Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-05-28
MILITARY MEN
BELIEVE ALLIES
CAN HOLD FAST
President Keenly Interested in
New Drive Launched Yes
terday by Teutons

Washington, May 2s.-The news
from the western front that hostili-
ties had been resumed on an extern
sive scale brought to Washington a
feeling closely akin to distinct re-
lief.
The suspense. which has seemed
interminable, was unquestionably
telling upon the nerves" of the cap
ital city. and there was real appreci-
alton here of the report from Paris
that the Germans might purposely
be delaying renewal OF the often
sive in the belief that the delay
would have a wearing down effect
upon the morale of the soldiers hold
ing the lines against them.
The sense of impatience over the
German tactics. which may be. said
to have existed in Washington for
the last fortnight has been born of
the feeling that the Allies arc in a
position to deal with the heaviest
weights of men and material that
Hindenburg. Ludendorff and the Kai-
ser can hurl against them. There
is also feeling of pride in Wash
ington that this time, when the Ger
mans have actually struck what may
be their final blow, a substantial
American force is standing shoulder
tc shoulder with the French and
British, ready to bear it's share of
the burden of blood and sorrow.
Reports of Battle McaGer
1t was difficult for the military
men in the Administration to form a
sound judgment of the days fighting
from the fragmentary dispatches
which %
Last nights American communique
plainly dealt only with the events of
Sunday and did not touch upon the
assaults launched yesterday morning
between Rheims and Soissons and in
the neighborhood of Mont KENNEL.
There was some surprise in Army
circles here that the Germans should
attempt a push" on such a wide
front as that indicated between
Rheims and Scissors, but this was
coupled with the belief that the at
tack had been no surprise to Cen
eral Foch. the chief
OF the Allied armies. When an at
tack of this sort is expected, nothing
to that effect is allowed to pass the
field censors. 1t is of the highest
Importance in modern strategy to be
able to surprise the attacking force
with the effectiveness of the leisure
ly-planned defense.
President Keenly Interested
President Wilson was keenly alive
to the possibilities of the renewed
offensive and throughout the day
took unusual means to ascertain the
latest bits of news which filtered in
from the fighting front. He first was
told of the German attacks just be-
fore he left the White House for the
Capitol to make hisSaddress on war
revenue legislation, and referred to
the news at the conclusion of his
prepared remarks.
When the President returned to the
White House with Mrs. Wilson he re-
mained but a few moments. Ac-
companied only by a Secret Service
operative. he walked briskly across
Executive avenue to the State, War
and Navy Building and went to the
office of the Secretary of War, Mr..
Baker. He inquired for any infor-
nation the War Department had re-
ceived from General Pershing or
through other official sources as to
the scope of the new operations. Sec
retary Baker said the department had
received nothing to supplement or
even to confirm the press dispatches
from London and the British front.
Secretary Baker Joined the Presi-
dent in visit to the office of Sec
retary of State Lansing to see if any
information had come through diplo-
matte channels. Mr.. Lansing, how
ever. had no information. The Pres
ident and Secretary Baker remained
with the Secretary of State for about
hfteen minutes and then Mr.. Wilson
called on Secretary of the Navy Dan
iels.
This series of conferences caused
many rumors to spread, but all the
in them insisted that
mo matters of Importance" were
pending, and it was particularly as
serted the Mexico-Cuban incident
was not discussed in any way. The
President was in search of war news,
and all the late press dispatches
were sent to him at the White House.
German Attack Easily Understood
The German attack near Locre was
easily understood. and, unaccompa-
MED by the movement far to the
south, would merely have meant an
attempt to win back some of the
points about the Flanders
Hill which were taken by the French
in counterthrusts some little time
ago. The news last night that the
pCiAidh IN ldnQeTS na0 met
with failure virtually at all points
naturally was a source of great COM
fort and satisfaction in both diplo-
matte and official circles. although,
as already indicated. Washington felt
sure the Germans in their attempts
would find very different situation
confronting them from the days in
late March, when they swept forward
in a way that fairly made them
drunk with the expectation of VIC
tory.
The development of the attack
against the French between Rheims
and Scissors, where 1t Is conceiv-
able the Germans might plan a new
drive toward Paris. was awaited last
night with a keener interest as to
what might be in the German mill
tary mind than any uneasiness as to
the ultimate effect of the blow upon
this new battlefront. All of the
earlier reports indicated that the
blow had nothing like the weight
behind IL which marked the attacks
in Picardy and Flanders. when the
Germans first sought this year to
separate the Allies and crush the
British army. This confirms the be-
lief which military observers have
held for some time that, despite the
tremendous effort they may make,
the Germans cannot strike again
with the same force they mustered
at the beginning of the offensive
which. they wrongly believed. was
to bring them peace by June.
Situation Filled with Possibilities
The Idea that the Germans can now
begin third offensive in the Aisne
sector and still be able to resume
the drives toward Anniana and of