Mexico Missouri message., 1918-04-18
Great German Drive Slowed Up
and Allied Counter-Thrust
Seems at Hand.
AMIENS The HUNS OBJECTIVE
British Speedily Check Diversion At
tack on Arras--French Stubbornly
Hold Line on oise-Amerlcans
AequIt Themselves WeII-Uk-
rainIans and 5oIsheViki Re-
capture Odessa.
BY EDWARD w. PIcKARp.


Another week of the bloodiest kind
of fighting failed to bring to the Ger
mans the real victory on which they
had so confidently counted, for though
the British and French armies had
been forced to yield further territory,
their lines were unbroken and their
spirits undaunted. AS the German mil
ltary authorities. General Ardenne,
says, It is not the capture Of territory
that can bring decision, but only a
victory over and through the shatter-
ing of the enemy's armies. So far from
being shattered, the allied forces,
weary and battered as they are, are
full of confidence, and as this is writ
ten are but awaiting the opportune
moment to strike back with the big
army of maneuver which was placed
at the disposal Of the supreme war
council.
Amiens, q most important link in
the British line of communications,
appeared to be the real objective Of
the Germans, and they were able dur
ing the week to push forward toward
that city, along the line Of the Somme,
as far as Hamel, and little farther
north they took Albert and were hold
| ing 1t against fierce counter-attacks by
the British. To the south they had
pushed q salient forward little be-
yond Montdidier, but there the French
came back at them with such elan that
they were checked and lost several
commanding positions. East of this
sector the French troops held stub
bornly to their lines along the Disc and
on Thursday attacked dashingly south
of Noyon and drove the enemy back
two miles at the point of the bayonet'
| II was along this east and west base
of the German salient that the allied
world expected the great counter
thrust of the army of maneuver to be
nade. Any considerable advance to
the north there 1t was pointed out
would force the Germans to draw back
to save their lines Of communication
which already are so badly stretched
out that they have great difficulty in
bringing up artillery and food.
What looked like a diversion rath'
er than a serious threat was the at
tack Of the Huns in the middle OF the
week at the northern extremity OF the
line of battle toward Arras. There
the British, after giving some ground
repuIsed the enemy with terrible
slaughter. Presumably this thrust al
Arras was made to keep the British
from sending men and guns to the sec
tor where their lines join those o.
the French, but II was so quick!
blocked that II failed of its purpose
, extraordinarily bold and successful
was the work of the British ant
French aviators. In their low-fyinl
battle planes they few in swarms con
tlnuously over the battlefelds and bacl
. Of the German lines, playing havoc
with the enemy's transports and In
fiicting heavy casualties In his re
serves. Battles In the air were innu
merable, but the allied airmen main
tanned the upper hand always. TIL
artillerymen also distinguished them
selves, sticking to their firing to tn
last moment and usually saving thei
. guns when forced to fall back.
ON the whole, the developments Q
the week were such as to restore cor
fdence among the allies, for thong
the situation was still critical, 1t seen
ed that Premier Clemenceau was rigf
when he said that whatever might haI
pen in the next few days, the enem
could not win the path to the sea nc
the path to Paris.
Ia
Just what part the American trooI
have been playing in the Somme bait