South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-03-31

canalized it
The possibility Of the point of the German
wedge may Amens survives the chance that the
Germans will be able temporarily 10 occupy Amens
destroy this capital o Picardy.
British military materials there temper
ary isolate British French forces remains
5ut this to now it would be but a
passing detail. unless German widen
have to retire to avoid being caught
between the two mllsones of British and French
armies.
BEGIN DESPERATE ATTACK.
realization of this danger that led
Germans to begin on Thursday desperate attack
the British line about Arras They sought
the northern British hinge the allied
just as their dash at Montdidier was blow at the
southern French hinge North and south they
failed to make any but local gains.
In pursuit Of the limited local objective which is
Amens the Germans began Thursday to make desper-
just the clear the old
Roman road running west from St Quentin to Amiens
This road their most direct to Amiens,
some 70 miles distant from Warfusee- Abancourt which
they reached Friday. the time they pushed
southwest into Montddier in order to keep open the
Noyon- Roye-Amens highway, which their only other
road to Amens
The danger that one or more British armies could
he destroyed and that great British disaster result
ended Thursday when British had pulled them
selves together from the Scarpe the Somme. from
>rras Albert and standing n
French armies either bank of the Disc between
Iafcre Noyon along the Noyon
hills westward had already closed the roads to Paris
Thus whole problem eimplifed.
lesser crisis which involves the safety of Amens will
be reached relatively few hours and the Germans
advance between the Somme and the Avre is the
remaining menace. Somewhere in the next 10 miles
rapidly narrowing front between the Avre and
the somme the German wedge must be checked or
10. T1rr nFT,ar
il the Germans cannot widen the wedge by crossing
one the streams their position will extrme-
ly dangerous.
GERMANS MUST BE STOPPED.
Amiens be saved the natural method Of halt
ir,r tho advance by a flank
or 10y the convergng flank attacks. The push north
on the Lassigny-Noyon line by Thursday
had many signs OF being the long expected Of
fensive. after achieving only
casses that is after had off the pressure upon
tho French OF Montdidier which just
been lost nevertheless il there going
offensive from the French used
up their mobile reserves filling the gap created by
the collapse OF the southern OF the British front
70 s TO be expected between Noyon Montddier and
viii threaten flank and communications of the Ger
mans in The narrow wedge which is pushing toward
An,iens i'm the same way If there is to British
counter offensive one would look between Albert
and the bend the Ancre the other side of the
German wedge.
In any event we almost at the solution Of our
last strategic problem. Unless and unforeseen
factor enters into ths calculations in the next few
hours probably sunday the latest Amiens Will
have been saved or lost and the Germans Will have
cached the limit Of push The colossal offensive
which aimed destroying the military power OF Brit
tain viii be expressing its disappointment in the sack
irr OF Amiens its sage in bombarding the noble
old cathedral from outskirts OF the above the
confluence OF the Somme and the Avre
In summary then measured by all the evidence nov
AVAILABLE OF this 10th of that battle the third
German bid for a decision the has failed
aid the first at the Marine and second at Verdun- A.
The Marine France saved the world, at verdun France
stood hrm and checked Germans until Britain was
ready Now il is Britain still bravely supported by