The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-03-31
Official Dispatches From
 Paris and London Some what Conflicting
SENATORS WATCHING THE BATTLE MAP AS
 ANXIOUS GENERALS
There Has Been Nothing in Reports to Make Experts Feel Alarmed at Final Outcome of Tre-
 mendous Offensive

Washington. March so.-onicias here tonight awaited with intense interest more detailed reports of the German drive against the French in the region of Mont Didier Conflicting reports re- ceived by the French embassy lat4 today from Paris and issued by the British war office in London early tonight left the situation in doubt.
 An official dispatch to the French em- bassy saying that French reserves had stopped the advance on n 25-mile front with elation and were taken by officers generally to indicate that the German army was rapidly losing it's driving power. A few hours later, however. the British war office statement told of the capture by tho Germans of six villages
 in the region of Mont Didier and added that on part of this front heavy fight ing continued and that the situation was unknown.
 Officials were hopeful that the advices ito the French embassy were baed upon later information from the French front than was the British war office state ment. The statement in the French dis patch that reserves had stopped the Germans was accepted in some quarters as meaning that the full force of the had advanced The French official war office statement, however. was expected to clear up this point
 Members of the Senate military com mittee during the regular meeting today with war department officials, were shown ill the map in the war council rooms the status of the great battle as reported by General Pershing. The meaning of various maneuvers was ex- plained by officers and the senators were not inclined later to underrate the seri- ousness of the German menace They were told also that the battle was shap-
 ing itself well for the counter blow ana when they left the council rooms thev mad hish hopes of the possibilities Of that movement
 Consideration of reports of progress on American war preparations was de- layed until the battle situation had been gone over. Senators were not inclined tn discuss the progress reports. It was known, however, that BrigadIer General Wheeler, acting chief of ordnance, was questioned at some length as to the pos sibility of expanding the already great artillery programme on which the war department is engaged
 Officers here have been watching re- ports from the British front closely for indications as to the extent Field Mar shal Haig has found ic necessary to cali upon his reserves to stop the German advance. The German movement appar ently IS directed toward flattening out the British lines, which iniiuss indicate an effort to prevent a counter thrust from q point of vantage along that line.
 There has been nothing in dispatches, 1t was said, to show that the British strategic reserves have been brought into action at all. Officers believe that tac- teal reserves undoubtedly have been used freely, but if Haig has called upon his general reserves, they have not made their presence felt at any point so far as the operations reported serve to dis close From this 1t is argued that large British force. composed of fresh troops, Is being held to cooperate with the French when the counter assault is delivered