New-York tribune., 1918-03-30
War Material Will Be De
cisive Factor, Says
Malleterre
Allies Will Hold
Till u. S. Is Ready
Keep Confident and Ignore
German Falsehoods,
Advises General
By Wilbur Forrest
Tribune Cable Se-7icpl


PARIS. March 29.-General Male
..r-e withou. doubt the most distin-
~,;sbed military critic IN France, and
Governor OF the Invalides, who was
wounded seriously at the battle of the
Marine. Ia statement exclusively for
Tie Tribune, says:
The impetuous German attack,
which FOR the third time attempts to
snatch victory on the Western front,
d.es not only manifest itself by a
nogerful military effort, but IS always
snompan.ed by q moral mannuvre
cansisting o. a. offensive of corruption
and treason which succeeded all too
well in certain Allied and neutral coun-
tries. Accordingly. German wireless
messages are being sent broadcast to
America sowing terror of the 'Teuton
fury and perndious appeals for a peace
Of conelllaticn.
u, soldier, kept from the battle
field by wounds, envisaglng above the
come, peace entailing punishment and
reparation. want briefly and energeti-
cally 10 tell our friends in America
Don't let yourselves be shaken by Ger
man taIsehoods' En- avant
yes. there is nothing more serious
than the present German offensive.
Germany Is making an effort as great
as IN 19l4-greater than IN 1916 at
Verdun-in order to smash the Western
front. But It sufices TO study the map
in order 70 understand the military
situation in al its simplicity. 1t suf-
fees that the governments tell the
truth in order to reassure the morale
Of the Allied nations # by any chance
it is weakened.
The German supreme command
thought 70 find weak spot in the
Western front at the junction of the
French and British armies between the
0ise and the Somme. They could not
help but know that single command
had not been realized upon this front
and must have hoped that the entente
between the French and the British
commands would not bring the neces-
sary decisions rapidly enough to dispel
the effects or the surprise they were
preparing.
The objectives therefore were the
disrupting OF the French and British
armies. This accomplished, and the
Intervention of the French armies
being paraIyzed on the right bank of
the Disc by the occupation of the Terg-
nler-Noyon region. daring strategy
planned the overturning Of the Britis II
right wing via Amiens toward Doullen:
and enveloping of the centre around
Arras and Bethune. according to the
tavorlte doctrine OF the German gen
eral staff
The timely British retreat and tbs
swift Intervention of the French troops
shattered this conception like the pre-
eeding ones. The intended disruption
was not realized. The battlefront has
receded, but remained intact. What
ever the supreme violence Of the Ger.
man drive, the French command i:
master CT the psychological moment
when 1t judges counter offensive
possible
Therefore in America, as in France
and England, keep up your confidence
and perseverance. Such an offensive
a. time when the opening OF Russia
seemed 20 allow Germany TO resist
more efficaciously against the blockade
proves. on the contrary. that the poiiti-
cal ard economic situations OF the Cen
tral Empires are most serious.
They are stalking their all. But we
must profit by this lesson. We must
oppose our will to conquer, and. our
warlike effort against the danger which
persists-the danger Of the defeatisr II
spirit. ending in q defeatist peace.
The decisive factor Of victory is ir
the' hands of the Americans. Enslanc
and France Will hold out until America
has accomplished her full effort. AL
ready we see many Americans il
France, some fighting valiantly at the