Evening journal., 1918-05-27
Greatest Battle in History Opens On West Front

drive for the channel ports and for
Paris
irs real aim Is to drive wedge into
the French and British lines which will
enable Won Hlnderburg to cut one or
the other armies on surround it and
destroy e.
! II the Allies can be pocketed in the
! southwestern corner Of Belgium and
J the northwestern corner Of France. this
danger will become a real menace.
General Foch, commander-in-chief OF
the Allied forces, therefore faces the
task OF saving his armies intact, at
whatever cost in territory. Even though
the Allies be driven to the sea- there Is
every reason for confidence in his abil-
ity to do IT,
The German drive, IN the opinion Of
the majority Of the military critics,
viii be centered at two points:
T. Between lpres and Bethune. on
the northern end OF the line-the Fland-
ers offensive. This is whc-e the April
lighting drove a wedge into the Allied
line and cost the British the towns OF
Armentieres and Bailleul. This portion
OF the front Is nearest the channel ports
OF Dunkirk and Calais. The line here
Is held mainly by the British, although
some French. Belgian and Portuguese
units are helplns. The main purpose
OF an offensive at Ypres is not the cap
ture OF that ruined city but 10 cut or
the British from their main bases at
Amlens and Arras.
? Between Amiens and Montdidier
on the southern extremity OF the line
the picardy offensive. Here the army
Of General Pershing is entrenched
Montdidier Is likely to become as fam
Gus In American history as Valley
Forge or Gettysburg Secretary Baker
has stated that America has half a
million soldiers In France. and OF these
large number are concentrated on this
front to save the Allied army from the
new blow.
The German strategy In preparing for
this double advance has in mind two
things: N successful 10 will force the
Allies TO retreat along the whole line
from Montdlder TO the sea 70 will also
prevent General Foch from shifting his
men from one zone TO stem a German
onrush In the other
Reserves Are Plentiful.
The nrst contingency Foch has pre-
pared for by building tremendous sec
ond defense system behind the present
line. If The Allies are forced 10 fall
back therefore. they will be able to
make a stand in strongly fortified po-
sitlons, on soil which has not yet been
drenched with the blood Of countless
battles
II has been confirmed that Foch's
famous army Of maneuver." or reserve
army, made up Of troops OF all the Al
| lies. under the direction OF the Yer
vailles war council, has been working
for months In perfecting 21 lines OF
trenches behind the present battle zone.
The advance on Amlens would have
to be in triangular wedge formed by
the rivers somme and AYR, which meet
az Amens. Both sides Of this triangle
are under the fire OF the French and
American guns. which will inflict tre-
mendous losses on a German army at
tempting TO take Amlens.
For this reason the Germans VIII be
/ in a precsrious position, open to flank
ing attacks from the south as well as
the west. unless they first weaken the
allied line TO the north OF Amlens.
From Amiens and Montdidier the line
now turns at a sharp angle TO the east.
following the line OF the 0ise and the
Aisne TO Noyon and Scissors. II Is likely
THE Germans will deliver a secondary
attack along this line TO attract the al
/ lied reserves away from the center and
10 make the battle appear like an ad-
vance on Paris.