The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1918-06-12
THRUST MAY BE At END,

London, June ~12.-Tuesday's Ger
man official statement would seem to
bear the Interpretation that the Ger
man high command considers that tho
objects Of its latest offensive already
have been attained and that now the
French are making successful counter
attacks, the thrust will not be pur-
sued further. The great question to
military critics here is whether Gen
eral LudendOrff's plans yet are fully
revealed and II the foregoing interpre-
Etation is correct it would Jear out the
view held by many military experts
that the great stroke of the central
powers on tho western front is still to
come. The theory advanced by these
1 critics Ia that the Offensess Of March
~ and May ~ both Developed sue.
cesses far surprising the anticipa.
ton Of the German command and were
Developed much further than origin
ally intended and that the smaller Of
fensives on April 9 on the Ypres front
and the present thrust on the NoyOn
| M0ntdidier front were engaged, as "a
diversion to keep the Franco-British
forces engaged and to prevent them
from making counter offensives, while
the Germans were restoring and con.
soidating their lines, repairing the
confusion and disorder produced by
the unexpected depth Of their ad-
vances ard completing preparations
for thei-' main blow. The expOnents
Of this theory point to the fact that
the Germans still have large num-
Der of fresh divisions ready to throw
into the igantic struggle and that Aus
trials power is still unused.
The opinion is advanced that it will
not be long before the heaviest at
tack yet seen will be launched by
the Germans and probably against
the British front, with the object of
again attempting to divide the allied
forces and reach the channel ports.
Germans Claim Victory.
Amsterdam, June ia great part
Of the French army has been beaten"
General Won Stein the Prussian war
minister declared. in speech to the
Reichstag, according to Berlin advices.
"The so.called Foch reserve army
no longer exists" the minister as
serted ..-.... ......
Besides his losses in men, con.
tinued General Won Stein, "the enemy
suffered an enormous loss in war ma
terials and equipment. Immense stores
of ammunition which we're heaped up
along the lines Of communication be:
hind the front of the defeated French
army, likewise fell into our hands
Just as previously we captured enor.
nous stores from the British army"
"The success of the crown princes
carefully prepared attacks against the
French and British on the Chemin
des Danes front on May q, inflicted
one of the gravest defeats the entente
has suffered during the entire war"
General Won Stein made these state
ments in a review of the military sit
uation at the second reading OF the
army boudget in the Reichstag yester.
day. "r .....,
General Won Stein said that the
number and strength OF the American
troops up to the present was far be-
low what reports spread by the enten.
te had led Germans to expect.
# General Won Stein said that Amer
ican troops had made their first ap-
pearance on the battle front but only
at the moment when the German ad.
vance had come to halt on the
Marne.
"They, too, like the French re.
serves" he declared, were thrown in.
to the battle in vain counter attacks
and suffered the same fate"
Other American troops, the minis.
ter said, are on quiet sections of the
front.
Announcement by the Prussian war
minister to the Reichstag that ."he so.
called Foch reserve army no longer
exists" is regarded by officials here
as designed to encourage the German
population. If Won Stein intended to
convey the impression that the allied
reserve power had been exhausted
from the German assault, the actual
situation at the front stands as flat
contradiction. His words, however.
might mean a wholly different thing,
although designed to be construed as
the announcement of great victory
Before the German attack was made
the supreme war council at Versailles
(Coalausd on Page tWo@