Evening star., 1918-03-29
us WAR EXPERTS
STUDY THE PHASES
Of GERMAN DRIVE
Possibility That French Count
er Assault May Be Forerun-
ner of Greater Stroke.
NEWS RATED TOO MEAGER
FOR Definite ANALYSIS
Gen. Pershing's Offer of U. S. Army
to Aid Movement Regarded as
Mere Formality.

American staff officers, studying war
maps and battle front dispatches. today
were intensely interested in three phases
Of news of the present western front
operations. These were:
Possibility that the French counter as
sault between Noyon and Montdidier
might be the forerunner Of the great
counter stroke the allies are preparing to
make.
Intimation that Gen. Foch. hero of the
Marne. and one of the foremost military
geniuses of France. may be a generals
simo of the entire allied forces. or at least
be put in command OF the army of ma
neuver. which will be in the limelight
when the counter offensive takes place.
News cables that Gen. Pershing has
offered to Cen Foch the American troops
now in France for any service desired
in connection with the allied drive.
Information Meager.
Information has been SO meager
about the exact status of the reserve
army created by the Versailles war coun-
Gil that officers hesitated to express
definite opinions about its operations
or contemplated command.
Some officers We're inclined to believe
that generalissimo would not pc
named, in view of previous British OBJ
lection to such an officer. but that Gen
Foch would be placed in command OF
the army Of maneuVer, and IN Such a
post he would become the executive Of
fcer of the war council. with practical.
If not technical, command or the alileo
counter offensive.
1t is regarded as possible by others
that the stress of the emergency Will
bring about complete merger OF the
French, British and American troops un-
der one supreme commander. Dispatches
previously have indicated Gen. Foch as
the man, and Gen, Pershing's action
tends to support that theory.
Not Officially Confirmed.
Though no official confirmation of
Gen. Pershing's Offer of American forces
to Gen. Foch has been received. it was
stated that 1t is highly probable that
such an offer had been made II made
1t Is regarded as a formality. since the
American troops under control of Gen.
Pershing are ready at all times to CO.
operate in any movement which will
aid In winning the war against Ger
many
Creation of an interallied reserve
force grew from suggestion of Presi-
dent Wilson that fullest coordination
Of allied effort be established and Gen
Pershing's formal offer, therefore, was
construed as a further confirmation of
the American position that our troops
are available for fullest participation in
any active operations.
Opportunity for French Army.
On the map the situation at the apex
of the German thrust against the juno
ture of the French and British armies
seems, to American experts. to offer
great possibilities for the French
The turn of the battle apparently has
swung the French lines around at right
angles with the old battle front and
today they are facing almost due north
along the general course of their po-
sition from Montdider to the old line.
The situation, American officers think
to cut Off the apex of the German
thrust which carried Montdidier, but
the general counter assault plans may
possibly make it wiser to forego this
indicated chance for lesser success.
Other Experts in Doubt.
Some experts were inclined to doubt
that the French operations below
Noyon had any connection with the
expected counter attack But most off,
GERS believe that the counter offensive
is matter of hours now. Its apparent
slowness was explained on the ground
that the present drive is on such gigan-
tic proportions. and that the conse-
quent movement OF large bodies of
troops necessarily is slower.
There is always time. after the
enemy blows have weakened and be-
fore they have had time to establish
themselves in new positions, 1t was
explained. when a counter attack is
most effective.
There is no way, from this distance
officers said. of calculating conditions
which affect the Judgment of this
psychological moment.
Comparison of Reserve Forces.
In addition to having a reserve con-
siderably larger than that of the Ger
mans already available. as previously
pointed out there was speculation to-
day about the possibility of further
reinforcements being rushed from Eng
land. Troops in England would be
able to reach the line sooner by chan
mel transportation than they could
from equi-distant points on French
soil. 1t was stated.
Early in the. war the British were
able to send more than 100000 troops
to France within a week. and at that
rate they could replace within ten or
twelve days all the men estimated to
be lost.