Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1918-03-29
HAIG MAKES GREAT fight
Now Certain that Mighty Offensive
Has Failed.
ALLIES READY FOR COUNTER PUSH
Major Edouari Dupont. Highest o.
fieer Of French Military Mission An
aIyzes Operations Of Germans. and
Reaches Conclusion that Situation is
Now Favorable to the Allies.

Reaches CONCLUSION thdt StudtIon VI
Now Favorable to the Allies.
charlotte Observer. Wednesday.
After reading carefully all availa-
BILE dispatches from European capitals
regarding the days developments in
the greatest battle in the worlds his
tory. Major Edouard Dupont, highest
officer OF the French military mission
at Camp Greene, declared positively
that in his belief the grand German
offensive has failed
In the third of the series Of
interviews he is giving The Obser-
yer on the significance OF the
events in this terrific struggle. the
French officers confidence. which has
characterized his attitude all the
while, he said, had been increased by
the days news to the point Of his be-
ing certain all will be well. "All
along the battle line. the resistance Of
the British and French troops is
stiffening, while the attacks Of the
Germans are apparently losing their
steam
He recalled that Field Marshal
Joffrc. then a general, withdrew his
troops across France, at the outbreak
OF the war. before the Teutonic ad-
vance, "in the working out Of PLAN
With the pride the French have in the
Accomplishment Of their beloved mil
itary leader, he added: And II was
a great plan too" Major Dupont ex-
planned that the German infantry, fol-
lowing the retrcating French, outdis-
tanccd their artillery, thus weakening
themselves and steadily sustaining
losses. AS they advanced, they also
outdistanced the movement Of sup
plies, while the French forces stead
lily neared their supply bases and the
camps of their reserves. When the
Marne was reached, the time had
come for the French TO give battle.
and they did with wonderful success,
as history tells in thrilling pages. AL
most as rapidly az they advanced. the
Germans retreated to the line which
they gave up March, 1917, because
they were beginning TO find they could
no longer hold 1t.
Expects Another Marne.
Thus it will be in this instance, he
said he expected.
Field Marshal Haig has in a won
derful manner withdrawn his forces.
The line has not been broken. and the
Germans have suffered such tremen-
dous losses. They have paid the price,
and we are glad to give them II miles
Of desert, when for each square mile
they gave price Of at least 10000
men. I do not doubt but that the
!, German losses now are above lOO.-
900 men, and what have they but a
few square miles of territory which is
the same devastated district the Huns
E.ade it when they started their
strategic retreat last year? What do
Il few ruined villages amount to?
They are absolutely Of no military
value. The towns and the ground are
nothing. the army everything. and the
army remains intact.
Not only Is the British army in
tact. but 1t is victorious so far, be-
|. cause the Hun has failed to accomplish
his purpose. He can not stop now and
say we did thus and so. The world
knows he started out to break the
British line and force 1t back west
ward to the coast. In six days Of the
most awful fighting he has failed, and
his calling for reserves from all parts
Of the western front Is proof that he
did not anticipate the difficulties he
is experiencing now.
Il consider that he has failed COM
pletely and that he can not now ac-
complish his objective. Since he did
not break the British lines in the
-. first few days. with all his great prep
arations, l can not imagine his being
able to do so several days later. with
his best troops withdrawn from the
fight to rest from their utter exhaus-
ton. Also,. the British are much
nearer their bases and their reserves,
and. even should the Hun finally break
through. (Which he can not do) he
would have broken one line only to
be facing another held by another
army equally as efficient, and abso-
lutely fresh. That army would be the
great army, the strategic reserve.
which the Versailles war council Gre
ated. But, mark my words, when that
reserve goes into action. 1t will be to
help drive back the exhausted Ger
mans. That reserve was created for
an offensive somewhere at the proper
time. and, no matter whether this Of
fensive is an offensive or a counter
offensive. these men can wreak havoc
equally as great among the Germans.
British Retreat Near End.
. Tomorrow l think we should ex-
pect more favorable news. 1t may
be several days yet, however. before
) the German drive has completely lost
/ its impetus, but l expect the Brit
{ sh to make somewhere near where
| tney are no" Stduuih6 thSh SIahN
which will completely halt the enemy.
|, Then will come the great counter-of-
fensive. This may not begin for two
or three days, though. after the en-
! emy's advance Is stopped. Today the
German armies were trying to pick
out a weak point, but were out-gen-
> eraled. Marshal Haig has his plan,
but, like Marshal Joffre before the bat
r tie Of the Marne. the time for the full
!, working out Of the plan has not come.
This plan. too, Is q good one. / know.
5 but it would be useless for me to try
; to guess what 1t may be.
This offensive, in many respects, is
> like the initial rush in 1914 Of the
| Germans across France. Like that
drive they have now outdistanced their
3 artillery. and their infantry must bear