of
the French artillery and rendered eight cannon useless. These are now
standing between the French and German lines.

[Illustration: Scene of the German Crown Prince's drive in the
Argonne.]

_The official statement issued at Berlin on July 15 says:_

The French made repeated attempts yesterday, which lasted into the
night, to recapture the positions we took from them in the Forest of
Argonne. Notwithstanding the employment of large quantities of
ammunition and of strong forces recently brought up, all their attacks
broke down. In many places there was bitter fighting with hand
grenades and encounters at close quarters.

The enemy paid for his unsuccessful efforts with extraordinarily heavy
losses. The number of French prisoners has been increased to 68
officers and 3,688 men.

The success of our troops was all the more remarkable as, according to
corresponding statements made by prisoners, the French had prepared
for a great attack against our positions on the Argonne front on July
14, their national festival day.

_The text of the German official statement published July 16 is as
follows:_

French attacks delivered yesterday and the day before to the west of
the Argonne Forest failed in the face of the North German Landwehr,
who inflicted large and sanguinary losses on the enemy in bitter
hand-to-hand fighting. We captured 462 prisoners.

Since June 20 our troops have fought continually in the Argonne and to
the west of that forest, with the exception of short interruptions. In
addition to the gain in territory and booty in materials a total of
116 officers and 7,009 French prisoners has been reached up to the
present.

On our front which joins the Argonne to the east, lively artillery
battles are in progress. Attacks made by the enemy in this region were
repulsed without difficulty.

_In a dispatch from Berlin, dated July 16, by Wireless to Sayville,
N.Y., it is reported that in the news items given out by the Overseas
News Agency was the following:_

German military tacticians point out that the German victory in the
Forest of Argonne, in France, is of special importance, as it shows
that the connections toward Western France are gradually being cut.

The large amount of war materials captured by the Germans in the last
battle illustrates the importance attributed to the positions by the
French commanders. The French, however, were unable to resist the
terrific offensive of the Crown Prince's arm