New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-05-10
A Month of the Allied Offensive
in the West

on Easter MOnQaN, ApIi =. ANNOiN'"S4E
yesterday marked the beginning Of the
second month of the British offensive. As
the French attack along the Aisne began
one week later, that is now three weeks old.
We have, then, a calendar measurement by
which to estimate the progress Of the
fighting.
In the first month of the Battle Of Arras
the British have taken rather more than
twenty thousand prisoners. They have ad-
vanced an average of four miles on front
of about fifteen miles, and at some points
are five miles ahead Of their starting point.
They have captured two hundred and fifty
German cannon, including finch howlt-
zers. a considerable number of So German
guns and a very great number of field
pieces. They have in addition captured
great deal of material, including machine
guns and other paraphernalia. In the same
time the French have taken rather more
than twenty-ninc thousand prisoners and
more than one hundred and fifty cannon.
including some heavy guns. They have ad-
vanced at points three or four miles, al
though they have not captured as large an
area as the British have.
We may say in sum, then, that the Brit
lsh and the French in one month have
captured more than fifty thousand pris-
oners. nearly five hundred cannon and al
most a hundred square miles of territory.
This is the largest achievement in any
month since trench warfare began. 1t in
cludes the largest advance since the Battle
of the Marine. and can only be compared
with the German success in the early
phase of the Nerdun operation in the
matter of ground gained. which it sur
passes.
In this time the losses of the Germans
have not been less than three hundred
thousand, and the Allies together have
probably lost not less than two hundred
and fifty thousand, the difference being
represented by the prisoners. While the
losses on the Allied side have been fairly
equally divided between the French and
the British, the losses on the German side
have been borne by the Germans alone.
We have therefore on the side of attrition
a loss of three hundred thousand for the
Germans and something less than one hun
dred and fifty thousand apiece for Britain
and France.
Before the Battle of Arras began the
British commander in chief Sir Douglas
Haig. told the military editor of The Trib-
une that there were one hundred and thirty
three and half German divisions on the
he ho44 hooor
the French official statement has fixed the
number of divisions at one hundred and
forty-three. Of which ninety-nine were on
the front and forty-four in reserve. Not
less than half of this reserve has therefore
been actually consumed by casualties, and,
since no German unit is kept on the front
to the point Of determination, it seems
reasonably sure that almost all of the
strategic reserves Of Hindenburg, which
he had evidently accumulated for the pur
pose Of an offensive Of his own, have had
70 be thrown into the Arras and the Aisne
furnaces.
We may say, then, that an actual strategic
victory has been won by the Allies up to the
present moment. The German strategy, so
far as we can yet penetrate it, consisted Of
retreat on the centre between Arras and
4 scissors, TO be followed by an offensive
E elsewhere along the front. BY attacking
+ on the Arras-Lens and Scissors Rheims
= fronts the British and the French have
compelled the Germans to abandon the
N project of an offensive elsewhere and TO
4 throw their strategic reserve against the
British and French forces which threat
4 cned the German line.
4 SO far as it is now possible to judge,
I them the Germans have lost the initiative
which they sought TO regain by their re-
treat in March. They have lost greater
number Of prisoners than in any month of
\ the war. They have lost greater amount
h of artillery than ever before in a single
month in the history Of the German En-
T pire or Of the Prussian monarchy. Their
tactical defeat at Arras was greater than
AZ any point in the Marine fight, the losses
comparable only with those at Verdun.
The German official statements and Off
cial writers have all endeavored to present
picture for home and foreign consump-
ton in which the campaign appears as a
campaign on the part Of the Allies to
pierce the German line. Having set up
this objective and asserted that this was
I the purpose Of Allied strategy, they have
/ thereafter pointed TO the failure of French
and British attacks to pierce their lines
as a great German triumph. But the Ger
/ man triumph can only be accepted if it is
assumed that the main purpose Of the
Il Allies was 70 pierce the German lines, and
+ this is by no means true. Confronted
with situation created by the German
Z retreat on the centre, and recognizing a