The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1918-03-29
BY Arthur Pollen,
Military Critic.

London, March 29-What are tn,
known facts Of the greatest battle IN
history? We have the German objec
tiyes categorically set out for Thurs
day, Friday and Saturday. But the
enemy is still far from achieving The
program set for Friday evening
All observers say that the German
losses are fabulous. one venturoa &C.
figure 100000 1t is far from extraya.
giant that attacking troops should be
docimated twice over when they came
forward in dense masses agoins
Quick-firing artillery machine-gun
and modern rifles If the losses arc
anything like this, at least half Che
divisions employed will be out OF ac-
ton for many weeks They viii sim
Ply have to be reconstructed
The German Plan.
The greater part, lhen OF the Ger
man strength is already extended
Next this million men is used III thi
prodical fashion for any break through
tc get open war fare in the shape Of
a great double turning movement,
rolling the English army back on Ca
lais and the French army ON their
capital to the south
Had the English line opposite Cam
byai been encircled this break thru
might easily have been achieved but
the only line broken is The line of
fixed defenses.
The army is intact, it is in touch
with the allies on the south, and as
we know from Clemenceau's state
ment the reserves as yet have not
been thrown in. They have not been
used for the simple reason they have
not been called for.
The German plan then has 4 grea
deal more than failed up TO date, ID
has failed altogether and The men
spent to get through have been spent
in vain
Successful In One Way.
Now on this, two observations oc-
cur to one First, this is the mos'
successful attack either side has We
made in the sense of more men de-
liyered over a longer front and in
more rapid succession than in any
previous effort by either side, not only
more men, but more guns brought
into position and brought along with
the forces. AS a result, the retreat
has been rapid, and again, as re-
suit, it probably was impossible to
damage the roads very seriously
Hence, speed and mass in attacks
brought with it the reward OF still
greater speed in following each attack
W. The British army consequently
was forced to more precipitate re-
tirement, VIGOROUSLY the most diff
cult Of all military evolutions. just
as that army made its first reputation
in the war by the heroic rearguard
action from Mons to Petit NORM, to-
day it is making a new reputation in
fighting a continuous rearguard ae-
ton over the whole of It's last years
advances.
We have then, the Germans sue
ceeding in doing what no other army
has done, in organizing in so rapid
succession such wide attacks in such
large numbers, thus imposing a task
upon their opponents that no other
amy has had to face Now, the sat
is factory part Of the position is that,
astonishing as Is the German achieve
nent II is not astonishing the Brit
ish army enough to bring the only
kind of victory that is of the slight
est use to the Germans.
Problem Growing Bigger.
And here we come to the second
observation II is clear that the
longer the attack goes on, the greater
the difficulty OF finding more and more