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INTERESTING AND PERTINENT TOPICS OF THE DAY GERMANS RENEW THEIR OFFENSIVE The fifth great German offensive began yester ¬ day morning The Associated 1ress summary of this latest phase of the great war is as follows followsAfter After a wait of thirtythree days since they were halted in their plunge toward Compiegne along the west bank of the Oise the Germans at dawn today launched a new phase of their mighty offen ¬ sive liy attacking from Chateau Thierry to Maison Do Champagne north of Massigcs and far east of Klicims over a front about sixtyfive miles in length lengthlatest latest reports from the battle field state that Hie Germans have crossed the Manic at several places This probably refers to the readies of the Manic iHtwcon Chateau Thierry and Donnans DonnansAmerican American troops are engaged in the battle in this particular region and reports Kiy they are handling the enemy well They broke up the German drive in the Vans region west of Chateau Thierry by lashing counterattack counterattackHeports Heports show that so far ns the length of line is concerned the present drive is the greatest of the year At first it was believed from the French war office statement that the line was about fifty miles in extent but apparently the report from Paris told simply of the length of the French held lines under attack Measurements of the line where fighting is known to be going on however show that it is 105 kilometers or 051 miles long The attack against the Cambrai front on March 21 was over a front of fiftyfive miles milesLast Last night a terrible artillery fire was loosed against the allied lines from Chateau Thierry on the west to Maison De Champagne north of Mas siges on the east eastFor For hours the entente lines were under a tem ¬ pest of the most tremendous character Xot only was the actual battle area under bombardment but towns and cities far behind the lines were made targets for great ten and twelveinch projectiles fired from what appears to be naval siege guns brought up behind the German positions positionsDuring During the last few weeks it lias been rumored that the resumption of the German offensive would witness a longrange bombardment of places which would heretofore be considered at i safe distance froia tie front These rumors proved to be true trueThe The lay world had exjiccted the German main effort to be loosed against the line from the Manic to the Aisne north of Chateau Thierry in the Picardy sector toward Abbeville or farther north in the Lys sector against the channel ports Along this line the allies have been daily improving their lines and preparing for the new drive driveKilt Kilt the Germans chose a sector which except for a surprise attack around Ithoims late in June has lKen iiuiet since the offensive launched on the Aisne on May 27 came to a standstill East of Ilhfims and north of Chalons there has been but little fighting of significance for a long time timeThis This line of which Khcims may be considered the keystone was chosen for the reason that informa ¬ tion might have IMHH received by the Germans that it was less strongly held than sectors along the front nearer Paris Thus it might be reasonable to expect that a greater territory could be overrun IWcre at a smaller expense of men and material than on the lines where the allies are known to be strong strongThe The Germans hold the north bank of the Marnn for a distance of about twenty miles east of Chateau Thierry
