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Show AIRICfflfiOOPS BREAM LINES GIGANTIC VICTORY WON BY FRENCH AND AMERICAN FORCES IN ALLIED DRIVE. More Than Twenty Villages Captured, Germans Driven Back on Front of 28 Miles, Many Prisoners and War Material Being Taken. Washington. All America is rejoicing re-joicing at the good news that comes from France, showing that our hoys "over there" have made good on the most sanguine predictions made for them. They have demonstrated that as soldiers, as well as civilians, they have no peers in the world. A gigantic victory was won by the American and French forces on July 18. more than twenty villages having been recaptured, on a front of twenty-eight twenty-eight miles, thousands of prisoners and much important war material being taken. It was a splended victory. "What the full effect of the blow will be can not be estimated until details of the action along the whole twenty-eight-mile front froiii Chateau Thierry to Soissons, from which the surprise attack at-tack was launched, are available. It was clear beyond mistake, however, how-ever, that in the rush of the first day of this answer of General Foch to the German attack east and west of Rheims, the enemy had been placed in a position from which he may have great difficulty in extricating himself. Not only may the German effort west of Rheims and south of the Marne be wholly nulified, but all they nave accomplished ac-complished since the battle of the Aisne began months ago may be overturned. over-turned. Just at the peep of day the Americans Ameri-cans went over the top, at the signal "Let's go." Over the parapets leaped, bayonets fixed, thousands after thousands thou-sands of fighting men, Americans and French. Out across No Man's Land they dashed. Twenty-five miles, of rront that had been thought asleep was suddenly alive, ablaze, swarming with picturesquely mingled khaki and horizon hori-zon blue. The Yanks and Pollus were "going." Now and not until now the guns', tuned up. A myriad French and American shells whistled overhead, over-head, bidding Godspeed to the storming storm-ing lads. As the first shower of hot metal fell upon the German support and reserve positions, the foe's first lines were already taken. On stormed the Tanks and Pollus one, three, five miles and on. When night came they were still going, sweeping everything before them. The whole German front between Soissons and Chatau Thierry, on the Marne, is shaking. And the danger to the Germans Ger-mans lies in the fact that this front is their right flank. If it caves in, all their forces must get back beyond the Aisne, must get back in a hurry, In a rout, or their encirclement and capture is inevitable. The enemy early began to bring up strong reinforcements. Fresh troops have appeared at various points and a heavy counter-attack will probably have to be withstood. Soissons, the great Aisne railhead which fell to the Germans in their May-drive, May-drive, is under bombardment by French and American shells. French and American troops are within a mile of the city. Its fall may be announced any moment. The enemy was routed and for the most part fled before the American advance; ad-vance; abandoning even light guns and ammunition. Only here and there along the line was strong resistance offered, and at these points the Germans Ger-mans were attacked with rifle and bayonet, before which they retreated steadily. The American troops, including those returning, bandaged, are In high spirits. The Americans have received warm expressions of thanks from the French commanders. The British were not idle on the 18th their line having also been considerably consider-ably advanced south of the Somme. Take it all in all, it was a bad day for the Huns, and as a result of the clay's fighting, perhaps the followers of the Kaiser will begin to realize that America really is in the war, and Is to be reckoned with. |