Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-05-18
|Allied Defense Said to Be
Gaining as Offensive
is Delayed.
LONDON LOOKS FOR
HEAVIEST BLOW
Believes Won Hindenburs is Preparing
to Launch Miehtiest Drive in Effort
to Destroy Allied pefenses and
Reach Channel -Ports-Ameriea May
BE Factor in Big Battle About to Be
Launched On Western Front.

few days and a great increase in
aerial activity have not yet re-
suited in q renewal Of heavy infan-
try fighting. The artillery dueIs
GO on most violently on important
sectors, but neither the German in
fantry nor artillery displays tho
activity which usually marks the
coming Of q blow against the al
lied lines.
The enemy, il Is believed
in London, 10 preparing for
might attack greater in force.
If possible, than tho smash
on March 21 along the fifty
mile front southwark from Arras.
The Germans, however, are having
difficulty in filling up their great
ly-depleted ranks, some divisions
having so per cent-one 70 per
cent-of their electives lost in the
recent fighting.
In addition the allied artillery 10
causing havoc with German prep
arations near the front lines, while
their railway stations and biIlets
behind the lines are under an al
most continuous rain Of bombs
dropped by allied airmen.
y knsmy. artillssys and man power
eoneontrations probably will be-
como stronger 40 Field Marshal
Won Hindenburg delays . new ad-
vance, but the allied defense gains
in strength in the same ratio and
. new source Of fighting power, the
American army, grows in power.
General Pershins's men are now on
both the important battle fronts
Flanders and Picardy-but in what
numbers is not disclosed. Their
coming. however, is having a great
Z moral effect on tho British and tho
French, and the longer the Ger.
mans delay the greater will tho
American aid become.
Aerial activity is the most prom
inene feature Of the news from the
fighting zones. French and Brit
ish airmen have dropped many
moro tons Of explosives on enemy
military projects, while tho Ger
mans arc becoming moro active in
attempts to get behind tho allied
lines. In aeriai fighting tho Brit
ish have brought down thirty five
German machines, while British
guns accounted for ton moro. Bsr-
lin claims the destruction Of eight.
cen allied planes.
While the renewal Of the Cor.
man offensive in the west awaits
completion Of the enemy's prepara-
tion and presumably weather con.
ditions that fl in with the German
Ians, events are in progress else
whore with potentially important
bearings on the war as whole.
The arrest Of number Of IIish
leaders 40 a result Of the discovery
Of an alleged plot, which. according
to the Same reports may have con-
templated tho landing Of German
forces in Ireland has bearing on
the British man power problem as
or probably pending to bring to a
head the question Of Irish recruit
ing, voluntary or otherwise.
In a much moro distinct field
the far esst-ths allied nations
have decided to cooperate in a
military way to meet the dangers
threatening the peace Of that part
Of tho world from German penen-
tration.
Meanwhile tho Indications from
both Germans and entente quarters
are that the hour Of the resumption
Of the German drive in tho west is
not far distant. Significant in this
connection may be tho announce
mont from Count Won Hertling, the
German imperial chancellor, that
hs was confident that further
events in tho west" would bring
na9psr che speedy end Of the war"
ID was just such pronouneement
aot4his that Immediately preceded
the opening of tho German offen-
sivs IL March, and there have been
recently ether warnings to the Ger
man people that tho resumption Of
4he dHve .~ae Imminent.
Another attempt to raid Paris
Friday niqn< failed.
On the American sectors west Of
Montdidier, northwest Of TouI
and In Lorraine tho aerial fighting
has increased.
The American positions in Pic.
ardy and Lorraine arc teins bonn.
barded heavily by the Germans.
The artillery fire has fallen off
In the TouI sector but American
patrols are active there.
London, May 1s.-Heavy arttller
ighting last night between Givench
md Robeca, on the southern side (
he FLANDERS salient, is reported by til