The Washington times., 1917-06-09
The Wytschaete Attack

The Wytschaete Attack
With the British assault of June
z at Wytschaete opened a new phase
of the entente offensive in France.
This phase differs from the rest even
as in each case differed from its
predecessors the Somme attack of
July and August, 1916, its extension
to north and south in the autumn, the
British operations before Bapaume
in February and March, 1917, the
hurried pursuit of the retreating
Germans to the gates of St. Quentin
by the French in April, the simultan-
eous offensives of British and French
at both edges of the area of retire
ment in April and May, and the de-
fensive against German eounter-at-
taeks that was still in progress on
the Artois, Aisne, and Champagne
fronts when the new blow fell.
The Wytschaete attack is a new
departure in that it occurs on terri
tory which the British have let
pretty much alone ever since the
stoppage of their offensive at Hill so
in April, 1915. The Wytschaete area
lies north Of Armentieres, thus sep
arated by an interval Of twenty miles
from the nearest recent heavy fight
ing, that about Lens. It means
either that British reserves have
been displaced in preparation for the
move, at the expense of the often
sive power on the previous battle
field, or else that great new British
forces have been brought into &C.
ton. In one case it will necessitate
the postponement Of the British eff
forts against Lens and Douai, while
IN the other it would involve an i'm
portant accumulation Of pressure in
addition to that which the German
front already had to support. This
uncertainty must be highly disturb
ing to the German leaders, who must
act on one supposition or the other,
taking chance Of being wrong in
either case, and of suffering conse-
quent damage. Here we see the priv
ilege and the art Of the stronger side
exerted, to the end of multiplying
the disturbing situations that the
weaker side must face. Grant thus,
instead Of fighting it out on this
line" to the north and east of Rich
mond, moved against Petersburg,
building up a third threat against
Lee; but it was the combination of
the three that forced the evacuation
Of the city. For the moment the en-
tente armies are considerably the
stronger in France, wherefore they
in like manner multiply their men
aces.
The continued entente offensive Is
possible, in spite Of Russia's military
and political collapse, by the fact
that Hindenburg has thus far failed
to take advantage Of the Russian sit
uation. The German military policy
since his elevation to the chief COM
mand has been gradually failing in
its former merit Of showing results.
The Roumanisn csmoaign, for which |
ne receives crecit, came al the out
set of his term Of command, and was
chiefly the work of Falkenhsyn and |
Mackensen; since then he has lost |
territory in the West, and |
has been forced to employ and sacri-
fee numerous troops to defend a |
weak front, far less strong than
that which he had voluntarily aban-
doned a few weeks previous; he has |
lost several towns Of Importance and |
his hold on several others, particu-
larry Lens and st. Quentin, has |
grown precarious. In short he has
neither prepared for nor avoided the
attacks, nor pursued any ad-
of his own yet visible. He
has obtained poorer results than his
obtained under harder
circumstances. Above all he has
failed either to use the Teutons on
the east front and dispose of Russia
or to bring them from the east front
and stop the entente offensive.
Thanks to this omission the French
and British forces still enjoy the ad-
Of the stronger, almost as
thoroughly as if Russia were still in
The field. ]
In their new offensive the British
threaten Lille. Lille is not far; only