Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1918-04-12
Germans Resume Drive Toward
Amiens But Pay Heavily
For Small Gain.
FOCH's PLAN NOT REVEALED
Hundred Thousand Cheering Ameri-
can Troops Moving Up to Battle
Front-count c~zernin's Stu
pid "Peace Offensive"-
Evaporation Against
DisloyaIists Is
Increasing.
BY EDWARD w. PIckARp.

Halted by the magnificent defense
Of the allies and. according to their
own statements, by the bad weather
prevailing, the Germans made little eff
forts during the first part of the week
to push farther ahead In Picardy.
Then. on Thursday, they launched a
series of furious attacks in the region
north of Montdidier, evidently aimed
at the Amiens-C Ill railway. Ten
times the Huns, 100000 strong, adj
vanced against the Franco-British
ing gun fire, and In the end they had
gained but a few hundreds meters of
terrain, with three small villages, at
the cost of many thousands of lives.
At the same time the British be-
tween the Somme and Avre rivers and
near Albert, north of Amiens, were
subjected to heavy attacks. In the
former region General Haig reported
that he had yielded a little ground,
and on Friday the fighting still was
severe, with the allied lines holding
wen.
Earlier In the week there were daily
local operations at many points on
the battle front, but these were mostly
undertaken by the British and French
for the purpose of improving their po-
i%sitions, and usually were successful.
The recapture of Ayette, south of Ar
ras, the center of a fiercely contested
sector, by the British, and the retak-
ing of Hangard-en-Santerre by the
Franco-British forces were apparently
the most important of these enter
prises. In both of them the Huns lost
heavily.
The period of comparative quiet was
utilized by both sides in strengthening
their lines and bringing up reinforce
ments and supplies for the renewal of
the battle, which was regarded as in
evitable. No intimation was given Of
the plans of either the Germans, or the
allies, and there was considerable won
der in America at least that the ex-
pected counter-attack by the allied re-
serve army did not begin. It may be
that General Foch is planning to strike
at some sector yet unguessed. He is
recognized as one of the best of STRAIT
egists.
Since the kaiser has promised his
people a big victory, there is every
prospect of a long period of bloody
fighting, with further heavy losses for
the Germans. Already the casualties
of the Huns have been staggering, the
estimate of the French being between
100000 and 100000. Those of the Brit
ish and French have been unexpected
ly light, perhaps not more than $780,
600, including the considerable num-
Der of prisoners.
Artillery work was almost continu-
Gus during the week. and especially
vigorous in the Montdidier region and
north of that toward Amiens. The
Germans admit they have had much
difficulty in getting their heavy guns to
the front, owing to the mud and the
destruction of roads by the allies. Also
their transport is so slow that they
are short of food and ammunition.
Presumably in order to help In clear
ing up the congestion and preparing
for a resumption of the checked adj
vance, Field Marshal Won Mackensen
went to the west front from Berlin
Wednesday.
IA
OF vital interest to the United
States is the part our soldiers are to
play In the continuation of the great
battle. offered to the allies without