Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-07-29
NEXT GREAT BATTLE
TO Be IN FLANDERS
Opinion of Military Authorities at
Washington in View of
German Failure.
ATTACK ON BRITISH DELAYED
Won Hindenburg's Program Dis
arranged by Successful Coun-
terstroke of General Foch.
ATTACK ON BRITISH DELAYED
Especial to The Times-D!spatchl

Especial TO The Times Dispatch
WASHINGTON. July 2S.-'The next
great battle of the war will he fought
in Flanders either upon the initiative
OF the British troops now concentrated
| there or through the doggcd deter
mination OF Prince Rupprccht General
Arnim and their associates on the Ger
man general stan to make one more
desperate effort TO occupy the channel
ports. and thereby pu, the British army
out ot ne war.
This belief is held by military auth
critics in Washington, who have cal
culated upon all the possible results
of the German failure to take Paris.
the failure TO crush the French army
before IL can be greatl. rc-cnforced
b:' the Americans ana ;he failure OF
the submarine campa'; IN TO hamper the
vast troop movement from the United
States. There is some difference OF
opinion here as 10 whether the British
or the German army strikes first. bu,
TO where the next 'ife-and- death strug-
s.c will be staged.
The fact has .ren definitely estab-
lished By the 1llied governments that
II was Germany's original program to
launch an offensive against the British
inmcdia teiy upon the heels of tina;
upon the French and Americans hold
ing the line OF the Marine. Prince
Rupprecht had his vast forces mobi-
lized, his guns trained and his triggers
set for a smashing lunge against the
British just as soon as the crown
prince had made definite Roadway on
.ic road 10 Paris.
But the immediate check which the
Germans received on the Marine, cou
pied with General Fochs unexpected
and victorious counteroffensivc on the
A!sne front, threw the whole German
program into disarray. Rupprecht was
not only compelled to abandon for the
time his own drive. but has been called
upon for the use of his reserves TO as
sist in saving the German army, far
extended toward Chateau Thierry, from
being surrounded and perhaps annihi-
lated.
BRITISH MAY LAUNCH
ATTACK IN FLANDERS
1t is better than an even chance.
therefore, that it will be Great Britain
and not Germany which will force the
issue in Flanders. Notwithstanding the
fact that British divisions have been
recalled from the far western end of
the line TO the support of the allied
forces on the Soission Rheims line.
That General Haigs men are clamor-
ing for opportunity to reclaim the
ground lost when the German offensive
OF March 81 was started. is we'll known
TO every Official Of the government in
Washington. and it only remains for
General Foch to give the word for
them to advance.
According 10 the statements which
have been made repeatedly in London,
apparently upon the authority Of the
British government. there are approXi-
mately 100000 British fighting men
in France. the most OF whom are In
Flanders and Picardy, their line eX-
tending somewhat to the south Of the
Somme. There are probably 500. 900 more
Britishers of the noncombatant corps
in france as a necessary support TO
the actual lighting forces. 1t is also
declared in this correction that th.
present British army in the French
area is the greatest body of men that
country has had under a single COM
mand at any time since the war began.
On March olst it was stated from
semiofiicial sources that General Haig
met the German drive with no more
than 100000 combatant troops. many
of his best divisions having been pre-
viously Withdrawn TO help make up
the mobile reserve which General
Foch started out 10 create upon as
suming supreme command In France.
Since the two successive offensives
against the British. therefore. some
thing like 100000 men were drawn
from somewhere 10 re-cnforcc the army
under the immediate command OF Cen
eral Haig.
But 1000. .0G0-great as such al. army
is-secms to be a small force when
compared with the 6,00O,000 men the
British government has declared that
ii has under arms, no; including nearly
a million men in the British navy.
And there has been much misgiving
in this country as to whether the IT,
000. 600 statement is true. and if true
then where are all the men?
The statement is true all right The
100000 are in uniform. Great Britain
has been not Stacked. The whole of
England. Scotland and Wales is an
armed camp. British man power has
been drawn upon almost to the very
limit. Fifty-year old Englishmen are
lighting in the ranks. Eighteen-year-
old boys are fighting. And British
soldiers are lighting in more theaters
than are those of any other nation
allied or Teuton. That is tho explana-
tion Of the fact that not more than
100000 British troops are upon the
battle field of France
AZ this very hour Great Britain is
carrying on five active campaigns in
five far-separated sections or tho
world. Besides her great army in
France. she is nghting the Turks in
Palestine She Is driving against the
Turks in Mesopotamia. Sheis waging
war against the Turks between the
Suez Canal and Asia Minor. She is
lighting the Austrians and Bulgarians
in Macedonia.
Besides all this. Great Britain is
maintaining an army In South Africa
to keep the old German colonies under
control She has garrisoned practi-
-.