New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-04-27
fensive might have been more Immediately


and completely successful than it was
We may then we'll conjecture that 'he
British success in the First Battle OF ArraS
compelled Hindenburg to throw into the
threatened sector those reserves and those
line troops which he had been collecting
for a German offensive somewhere IN the
East or West. We may conjecture that
tho british success at Arras, therefore, has
postponed a Hindenburg offensive as the
German attack on Verdun postponed ana
roatoned the Allied offensive in 1916. Con-
ceivablv the thing has gone further and
the Allies have already permanently
vrested the initiative from the Germans
and abolished the possibility Of German
blow on the Western or even on the East
orn front. Conceivably, for the rest OF the
,.oar tho Germans will be obliged to CON
form TO Allied strategy and to meet thrusts
,,.hoD and where the British and the
French choose.
The immediate Importance OF the VII
laces which are changing hands before
Arras is slight. Actually the British are
slowlv mastering the whole of the reserve
line Of the Germans, the Copy line" men
.;o,od . r,onont ago. which extends south
ward from Lens to the neighborhood OF
Croisilles. On April they crossed TINS
limo at It's centre and reached Monchy, far
70 the east of it. All the villages that are
most mentioned since that time-GavrelIe
Roeux. Guemappe, Oppy and Fontalne-
Ies-Croisilles-form a portion of this line
In the DAYS Immediately following the
first British advance the Germans endeav-
ored to drive them out Of Monchy and
thus restore this reserve line, not with any
idea probably of holding it permanently
but merely of preserving temporary line
in front Of the British until the Wotan
line was completed.
Monchy was actually the key to this re-
serve Copy line" The town itself Is on a
considerable cminence arising out OF the
Plain of Douai, rather suggesting one OF
the buttes familiar in the Western coun-
try. So long as the British held this they
we're we'll in advance Of this reserve line,
and thev have held it., Not only have they
held it. but pushing north and south they
have taken a number Of villages which
were in the reserve line, notably Gavrelle
and Guemappe. This has really been an
oneration to widen the breach made by the
first attack in this reserve line. In this
resncct Monchy resembles Fort Douau-
mont which the Germans took in their
initial rush at Verdun. Douaumont was
an almost necessary position for the
French to hold if they were to put any
permanent line in front Of the Germans on
the east bank of the Meuse, but they were
unable. despite their efforts, to retake and
hold Douaumont, just as the Germans
have been unable to retake and hold
Monchy.
The fighting that is now going on, then
so far as one can judge, actually consists
Of q series Of counter attacks by the Ger
mans coinciding with an effort of the Brit
isb to resume their advance. These Ger
man counter attacks, made originally with
the idea of regaining control Of the whole
If the reserve line, part of which was in
British hands, are continuing with the idea
of delaying the British advance until the
Wotan line can be put in permanent shape
and until the equally necessary task OF
creating other lines behind the Wotan line
can be begun.
We shall, then, best understand the Sec
ond Battle of Arras by keeping in mind
the Verdun parallel. Before Arras we are
now in the situation that subsisted before
Verdun in the last days Of February and
the first days of March, 1916, after all the
permanent French lines north Of the forts
on the east bank of the Meuse had been
captured, and before the French had sue
ceeded in putting in new line. This
period was the bloodiest for the French in
the whole defence of Verdun, and there is
every indication that the Germans are now
being compelled to sacrifice lives, as were
the French, in attacks of themselves hope
less and fruitless, but designed to gain the
time necessary to put new line in front