Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-05-04
FRENCH PLUG GAP
in BRITISH LINE
Serious Disaster Averted at
Beginning of Great
Drive
JUNCTION POINTS HELD
Gigantic German Offensive
Was Most Stupendous Mill
tary Effort Ever Attempted
JUNCTION POINTS HELD
By C. II. PERRIs

lo1pfiohf 1918, bU the NetD YORK ItncS co.
with the French Armiet, May 4.
with all our mechanical aids and
The hunger Of the world for news, 1t
remains very difficult until long after
ward TO give, I will not say a complete,
but even a substantially true picture Of
The great battle. The main results
may be made known almost immedi-
atelY, the process by which they were
reached. especially II It includes errors
unusually grave, will emerge only
slowly For three years black mystery
reigned over the tragic beginnings OF
the war in the west. and It Is only dur
ing the last few months that enough
information has been allowed to leak
out Of STAFF offices for it to be possible
to Describe and account broadly for the
initial defeats in Lorraine the ArdenneS,
and on the Sambre, which made neces-
sarv the long retreat and led up to the
battle Of the Marne.
Such regime of silence as that has
not been, could not be, repeated. No
ono thought in those days of sustaining
the morale of the nations behind the
armies Now we have at once more
information and more secrecy. The
daily life and sufferings Of the armies
arc beautifully portrayed. The military
censorship is more than ever necessary
because the art of collecting and using
Ififormation about the enemy has enor-
mously advanced during the war.
But real effort is made TO distinguish
that which can be safely published and
70 give II speedily to the public.
Three Phases of Drive
AUST six weeks have passed since the
great German offensive. which was TO
end the war and give the world Ger
.H4. launched
II may be divided so far into three
phases. First. the general offensive Of
the Seventeenth. second and eighteenth
German armies between the Somme and
Oise. lasting from the twenty-frst to the
end Of March second, a first pause in
the general offensive, marked by local
actions at the center and on tho two
wings lasting from April I to S. and
third. from April 8, the development of
tho offensive in Flanders from diver
eiDn between Armentieres and the Lys
10 a drive against the bulwarks of
Ypres, with hard local actions at the
Franco o-British junction south Of the
Scfnme.
While the armies have been fighting
their Information bureaus have not been
idle We know very much more about
the first stage OF the offensive. it's aim
plan, and means Of operation, than we
did month ago. | ltave, therefore.
brought my notebooks down from the
frpnt 10 quiet place in order during
this further pause to look at the affair
ae whole and attempt TO outline some
Of It's features that were hardly appar-
enf at the time Of my earlier kilograms
in this position.
The first of these features 10 demand
appreciation is, of course, the remark
able accomplishment of the French army
directed by General Petain under the CO.
ordlpating influence and latterly the al.
lied command of General Foch II may
be admitted now that there were in the
first phase of the battle hours Of most
oesperate anxiety for the French as we'll
rs the British commanders. No blow
has been struck in this or, needless TO
tAy, In any previous war comparable for
ilass, speed and skill with that of the
last ten days of March. Up to March 20
the sector of attack had been held by
seventeen German divisions. By the
night of the 21st thirty fresh divisions
had been thrown I'm, and in the next nine
days another thirty-six were added
Give the devil his due. Most soldiers
would probably have said that the di-
rectlon Of a torrent of eighty-three divi-
Hipns, or some 100000 men, on a moving
'front.'. expanding from eighty or ninety
miles in ten days, would be impossible
II was merciless plan, but its will and
granted. because this Is the best measure
q The heroism and success of the Allied
ARMIES.
Map shows Aim
a map of the field covered by the Of
fellsive in these ten days shows clearly
lie aim under chief stress. II makes a
rough equilateral triangle, the apex of
which Is fxed just north of the Scarpe
and east of Arras The east side of the
triangle Is the original front Of fifty
miles running TO the Olse near La Fere
The west side is nearly the present
ff0nt. running by Albert to Just south
81 Montdidier. The base runs east bv
tafsigny and the Oise TO the Ailette
for length OF about forty miles.
The principal force and direction OF
che offensive lay westward. across the
center of the field but whether it should
deftlop due west. toward Amiens or
tpNlhwests toward Montididieh. may have
nHen left 70 circumstances. That il was
A drst pressed southwark and then fell
oH by steps northward was due to the
tFttd Of Won Hutier's success over Cen
HHfr4I Coughs army, and then to the
tohderful rapidity with which the
Fftnch stepped into the expanding
breach.
French Plug Gap
ON the evening of the 2ist, General
Fe|ain learned that Coughs divisions,
oNerwhelmed In numbers and material
Ia6 fallen back 20 Epehy and behind the
CfoKnf Canal After telephonic com
siI1nIcation with the British head
04IrlorH he gave orders at II d. m. for
INftH French divisions under General
PtHt 70 be sent TO the region between
re Qise a. Noyon and the crozat Canal.
Ihe Ninth and Tenth Infantry
I|IIsions and the First Division Of Dis
n|4lInled Cavalry entrained at noon or
II1 t1d and reached the ground i'm the
f10r4t OF that night.
FIoy had no artillery with them. nc
horses for their machine-gun sections
W only such supplies and ammunition
HI|tN ctuld carry They did not know
|NI1 The enemy was or where the Eng
we're. and the roads were encum
I|.| With masses OF retreating troop
| I'fIIlan refugees.
~ pressure increasing, more French
1I4 were ordered north. and on IN,
f0|aE Of the 2sd British and FrencI
1lr4fters agreed that General Hum
rommanding the Third French
the FIRST TO interyene-shoult
N hand the troops remaining Ia thl
.0 south Of Ham and reform then
I4 own units. FOR the most part
|1+I1f pelle reported, the infantr,
e1hansled that II needed relief
|00 artillery continued 70 render val
||TE|ce.
Hurfhsr co-opsratioA
.tIuInr the British troops fel
W ~ 1nIIhwesl II had been pos
" Bring up 40 them only two divi.
N|||# ana l1ree - fnn norfl