New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-04-05
May Strike at Arras

Marcel Hutin, who states that he in
terviewed M. Clemenceau immediate
ly upon the later's return from the
front, says in the echo de Paris"
that he believes the Germans will
direct their next attack toward Ar
ras Or further north Other French
critics hold the belief that Ludcn-
dorff will concentrate his chief forces
against Amiens.
But the new attack on the
front of about eleven miles, just
south of the Somme, where the Brit
ish and French lines join, reported
by Marshal Haig tonight, may mean
the enemy feels himself strong
enough to lenethen out his presen.
salient. At tie present writing the
situation has not developed suffi-
GENTLY to be certain on this point.
The Gcrman-Swiss frontier will be
closed tomorrow indefinitely.
Hold Up Drive in Italy
w Ill tue improvements VI N.'N
weather on the Italian front a resump-
ton OF hostilities there at an early
d.,te is anticiI ated. However, it is con-
sidered unlikely that the Austrians,
who will receive little German assist
ance this time, will begin operations
until the second phase of the Western
campaign has begun.
North of Montdldier the French and
Germans engaged to-day in a lively
artillery duel, followed by heavy fight
ing up to the Somme. Elsewhere be-
tween Arras and La Ferc the front has
been comparatively quiet.
On the Somme in 1916 there were
several times when the British were
within an ace of smashing the German
lines. In November last the British
pierced the enemy defences at Cambria
and had big victory within their
grasp, only to lose it through hesta-
ton.
That hesitation decided Ludendorff
to strike on the Somme instead of some
other sector
In the first battle of Yprcs the Ger
mans hesitated just a moment when the
British thought it was impossible to
defend the line more than four hours
longer. Had the enemy persisted
Calais might have been his.
The margin between success and fail
ure is often measured by the width of
trench, as many British soldiers can
testify. In the first week of the worlds
greatest battle the Germans hestatcd
at crucial moments.
On the third day they broke the
alignment of the Third and Fiftieth
British armies, and nothing stood be-
tween them and Amiens, their goal.
But they hestated Slowly the line
reformed and the defence stiffened and
the day was saved
Again, at Courcelette, when Won HUI
tiers army was moving westward like
an avalanche, the enemy made an open
ing, and things looked black for the
British. Again, hesitation, and again
the fates and British courage saved the
Allies from disaster.
In Russia, at Verdun and on the Pave
this hesitation played big part. Both
sides have organized great thrusts with
marvellous forethought, soldiers have
fought with magnificent courage, but
always at the critical moment some
thing has gone wrong. Either batteries
were slow in coming up, telephons
wires to headquarters were cut, or the
weather has broken badly, always some
small unit among million others
failed.
Just now rain is turning the Somme
battlefield into a great mushy coun-
try, similar to the Ypres salient, where
Haig's troops foundered about for
weeks before finally capturing the