The Washington herald., 1918-05-05
German Commander IN the
West Had Afterthought
Fearing New Check.
ALLIES REPLY STRONG
WITH HEAVY GUNS
Answer of Haig's Artillery
Tells Foe Hour Is Not
Yet Ripe.

London, May 4--Sixt Won Arnim
had an afterthought today. IL
probably saved him from duplicat-
ing the disaster which his vain on
slaughts of last Monday cost him.
Ii was suggested by the terrific
counter bombardment with which
the Franco-British batteries greet
ed a German drumhre on the zs.
mile front between Nieppe and tho
region of Zonnebeke. So the Gers
man commander gave UP the newt
Flanders battle" before IT had got
beyond the artillery stage. Rela-
lively, it was one of the most en-
couraging successes to the Allies
credit since March 2I.
shelIng On Creseendo.
When Haig and all the front cor
respondents in Flanders early this
morning reported the mighty cres-
oendo ofs German sheIling-it had be-
gun last night and assumed drum
fire intensity at dawn-everybody
looked for a renewal OF the German
drive. II was a foregone conclusion
, tht by night new fierce infantry
combats would be reported.
Thus the FIRST word from British.
headquarters this evening. which was
that the Germans did not follow up
their bombardments by infantry att
tacks. came ss a great surprise.
Haig did not omit the explanation,
though.
Vigorous Reply.
The enemy's bomhardment this
morning southwest Of Ypres." said he
in his night bulletin. ''wss vigorous
Iy replied TO by the British and
French artillery. No attacks devel-
oped.''
The telling answer Of the allies
guns indubitably convinced the Ger
mans the hour was not yet ripe TO
make a new try. More guns, more
troops. are needed by Arnim 10 re-
peat his effort, for a second failure
on the same front will cost him his
job and his army its morale.
So il came that an anXiously eX-
pectant public, ready to hear Of q
new titanic German push. steeled for
a new dent in the line as a result Of
overwhelming pressure, received In
stead the cheering news-indirectly
conveyed. IL is true, because Haig does
not brag-that the allies guns had put
a stop to the German plan before IL
had a chance to develop.
HIndenburE LaconIc.
The German public. on the other
hand. primed for a new smash and
speculating on how Ypres would be
taken. from the front or flank. was
tersely told by the great HindenbUrG
tonight: The situation is unchanged
on the battle fronts"
While the infantry rested the aeriat
cavalries OF both sides engaged In fu-
rious combats and wide-sweeping
raids. The British fiiers made a rec
ord bag-thirty-six German machines
brought down The British raiding
machines continued their work OF de-
struction behind the German lines,
hurting twenty-five tons OF bombs on
various important targets.
Score Tactical Successes.
In local operations both the British
and French scored tactical successes.
The British took more thsn forty
prisoners in the sector OF Hinges
Cthree miles northwest Of Bethune),
while the French took q half hundred
in a thrust at Locre Village. These
advances, though OF a local nature.
are important. as they show the allies
to be strongest where the Germans
usually believe them to be most vuI-
nerable-at their junction point. The
British also improved their positions
around Meteren, two miles west OF
Bailleul.
Foe Attacked Once; RepuIsed.
Only in one sector did the German
infantry make a major effort during
the day. This was at Lacon, near La
Bassee Canal. where. under a tremen-
dous barrage they swept forward TO
nip on a small salient. They were
completely repulsed, Haig announces.
On the Picardy front there were
lively gun duels throughout the last
twenty-four hours