New Iberia enterprise and independent observer. (New Iberia, La.) 1902-1944, 1918-04-20
THE BATTLE IN PICARDY
JUST BEGINNING.

mGu STILL IouIAu us tdA SCL LII
Paris church, killing and wound
ing scores Of worshiping women
and children, the gray German
food in Picardy was stemmed at
all points from Arras to Noyon,
and General Foch, who has been
called the greatest strategist in
Europe. was named commander
in-chief of all the Allied forces in
the West. At the same time we
are warned by Premier Lloyd
George that "this battle, the
greatest and most momentous in
the history Of the world, is only
beginning and that it is i'm
possible to exaggerate the i'm
portance Of getting American re-
endorsements across the Atlantic
in the shortest possible time. -
1T would be futile to think the
German operations at an end,
said Maj. Gen. F. B. Maurice, Di-
rector of Military Operations at
the British War Office. on April
3. and he reminds us that "the
whole Of the 1918 campaigning
season is ahead Moreover. he
points out, "the Germans thus
far have used only about half Of
their available divisions" and
"there is no reason to suppose
that they are done with the at
tack" A dispatch of the same
date from the German front to
the Berlin Volkszeitung explains
that the pause is not due to AL
lied success, but to the fact that
"roads must be repaired and mu-
nitions and food sent up" 'sThe
enemy it adds. evil soon real
ize that we intend to go on.
"This nation and its allies af-
firms the London Daily Mail,
must be prepared for another
month, or perhaps two months, Of
continuous fighting. "The i'm
preston among the troops fight
ing along the 'front.'" says an AS
ISOLATED Press dispatch from
France, els that the battle will
develop into long struggle. 81
milar to those at Verdun and the
first battle Of the Somme. !" The
German higher command has
staked it's fortunes on this spring
campaign. remarks our War De-
partment in its weekly review Of
the military situation, and Sin
case of it's failure to obtain major
results in the present theater of
opera tion," we must be prepared
for further offensive assaults in
adjacent areas" The present
struggle, the Washington Herald
remarks. is known to the German
people as ''the Kaiser's BATTLE"
and cit would hardly do to allow
the Kaise S name to be associat-
cd with a colossal military fail
ure-as it would be if the present
struggle were allowed to rest
where it now stands. To set
against these predictions we have
Premier Clemenceau's assertion
that leone what may, they will
not break through" and the as
surance Of General Foch that
",nost glorious hopes are per-
missible." il
Throughout this crisis, says
Lloyd George, "the French and
British are buoyed with the
knowledge that the great Re-
public Of the West will neglect
no effort which can hasten its
troops and its ships to Europe.
In instant response to this appeal
President Wilson called for a
speeding up Of the big American I
war-machine, and it was decided,
according to a Washington CORE
spondent of the New York Oven
ing Sun, Ito increase by possibly
100 per cent. the number Of
drafted men that will be sent to
he environments this year" The
same correspondent names Pro-
lost Marshal General Crowder as
authority for the statement that
we hope to pat 1,5OO, 900 men in
France this year, and that cit {
$ our intention to send one draft :
nan to camp for every man that !
S sent to Europe British troop :
hips. say the Washington dis i
will assist in the SOLD :
ion Of the transport and supply \
roblem. "The battle-line in :
rance is the battle-line Of Amer :
"a" declares former Governor
William E. Cameron in his Nor