a bellig-
erent power, vast. numbers of
German veterans had been rushed to
the western front, and been given in
tensive training for the offensive by
which the Teuton war lords dreamed
that they might force upon the world
a German peace.
Plans Were Known
Germany made no secret of her in
tention. 1t was known that great
bodies of men and tremendous stores
of munitions had been concentrated
at strategic points behind the German
lines. 1t was even known where the
Germans would launch their first at
tack and for weeks before March II,
the eyes of the Allies bad been fixed
on the long curving line from LaFere
to Arras as the stage where the fist
act of the great drama would be en-
acted.
Moving with a swiftness that car
ried concern to every Entente nation,
the German forces swept over the
British lines in Picardy and rolled
west like a tidal wave during the clos
ing days OF March until at last the
British reached positions where they
could stand at bay and the French had
come to form a living wall before
the gray clad host of the German en-
peror. Then the offensive stopped.
Attack in Flanders
Hardly had it's rush been checked
than the line between Lens and Ypres
was attacked by the Germans and
again the British lines swayed back
ward. This advance of the enemy
went on until it reached the high
ground to the southwest of Ypres and
then it too, was stopped by the stub
born fighting of the Allied armies.
A pause followed for nearly a
month and then, on May q, the Ger
mans suddenly broke through the
French lines north of the Aisne river
and smashed their way southwark un-
til they had reached the Marine over
a wide front east of Chateau Thierry.
No sooner had the momentum of this
drive been taken up by the yielding
defense OF the French troops than a
new assault was made by the Ger
mans, who this time tried to break
the French lines between Montdidier
and Noyon and link up the Picardy
and Marine sectors.
French Strike Back
It was mere that the world had the
first Inflammation that the Allied arm
les, which since late in March had
been under the supreme command of
Marshal Foch, had been pursuing a
definite policy and had conserved
their strength against the time when
It might be used with good effect. The
German attack east of Montdidier
came to a pause after six days of ter
rible fighting in which the Germans
suffered frightful losses and the
French, for the first time since the
German offensive began. struck back
at the invaders.
American forces had taken part in
the final phases of the battle along
the Marine and had been instrumental
in stopping the Germans at Chateau
Thierry. In this battle came the first
notable contribution of America to
the military fortunes of the Allies.
Since March. however. there had been
a Hood tide OF khakiclad men crossing
the Atlantic and during May, June
and the first part Of July they rapid
ly moved up to the battle zone.
Forced Germans to Attack
The sanguinary check of the Ger
man offensive east of Montdidier gave
the Allies hope that the German tide
would be safely stemmed. and this
feeling was heightened during the
succeeding three OF four weeks by a
series OF local actions along the front
from soissons "a Chateau Thierry by
which the Germans were driven back
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