Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-05-05

|
the western front during the past week
Is one of Ger
Great Battle man losses and
Won by the Allies. t mUuesiu, I've uer
| of combined Franco-British forces.
The Germans made their chief effort
| in that section of the line in Flanders
| between Ypres and Locre, where, after
the capture Of Mont KENNEL, they en-
deavored to wrest all the remaining
high ground from the British on the
| northern side Of the salient, which, gen.
orally speaking, lies between Arras and
Ypres. The Germans used more than
100000 men on a twelve-mile front in
| their mad endeavor to crush the allies
| and force evacuation of the Ypres po-
| sition, which gives the allies strateg-
ical advantage doubly valuable in case
| they wish to start offensive efforts and
| iron out the salient which the Germans
have pressed into their line through
more than five weeks effort.
Everywhere the solidly advancing
Germans were moved down. Their eff
forts resulted in naught save tremen-
dous casualties. The very fact that
more than $50 troop trains' were re-
CURED to haul German wounded back
from the fighting front during the three
days of their offensive is an indica ton
of the tremendous toll the allied forces
| exacted of the enemy.
| The reverse was a disastrous one for
| Germanic arms. 1t was intended to
smash through and Teutonic. comman-
ders believed they had sufficient con-
centration of men and guns to ac-
| complfsh their ends. but they were to
| reckon with a new foe-a united one
equally determined to hold the Germans
at whatever cost.
| The value of unity Of command on
| the western front was proved in the
| Flanders battle during the early days
of the past week. French units fought
| side by side with the British. They had
| a common cause and there never was a
split in carrying it out.
| AS the result of their tremendous
| losses on the Flanders front the Ger
man man power issue already Is be-
| coming serious one. according to the
statements of prisoners. Thirty new
divisions have been riddled in recent
| fighting, while the Teutons have be-
| gun using boys sixteen. seventeen
| and eighteen years old. German officers
see the passing of man power suprem-
acy to the allies for all time to come,
but 1t is believed they intend to con-
! tinue to risk battle constantly and
with little let-up until it has been def
n1lely proved tnaC tney cannot gain,
| for victory Is essential and there evf-
| IDENTIFY is an ever-constant hope that
| the next blow will achieve the desired
! end in smashing gap through allied
| lines. The allied commanders and men
reiterate their firm confidence that the
Teutonic purposes never will be
achieved in the immediate future or at
any time at all.
The allied leaders expect the Germans
| to renew their effort in Flanders i'm
! that section of the front from Locre to
| Ypres would indicate that the Germans
! have reorganized their units, brought
| up reinforcements Of men and guns and
| are about ready to strike forward once
| more.
Much surprise has been expressed
| that the Teutons have not continued
! their main offensive endeavors in Pr
cardy. where the offensive gained
greatest impetus during the early DAYS
Of the campaign. Here the allies, par
! ticularly in the region of Villers-Bre-
! tonneux. have strengthened their posi-
| tions during the past week by VIC
torious local actions against the enemy,
They declare that the Germans cannot
now realize their purpose of reaching
Amiens. and this confidence, in a large
measure. is attributed to the fact that
American military pressure now is he
ing brought to bear in this particular
region.
| The Germans undoubtedly will make
, further strenuous attempts to smash
| the allied line in Flanders, and il 1t is
definitely proved that they cannot
F; reach their goal they once more will
turn to Picardy.