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Show ATTACK STARTED NEAR THE AISNE Whirlwind Artillery Preparation Prepa-ration of 30 Minutes Precedes Pre-cedes Zero Hour. HEADQUARTERS OF THE FOURTH FRENCH ARMY, Nov. I. (By the Associated Asso-ciated Press, 2 p. m.) General Gouraud's army attacked this morning on a front of five to six miles between the Alsne and the Argonne in conjunction with the First American army on his right. The immediate objective of the French commander com-mander in this region is to clear the enemy out of the thickly wooded and much broken massif of the Argonne, the last natural fortress which remains to him until he readies the Ardennes. Ever since September 27 the Germans have clung to the Argonne in spite of the unremitting endeavors of the French army on the west and the Americans on the east of the forest. After a Beries of extremely difficult and hotly-con tested operations. GeOSr&J Gouraud has succeeded succeed-ed in establishing himself on ihe left bank of the Alsne between the villages of Terron and Faiaise, a distance of about five miles. With the river at their Lacks and little lit-tle more than a mile from the German trendies between them and the forest, the ope raw on was one of considerable difficult. dif-ficult. v. The night was spent in throwing throw-ing bridges across the Alsne In preparation prepara-tion for the passage of an Important force with its material. The enemy knew that the attack whs coming, but seems to have been unaware that It would x-tend x-tend as far north as it did, and ho left the bridge maker almost unofsturbed. The attack began shortly before 6 o'clock affer a whirlwind artillery preparation prep-aration ot thirty minutes The Germans had not acted wisely in leaving the bridging bridg-ing i roops unmolested. The Aisne was crossed opposite the village of Voncq and this important position was occupied occu-pied ?oon : fUr 9 oYlook. The I OOP of the AJsne opposite Bern try. which was held by the enemy and formed a salient in the allied lice protected by the winding course of the river, was carried. Rilly-aux-Oies then was captured and the French troops pressed up the river bank opposite Semuy. By the middle of the morning General riouraud's men had largely occupied their (Continued on Pasc Three.) it is in the interest of both the French and American armies to turn. General Gouraudt front of attack is directed nor t beast ; that of the A rncrloans is directed di-rected straight north. It is clear that as Gouraud's army advances northeast across the Argotftie in the direction of Le Chesne, while the Americans progress northward the mass of the Boult forest and the Bois de Bas wdl be turned by the French from the northwest and by the Americans from the east and must Le evacuated by the enemy. The future operations towards Mezieres and the German main lines of communication communi-cation with Germany ,seeni to depend largely on the success of the battle launched today on both sides of the Ai--gonne. When the enemy has been evicted evict-ed from the woods a no ravines of the great forest and the French' and American armies have joined hands fooyrmd it, the way to the north will be clear. ATTACK STARTED ra the msi "Continued frum Page One.) first line of Objectives in spite of an energetic and increasing resistance on the part of. the enemy. Semuy was endangered. endan-gered. Voueq. which is situated o.i a lofty spur overlooking the river and was the most important position on the front of attack, was carried with a considerable bag of prisoners. Possession of yonoq enabled the Germans Ger-mans to enfilade the whole Aisne vallc as far south as Vouziers and gave them wide views up aud down the river. Farther Far-ther south hill 19:; on the left bank has been captured Faja ise has been occupied occu-pied and the line is making satisfactory progress eastward in the th -of a stiffening stif-fening artillery fire. The enemy's omission omis-sion to provide for an attack north oi Terron, which marks the limit of Gou -raud's holdings on the left bank of the Aisne, seems to have assured the success of the first day of the new operation. The attack of General Gouraud's army must be taken in coijunetion with the American attack on a much larger scale, which la progressing in the most enC0UT-a aping fashion, on the other side of the Arronne. Last idght. as bas been previously pre-viously stated. Gouraud held a narrow strip about flv.- miles lone on the left bank of the Aisne jnarkrd by the ll-! ll-! Iages of Terron, Vandy and Falalse. South I of Fala hie his line passed by Oli.y through the Anror.nc lo Grand lJTH on the eastern edge ol the forest. At ('rand Pre, Gouraud is in touch witn the American Amer-ican army on his right. North of Grand Pre the enemy's flank is protected by n n rapenetj able labyrinth laby-rinth of wooded bills and ravines, the Bois de Bas, and the Foret dc Boult, 'which |