Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-04-16

TEUTONS ARE NOW
STALLED IN VIEW
OF u. S. OFFICIALS
Washington Admits That Ger
mans Have Won Certain Re-
suits but Says They Have
Failed in Main Objective

T alle0 IN Main objective
I WASHINGTON. April 15.-The turn
I ing point in the battle on the west
front is reached, says the war depart
ment's review of the military situation
I for the week ending April Is, publish
ed today. The Germans have failed
, in their purpose to achieve victory in
the field, the statement continues, and
/ will soon be forced to resume their old
tactics.
We must bear in mind" the review
says. that the enemy is waging a bat
+ lie of humiliation TO achieve victory
He is lighting today with the sole aim
I OF aanihilating the British armies. Thus,
I terrain conquered counts for little
While it must be admitted that Ger
man operations since the beginning of
the present offensive have resulted i'm
more than a mere ploughing up of part
of the allied french system and the
capture of local detectives along a wide
front, nevertheless the aim of the Ger
man higher command TO obtain a de-
cisive strategic success by these as
Fsaults has not been attained.
The turning point in the west is
being reached The Germans have scor-
ed distinct advantage which it would
be unwise to endeaVor to belittle Yet
they have failed in their great purpose
to achieve victory in the field and Will
soon lie forced to resume their old tao
-lcS, seeking to gain limited detectives.
triAlng first at one point, then at an
other, in order to render the allied posi-
tions untenable and give themselves
greater security"
The review of operations follows.
AS the time passes it becomes evil
dent that the enemy is striking with
renewed vigor at the weakest poir. he
can find opposite him.
In the offensive in Picardy the Ger
mans sought for a rifJ IN the line where
the French and British forces Joined.
Failing to achieve any definite far
reaching results from this operation.
he promptly returned to the assault
elsewhere and plunged forward hoping
that by driving a wedge in the sector
along the front held by Portuguese and
British units they may be able to roll
the British towards the sea and effect
a break-through.
On Portuguese Front.
This is the operation attempted this
week I'm the region of the famous battle
ground OF the early days of the war
in front of Lille.
Here OIL a frontage of $1,000 yards
stretching from Armentieres to the La
Bassee canal, the segment held by the
Portuguese troops. thanked on either
side by British divisions, was pene-
trated after an intense bombardment.
ION the first day of the assault, the
enemy was able to penetrate to a depth
of from IA TO four miles on a front of
IL miles.
-On the second day the front of at
tack was extended to 20 miles while the
impetus of the offensive was consid-
erably slowed down and only able to
reach a maximum additional depth of
l-4 miles. The front of attacks has since
been further extended and the British
have been forced to abandon POSITIONS
to the north and south of the Lys and
west of the Lave.
The enemy had made Roadway along
the La Basse canal to within the i'm
mediate vicinity of Bethune, while
other points northwest of the city of
considerable tactical Importance have
fallen into the hands or the enemy
The enemy now finds himself within
80 miles of Calais. The main lines of
communication to channel ports radiate
vertically from this battle front and
thus facilitate the German advance.
IF the enemy can muster the driv-
ing power he will in all probability con-
tinue his assaults, hoping that by an
enveloping attack on an oblique front"
to use the classic Prussian definition
he may score a complete annihilatins
victory.
There has been less activity along
the southern flank of the Picardy Sd
lient. Here the line taken over by the
French is now fully consolidated. After
the bloody battles which have been rag
ing in the area between Montdidier and
Noyon, the enemy, fearing a counter at
tack along this flank of their newly
deeply curved salient, struck repeated
blows to give themselves elbow room
south of the Disc.
1.-The Germans, by stubborn and cost
" driven thrusts. were able to force the
French out of the triangular area form
ed by the Disc, the Ailette and the old
line stretching from the La Fere 10
Anizy-Le-Chateau.
ION an approximate twelve-mile front
the enemy advanced to a depth ranging
from three to six miles. The French
contested every foot of the ground, were
able to check the enemy's onslaught and
carry out their carefully arranged plar
for the occupation of the line which
they now hold south Of the Aillette
north Of Somme
The German higher command also
made desperate attempts to enlarge its
gains in the area stretching from Mont
didier to Noyon and improve the posi-
ton in this vicinity, but they were
everywhere repulsed by the French who
held firm along this important sector.
North Of the Somme the British re-
established their line in the Aveluy
woods and took "A number OF prisoners.
Later in the week very heavy bonn
bardments developed in the region east
of Noyon and north of Montdidier.
In the sectors where our own forces
are fighting considerable activity pre-
vailed. After protracted artillery prep
aration the Germans launched an at
tack against our positions northwest OF
Toul. Our artillery was able to disperse
the assaulting columns and checked the
attack before our lines were reached.