Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-07-05
Strategists Here Say British
Deceived Germans as to
Point of Attack.
ALLIES NOW PREPARED
TO PUSH ON THROUGH
Well Supplied With Reserves, Artil-
lery and Ammunition, Is
Belief Here.

Military strategists in Washington are
studying the reports concerning the big
drive" Of the British and French in the
Peronne theater OF war with almost
feverish attention. In the opinion of
these students Of military science dis
patches to the effect that the British
have deceived the Germans as to what
would be their point OF attack are being
borne out by the developments. which
not only show British and French gains
of magnitude. but which show that the
allies are holding the points they gain.
The strategical aim of the allies. as It
is understood in Washington today by one
student of the greatest battle in the his
tory of the world, is expressed in the fol-
lowing language:
"Succinctly put, the allies are endeav-
with big front OF fifteen or twenty
miles, so that the troops behind can get
through and do something. This big
drive is different from all previous at
the British and French are prepared to
push their advantage-the advantage
gained by the consolidation of their ad-
vanced positions-by having reserves, ar
and waiting. segregated. behind this
sector in front of Peronne, to follow the
attacking army through the point
pierced.
Reasons Drives Failed.
The drives of the allies heretofore
have apparently failed because they
did not have these reserves. artillery
and ammunition all ready to push
through. In other words. there are
two great allied armies. one, the at
lacking army, and the other the big
reserve army, ready to push through
and roll up" the Germans. to the right
and left. pushing them back, IL pos
sible, to the north and the south of
Peronne.
The Germans knew from their own
sources of information that the big
drive now in progress would begin
July 1. But they believed that it would
begin farther north than around Per-
onne-that it would begin around Lille
or Armentieres. In this the allies kept
them guessing, and it will be the STRAIT
egg of the allies. of course. to continue
to keep them guessing.
Undoubtedly the allies are trying to
make big break in the German line
Of fifteen or twenty miles. SO that a
big reserve army can get through. That
Is their first attempt. The second will
be to get hold of Peronne, which is
a big railroad center, and which CON.
mands many highways These railroads
and highways have permitted the Ger
mans to shift their reserves across the
French theater of war, wherever need
ed. The rapid movements of these re-
serves is what has aided the Teutonic
allies so materially in this war, and
the possession of the railroads is what
has made the shifting Of the Teutonic
reserves possible.
Germans May Not Fall Back.
'It is not likely that the Germans
will want to fall back behind Peronne
They will probably base their efforts
on attempting to roll up and crumple
any allied army that gets through the
break the allies have made.
This big drive was the only thing
possible for the allies They have been
looking forward to 1t and preparing
for 1t for more than a year A big
break OF fifteen or twenty miles from
their point of view is the only thing
possible. One end Of the line of COM
bat has been resting on Switzerland
and the other on the North sea. The
allies couldn't get around this German
line Europe is not big enough to
maneuver armies of the size engaged.
Hence the breaking of the line by an
attacking army and the following
through the break by a reserve army
was necessary"