Evening star., 1918-04-14
BRITISH ARE TARGET
OF CHIEF ASSAULTS
Haig's Decree Expected to Mark
Turning Of the Tide in
Northern Regions.
AMERICANS ARE IN THE LINE
Expected to Play Great Part In Bat
tles-Situation in East-Fight-
ing in Pa1estine-Aus-
trian Outlook.
BY OLIVER OWEN KUHN.

By ULlvEk UWEN hUdN.
Has the hour for systematic
allied counter attacks against the
Germans on the western front ar
rived?
This is the question of the mo-
ment, not only in this country,
but allied capitals as well. When
Field Marshal Haig, commander
of the British armies in France,
announced, Every position must
be held to the last man. There
must be no retirement. With our
backs to the wall and believing
in the justice of our cause, each
one of us must fight to the end"
it is believed he gave the signal
for operations on the Flanders
front which eventually will de-
velop into major offensive activ-
tiles.
Already the French have shown
signs of striking back in the re-
gions stretching from the Somme
to the Disc.
Everywhere the Germans are being
held reasonably well. Such positions as
have been given
Germans Held up by the French
Reasonably Well. q, Of 'Is Picard yars aurs
ing the past week have not been of
important character and their retire.
ment has been in line with the policy
Of generally Strengthening their posi-
tions.
Tho British have suffered the brunt
Of the chief enemy offensive efforts on
that section Of the battle front between
Givenchy to a point near Ypres. After
having given ground on wide front
to q depth of more than four miles in
the enemy. and with Field Marshal
HAig's pronunciamento ringing in their
ears there Is every reason to believe
the British will halt permanently the
German forward movement.
In the future the British, with French
and possibly American forces, will take
up the fight and carry it to a conclu-
sion satisfactory to the entente pow
ers.
In the fighting of the past week the
intention Of the Germans to win their
general campaign through the medium
Of double offensive efforts against the
allies has been revealed fully. Follow
ing their check In the Picardy regions
the Germans early in the past week
turned their attention to Flanders with
the hope OF smashing through the Brit
ish lines. isolating the Belgian armies
operating on toward the coast and fore
70 the southwark, thereby enabling
them to step into Calais.
The attacks directed against the Brit
ish began In the, vicinity Of Givenchy
Armentieres. The farthest point rea CHI
cd by the Germans was Merville, which
was taken after tremendous attacks.
This Merville salient. In conjunction
with the one gained by the Germans
between Armentieres and the Messines
ridge, forced the British to readjust
their line and give up Armentieres.
The Germans are endeavoring to
4each Beilleul, an important railway
Senter. and the British admit that ii
1ie Teutons succeed in their intention
She situation will be serious, as lines
z communication will be seriously dis
yurbed.
: One of the gratifying features of the
hting all along the Flanders front
been the tenacity of the British
Long Messines ridge and in the region
at Paschendaele. The Germans have
Ttormed these high points time and
sain and have obtained only bloody
X;sses for themselves. In tho region
$f Gtvenchy the Germans also have
been unable to broaden their salient
# its southern base owing to tremen-
Hous and powerful British resistance
Activities in the region of Picardy
xlave been centered largely on that sec
3ion of tho battle line between Noyon
and Chauny. The Germans have di-
rected many attacks against tho French
in this region In the past ten days, but
have made only minor gains. The
French readjusted their positions some.
what. falling back to prepared posi-
tions on the left bank of the Disc, but
there halted. Subsequent enemy eff.
forts have proven absolutely fruitless
It 10 idle to speculate on what may OF
may not happen on the western front
With the tide.
Idle to Speculate on Of battle eb'
What Will Happen. ,nT ran,d,,
and the human element constantly en-
tering into the best laid plans for OF
fenss and defense, as well as tactics
It cannot be stated with any reasonabl,
degree of certainty what may happer