The Washington herald., 1918-09-10
PUSH
BY GER MANS
NOW EXPECTED
Ludendorf May Be Forced
to Abandon the
Defensive.

Counter dttdCh Dy tnt StruldIls
at any moment would not be a sur
PRISE" ia a statement made yesterday
corning from such high authority that
1t Is given Notwithstanding the
foreign dispatches indicating that the
Germans are to act wholly on the
defensive
Tho reason for this opinion, Inform
ally put forth, is that the logic of the
plight in which the Germans find
themselves is inexorable. II they
stand siege at St Quentin they will
be massacred by the heavy artillery
Of three armies. II they retreat they
will abandon the keystone OF the
whole German arch of military policy
as planned from the very beginning.
The immediate consequences of re-
treat from St Quentin would be that
neither the Kaiser nor the general
!, staff could explain the fact to the
German people and especially the
Austrian people.
Forced to Change Tactics.
The opinion of this high official.
| while given guardedly. appears TO
have been based on a thorough
knowledge of the situation at the mo-
ment and quito accurately as to the
| disposition and movement of the allied
forces that will make a German
counter offensive extremely likely "
| not certain. The positions of the
British and the French and of the
Americans and some peculiar tactics
of the French indicate to staff Off
GERS that the counter offensive is to
/ be looked forward to, because it is
hnf ylrv
From competent sources of infoT-
nation the chances appear to be
| that the Germans will make their
counter-attack on that part of the
| British army composed of English,
Canadins and Austrians, which
was reported yesterday in the area
west of ST. Quentin"
May Attack British.
The British, however, are approa ch-
ing st. Quentin also from the north
west. 1t is figured-out here that the
! Germans for a counter offensive will
attack either of the two British armies
| so as to perform the Napoleonic trick
| of beating the opposing army in de-
! tail. The reasoning of some of the
staff officers here is that the chances
are against the Germans trying con-
| clusions with the French, who are
! forging ahead in the direction of La
Fere, but always obliquely. to con-
solidate with the British coming down
from the north for the final assault
on the German lines in front of and
on the flanks of st. Quentin.
The French army whlcn is moving
towards st. Quentin, it is believed
here, is reinforced by American
troops. That fact is understood here
to be known to the Germans and the
logic of that situation. entirely apart
from the invincibility of the comcina-
ton. would suggest to the Germans
that the counter offensive should be
tried elsewhere.
Immense importance Is attached
here to the seemingly unimportant
| statements from day to day that the
| French are INA ssing cavalry" That
means only one thing. In the official
| opinion here. Cavalry are used for
pursuit. 1t is used to stop the more
or less annoying rear guard actions
| which have only recently retarded
! the advance of Americans at Belleau
| Wood, in the advance towards the
! Aisne, and in the British thrust in
the extreme north. The gradually ih-
creasing cavalry force, following the
French in the 'pincer movement OF
French and British against the key
of the Hindenburg line. plainly means
that the Allies and Americans are
reasonably certain that there will be
memorable flight OF the Germans
il they stake their chances for re.
sistance on st. Quentin and it bt
taken by assault. In that event the
/ coup de grace is to be given by the
I cavalry. There will be no slow, sui,
len retirements of beaten army
with sections fighting rear guard ac.
tions. There is nothing now in sigh
to prevent that finale of the con
yergence of the allied armies for thu
capture of st. Quentin, except sue
cessful counter offensive, which 1!
awaited, however, with calm consid
Grafton. Assuming that there will b
a successful dash of the Germans
against either wing of the colossa
force that is menacins st. Quentin
it is believed here it can only b
|