Omaha daily bee., 1918-04-20
HA|G WINS IF
He CAN HOLD
line INTACT
Ludendorff Beaten Unless He
Advances, View at London;
Early Resumption Of Great
Struggle Expected.
BY ARTHUR S. DRAPER.

ny nm NUN -. Una + EN-
London, April l9.-(Special Cable.
gram to New York Tribune and Oma.
ha Bee. 1.-THE news from the battle
front is the best for month.
Since Tuesday the situation has
been steadily improving and today
Haig is able to report that his lines
are intact, that the Germans have
stopped their hammering tactics. and
that the British hold fhe hills cover.
ing the northward advance to the
coast.
1t is safe to say that the first phase
of the battle of Armentieres is ended
Ludendorff Taking Stock.
Ludendorff is taking stock of the
situation and he is finding that the
great thrust for the coast has losses
as well as gains.
Great Britain has bucked up. She
views the future confidently, she be-
lieves her gallant forces have wealth
cred the worst of the hurricane and
that death and destruction are what
Ludcndorff has gained for his invest
meat of 100000 casualties and gigantic
supplies of ammunition.
He has driven the British off hard
earned Passchendaele Ridge, he has
made deep indentation to the west
of Armentieres, he has captured l50,-
600 prisoners and a hundred or so
guns and forced the destruction of a
large quantity of stores, but his effort
for break through has succeeded no
better than Haig's long campaign for
Passchendaele Ridge.
Both fell short of their real OBJ
Jcctive. Both are so-called near vic
tories"
Time Haig's Ally.
Ludendortf's troops are further
from their bases and are forced to run
their communications through the
barren, shell-torn areas east of Ypres
and west of Armentieres.
The is Haig's ally and Luden-
dortf's great enemy.
The French reserves are now
where they are most needed and Lu-
uSlluoih mas iost soiilc ol lIe lnltld
tive.
The Germans are little nearer the
coast, but nothing matters il they are
held where they now stand.
Ludendorff Is beaten unless he ad-
vances, Haig wins if he holds.
No sane person believes the Ger
mans have not more powerful blows
to deal, no observer is so optimistic
as to forecast a sudden turning in the
tide in favor of the allies.
The fighting season has just
opened and Ludendorff has figured
on a long campaign.
Rain, sleet and bitterly cold wind
are driving across the northern
plains of France, but when the
weather changes, there is sure to be
a resumption of operations on a
gigantic scale. In the last great en-
emy attack between Rebecq and
Givenchy on l0-mile stretch, 10000
bayonets were employed, but the
British bent them back, exacting a
heavy toll and yielding orly a few
outpost positions.
The same story comes from the
battle front south of KENNEL, where
the enemy came in waves which were
broken before reaching the British
lines.
From the hills forming the Armen-
tieres amphiteatre the British and
French guns are pouring high ex-
plosives among the enemy forces, a
feature Haig emphasized in today's
report.
When the'second phase begins it is
expected Ludendorff will have guns
across the Ypres-Comines canal and
will try to develop an enflading fire
upon the Mount KENNEL positions
and the enemy will aim at out-hank-
ing the YpreI positions.