South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-03-18
GERMANS STAY
HAND IN WEST,
FEAR FAILURE
Hesitate to Start Drive Upon
Which Great Stakes Ad-
mittedIy 0epend-Hope
For Peace Spark.
By HENRY C.. WALES.

WITH THE AMERICAN ARMY
IN FRANCE, March 1S.-One oe
the chief arguments against the i'm
minence of an immediate German
drive on the western front, is the
fact that German newspapers are
printing stories on the subject but
these arguments were pointed out
today as possibly being groundless
when il is realized that all OF the
five big German operations since the
beginning of the war have been
widely heralded in advance.
The five big German campaigns in
their order were:
% The driving back of the Rus
slams from the Dunajec to the BreSt
Litovsk line in the summer of 1915.
(2) The overrunning Of Servia in
the autumn Of 1915.
(3) The Nerdun drive in the
spring Of 1916.
(4) The overrunning of Rouman-
ia in the fall of 1916.
(5) The thrust against the Ital-
ians in she fall of 1917.
other big German offensive OF
erations were the submarine war
which was announced early in the
winter OF 1914-191j and aerial
bombing, announcement of which
came in the fall Of 1917.
Other Campaigns Heralded.
Perusal of the old files of the for
eign neutral press shows that eve.v
one of the campaigns mentioned
above were clearly fOreshadowed
Reports TO Swiss newspapers from
German and Austrian sources indi-
Gated a concentration of artillery for
Won MacKensen's attempt to breach
the Russian front at the point f
its farthest advance into Galicia-
the Cracow sector Then came the
Servians' call for help before the
advance of the Germans, Austrians
and Bulgarians TO the Greek bor-
der. Next appeared stories in the
Dutch press about German troop
concentrations on the western from.
| The enemy made no secret OF th-
| formation OF a great mobile army
for operations against ROUmania
while the newspapers foresaw the
offensive against Italy long befora
| il was launched.
Hope for Peace Spark.
Germany officially gave notice Of
| her submarine intentions and for
months the German newspapers
have been carrying stories about the
/ reinforcement of bombarding SQUAD
/ rOns 10 carry the war farther afield
than ever before in an effort TO hurt
/ the morale of the civilian popula-
I tion. In this they have failed
II is pointed out. however, that
/ there is a certain amount Of blun
/ in German references to the pro-
| posed offensive in the west. as Ber-
I lin undoubtedly hopes that the
/ peace spark may flare up into fame
/ before any drive can be launched
and hosts OF men sacrificed.
Military critics hold that the fact
| is plain even 10 the casual observer
/ that II is now or never for German1
before the United States puts ar
army in the field overshadOwing il
size and equipment even the host,
/ put under arms by England and
/ France Furthermore. standardized
I tonnage will ease the shipping pres
\ sure considera bly,.
The enemy command now is evi.
/ IDENTIFY staying its hand because il is
/ reluctant 10 play its last card. An
\ other failure like that at Verdur
/ might we'll be calculated TO stir ur
openly even the rule ridden German
/ populace and another lack Of com
+ plete success means the beginning OF
the end Tor Germany il is declared
Failure Would he Fatal.
The German army command. n 6.
/ believed. fully realizes that anothe,
campaign like that at Nerdun. eve-
I If resulting in the capture OF q
strong hold like that upon tn,
Neuse. without seizing a huge bas
OF prisoners. would not compensat,
for the loss of men and material
nor appease the demand Of the Ger
man populace for decisive victory
German troops have already occu
pied TOO many capitals and larg,
cities for a further delusiOn OF tn,
people that "storming operations
are another means Of victory an,
peace.
Military critics believe that Ger
many's sole hope now lies i'm stakin.
all upon final gigantic throw 70
enormous stakes and the longer u D
delayed ,he better the allies will -
10 meet il.