Arizona republican., 1918-03-11
HUN WAR PLAN
 FAILS; RESUME
 IT ACTIVITIES
American Troops Are Now
 Occupying Front Sector; Teutonic Forces Sweep ing Rapidly Over Russia
Republican A. p. Leaseu vvIreI

WASHINGTON, March 10. = Ger manys sweeping Russia is described by the war departments weekly mili- tary review tonight as another futile attempt on the part of the Germans to shift the center of gravity of the war, which still remains on the west front, where the Teutons face the French, British Italian and Belgian armies and the ever growing American forces. There, the review says, lie the key positions of the war
 | The American troops now occupy trenches at four separate points, and as was recently disclosed, in the prin- cipal sector, their front is four and half miles long. They have been con- stantly engaged, the war department says and the scope of their activities is being constantly extended
 Nothing is found in the situation by the department to indicate that the Germans have abandoned their plans for great offensive in the west, and it says the allies, while assuming an alert defensive are content to let the enemy break himself again against their impregnable line Intense air activities during the week are noted, with the statement that 214 enemy aircraft were brought down on | | lost only 66 machines on all fronts dur i ing the same period. The enemy loss on all fronts is placed at PTS.
 The review in part follows:
 Into Heart of Russia
 Tn spite of the fact that 120000 square miles of Russian territory have been invaded during the past three weeks and the enemy now is sweeping l forward into the heart of Russia and has reached a point within 70 miles of the capital, nevertheless the center of gravity of the war remains in the west
 The Germans have for the past three and a half years done all in their power to upset the center of gravity and shift it eastward This explains the successive blows struck in Russia and later in the Italian theater.
 Notwithstanding the diversions of the minor campaigns in Mesopotamia, Palestine and the Balkan front. the key positions of the war are France and Flanders.
 Here the strategic situation re- mains relatively constant
 The enemy is completing the re- distribution of available forces
 There are some new units flowing into the lines in the nature of replace ments.
 Nothing in the situation should lead us to estimate that the Germans have abandoned their plans of major of fensive in the west
 Two Principal Axes
 Considering tactical dispositions. we note that the enemy has developed two principal axes of activity, the one pivoting on Rheims. the other in AL sace in front of Luneville.
 The allies, while assuming an alert defensive, are resting content with al- lowing the enemy to break the strength of his assaults against their impregna- ble line.
 "The morale of the French and Brit ish forces has never been better.
 Our own forces have been con- stantly engaged The scope of their activities is being daily extended The number of our attachments in the line is increasing. We now have troops in the trenches at four separate points.
 We now hold four and a half miles of the battle front in our principal sector.
 On Scouting Missions
 Our patrols are continuously out on scouting missions keeping in close contact with the enemy.
 Tn our Foul sector the Germans are carrying on extensive preparations continuing to bring up fresh units. and accommodating material apparently with a view to undertaking more extensive operations.
 During the past seven day period the Germans conducted DO less thar 20 hard driven raids along the French front. The greater part of these were repulsed without difficulty.
 Along the British front the British continue to hold the initiative an6 drove forward a series of success. minor raids along the Ypres salient as well as at many points southward.
 The Germans made raids into the British lines at a large number ot points.
 Hostile Raids Increase
 Along the whole sector hostile raid ing is increasing and during two sue. cessive nights the Germans undertool were more than mere raids.
 Tn the Italian theater heavy snow. in the mountains are preventing fur ther operations.
 "Advices indicate that the enem, contemplates taking the offensive il the mountain area possibly in an ef fort to debouch through the Val Laga rina into the plain. We may look fo increased activity in this theater whicl , will, no doubt, develop spontaneousl, when preparations have been com, .. pleted and weather conditions ar, more favorable.
 Tn the meantime, Italian forces hay, now fully recovered from their losse! of the campaign of last autumn , --o---
 AFnu NIHuA RrH~H--~