The Washington herald., 1918-04-16
Holding.

Yesterdays Developments almost elnched the
fact that in Flanders as in Picardy, the Hun has
failed of his main objectves. He has won dis
tinguished local successes However, he has failed
to roll the British army north to the Channel as
he has. failed make lesion in the Franco-British
line just below St. Quentin
OF course, the second phase of the great often
sive is not completed The German is not going
to quit along the Flanders front now, in spite OF
the repeated rcpulse of his ferocious attacks. He
has committed himself to certain line of action,
and he will carry it to the end with his customary
thoroughness. But every passing hour makes it
more certain that the British line will hold. The
failure of the enemy carry his first rush to the
point where he has the leverage TO widen his sa-
lent and swing back the whole British line in Flan-
dcrs makes it reasonably certain that the whole Of
fensive will degenerate into nibbling game or
will become quiescent while the attack is shifted
to another sector.
Have the allies yet met the best the Germans
have to offer? 1t isvery much to be doubted. The
massing of heavy reserves not yet drawn upon un-
doubtedly means that the pounding OF the allied
line is to continue Where the next blow will be
struck is a question which may be answered within
a week Probably there number of weak
spots in the French line south of La Fere of which
the German imperial staff has made careful obser
vation and against which it is ready to launch an
assault that will equal the offensive in Pcardy and
Flanders in intensity. 1t is possible that "the
American front" may be involved in the next Of
fensve But the chief point to bear in mind with
regard to the French line, particularly west of
Rheims, is that no success that the. enemy may win
there carries the direct and immediate threat 10
the of the allies that the drive Amiens
and the Channel ports carry. These vital
spots in the integument OF the Western line. Moth
A. - Al 1,,,a
Toul and Lorraine is vital. A yield of terrain
there would be nothing beyond local success
That the Germans themselves are cognizant of
the turn events have taken is shown in a speech
which Conrad Hausmann, one of the Bavarian
leaders, recently made in the Reichstag.
"The important question" he said, is whether
our military successes will shortly be transmitted into
political successes. Our whole strength will have
to be thrown into the scale for a long time yet
Peace is still long way off and it is imprudent to.
expect it in the immediate future. 1t is not i'm
probable that in the next few months shall have
to make preparations for the fifth winter
There is other evidence also that Germany has
made almost the ultimate gamble in her present
effort to destroy the British armies Peace by Oc-
tober is the objective OF her military leaders. The
German food controller recently stated that sup
plies small that satisfactory solution of
the economic problem can be attained. Even the
maintenance OF the present bread ration, small
it is, is dependent highly problematical supplies
from the Ukraine.
Added to this we have the striking evidence of
the true inwardness of the Austrian situation at
forded by the resignation of Count Czernin, whose
passing in allied counsels will regret The
economic situation in Austria Hungary is much
worse than in Germany Only the good German
sword can brow beat the dual monarchy into line
for fifth winter OF Another winter will eat
the ytals out of the whole industrial structure OF
Austria. OF that the clearest kind of testimony
have been afforded by the Austrians and Germans
themselves.
Therefore, the present offensive will be con-
tinued in the endeavor to force a decision before
water. The dead lock before Amiens and the
stalling OF the desperate onslaught in Flanders
makes that endeavor more Elusive and impossible
of accomplishment even by the most imposing mill
tary juggernaut that human effort has ever pieced
together.