Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-04-29

two weeks of fighting. The loss of guns
IS unparalleled on the German side
during the war as is also the loss of
prisoners. We have the testimony of
correspondents who have seen and talk
ed with the German prisoners, all of
which points toward a marked demon
alization among them We have the
testimony Of official reports that the
German units surrendered en- masse.
1t is possible to exaggerate the value
of this evidence and these indications.
but certainly no one can compare the
resistance the Germans are now making
with the resistance they made in the
battle of Artois in 1915, for example.
1t is well to recall also that now for
the first time the Germans are coming
under sustained fire by superior artil-
lery in the hands of trained artillery
men. Last year the British had more
heavy guns than the Germans. but the
gunners were not yet able to enforce
their advantage. The portion that they
served to the French at Nerdun is now
being served to the Germans north of
the Aisne and along the Scarpe. We
are to have a test of German nerves
comparable with the test we had of
French nerves during the great Verdun
attack.
Laon the French Objective.
At it now stands. the German position
remains. so far as one can see, intact
along the French front. After a brief
delay We may expect to see a new
French attack, presumably along the
same front, although it is entirely pos
sible that the center of operations may
be shifted eastward to the old battle
field of Champagne of 1915. But 1t Is
enough to remember thar-a- break in
the German lines anywhere from be-
fore Scissors to Verdun will compel q
general retirement. We may take Laon
as the objective Of the French armies
operating north of the Aisne. Here an
advance of less than seven miles would
be decisive. In the same way an ad-
vance from Souain and Auberive north
ward for few miles would compel a
retirement of the Germans from be-
fore Rheims. probably far back as
necessarily be only a preliminary step
to a retirement to the Mouse at Me-
zieres. But today one can only say that
the French have made a beginning and
that the capacity for continuing must
be determined by the cost of the recent
operations.
Turning now for the moment to the
British operations. as i write on Mon
day, April %, the British after a week
Of pause are again striking between
Lens and the Scarpe river. They have
before them supplementary German
trench line running southeasterly from
Lens. a portion of which they crossed
in their recent attack, and they have
in addition the so-called switch line
which runs eastward of Lens through
the town of Drocourt and rejoins the
old Hindenburg lines southeast of Ar
ras at Queant.
Objective of British Offensive.
This latter line must be the objec-
tive of the new offensive-it has been
apparent that the Germans have for
more than week been preparing to
new objective of the British is the city
of Douai. some eight miles east of their
present front. Toward this they are
advancing along both banks OF the
Scarpe river. which runs between Ar
ras and Douai- They are advancing
and they have before them presumably
no such obstacles as they successfully
Surmounted at Fimy ridge.
Not until they approach the town of
Dorai closely. if they do. will they
again be hampered by any natural OBJ
stacles. At this point they will en-
counter the marshes which almost sur
round the town and extend well to the
northward. There is general belief
that before Douai there is still another
German line coming south from Lille
and meeting the Hindenburg line in
front of Cambria. On the other hand,
there are many who believe that no
such line exists, and that when the
British succeed in gaining the Dire
court-Queant line they will be clear
from the German system of defense.
German Retirement to Frontier.
AT the moment Douai has for the
British precisely the same value as
Laon for the French. If the British
take Douai, then the Germans must re-
tire to the frontier. II the French take
Laon similar German retirement will
be necessary.
The test of German resistance would
seem to be coming before the British
and not before the French. We shall
know probably before these lines reach
the reader whether the Germans have
succeeded in restoring the morale of
whether they will yield again as they
feat like that of Arras would have a
taxable. 1t might presage an end of
Use of speedy collapse of German re-
sistance
This is the maximum of possibility.
1t is not a thing to be forecast or to
be expected. No one can more clearly
recognize than the German general staff
how necessary il is Immediately to re-
store the confidence of their army and
their nation by checking the British
before Douai. The very best effort they
are now capable of will be made and
this new battle of Douai may turn out
to be decisive in more than one way.