The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-07-18
WASHINGTON CAUTIOUS
Sparing of Opinion But
Satisfied With Prog
ress of Battle.
WAR WORK PUSHED
Real Test of Strength
Yet to Come When
Shock Troops Get
Into Action.

+ yyashinrton. July fT.--Offctai
! washington continues to regard
/ the situation respecting the TER
/ man drive as satisfactory.
Though still sparing Of overly
| ontiulstic predictions, opinion
among the authorities here ac-
cords with the belief expressed
in press dispatches that the initial
proeram of the enemy had been
badly shattered. due to the mag
nfficcnt resistance of the amer
leans and French.
A hiatus In official reports from
both General Pershing and Gener-
nj Bliss left the war department
without basis for any announce
ment concerning the outlook ana
General Peyton G. March, chief
of-stafT, who had arranged to dis
cuss the situation with the news
paper correspondents this after.
noon, was forced on account OF
this to cancel the engagement.
.I have been trying" EXPLAIN
ed Secretary of War Baker, later.
ito guard against immature con-
illusions that might arouse false
hopes among the people. There
fore, / do not feel that we are
lukflHtu III bthAkh& Uhs 1~AAN~
statement until more Is heard
from General Pershing and Gem
eral Bliss"
Today's official cormunidue from
General pershing dealt entirely with
YESTERDAYS operations and of the day
before Succiently 1t confirmed all the
b5es. news that was carried inNthe press
dispatches of yesterday, but throws
no light on the operations of last
night and today. which. in the opin-
ION of the military experts. probably
would be sufficiently determinative to
warrant definite predictions as to the
outcome of the present effort.
The advices to the entente embassies
were of later happenings and were
uniformly encouraging. The enemy
was described for the most part as
lconhning himself this morning TO To-
cal engagements. a most unusual con-
dition for the third day of a major
offensive. In previous drives the enemy
has made his greatest general ad-
vances during the first three days.
One of these dispatches to the
French embassy described with con-
siderable detail the important part
played by the French aviators. Not
only did 1T confirm press dispatches to
the effect that the airmen had spoil
ed the plans OF the enemy for a sur
prise attack. but in describing the
bonn hardment by the French aviators
of the pontoon bridges thrown across
the Marne by the Germans. II stated
that a total OF forty-four tons of pro-
jectiles had been dropped at differ
ent points along the river, that forty
one enemy airpianes had been brought
down or put out OF control. and that
~ - Il 49,
set on fire.
Generally speaking. the opinion
among the military experts is that
the real test is still to come when the
enemy launches the full strength OF
his concentrated masses OF shock
troops against the allied lines 1t had
been confidently expected that he
would do this during the night. While
there Is surprise expressed that this
did not occur military men by no
means are prepared TO believe that
the enemy Ia yet ready to abandon his
costly effort. The significance is that
full confidence In the ability of the
line to hold ia felt In the face OF the
belief that many of them held that
the full force of the blow is yet to be
struck.
At all events the government at
Washington Is not for a single breath
ing space allowing its general salts
faction of the situation to interfere
with its efforts. n anything, the
throttle on the war machine has been
opened a little wider and still more
steam applied. Again today the presi-
dent disregarded the rules OF daily
exercise laid down for him and stay
ed fast to his desk.
The war cabinet met as usual for its
Wednesday conference at the White
House. and later Secretary OF War
Baker, who fairly lives at the war de-
partment these. days, met in confer
ence with Chairman Hurley, OF the
shipping board. Chairman Baruch
of the war Industries board, and rep
Gesentatives of the food and fuel ad-
ministrations.
Always 1t Ia the matter of pushing.
pushing ahead to greater and greater
sneAa Faepeasefs- OF r,er1 and SUPP
plies to france; of finding the ships,
finding the war materials, finding the
supplies OF all kinds Always there is
before the government at Washington
the fact that the resources of this
great nation have hardly, been tapped,
and that upon America falls the privi-
lege OF doing its very utmost to win
the war.
There was no confirmation receiv-
ed by the war department OF the ac-
count in press dispatches of how an
American general. commanding
American forces south of the Marine,
had refused TO follow the advice of
the, French commanders when his
force had been driven back at Condo
En- Brie. and had insisted on launch
ing = counter-attack. which. not only
placed the American nag back where
q had been. but advanced 4 half !
mtle furthar. NO.,