Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1918-03-28
BY FRANK H. SlMONDS.
SPECIAL TO THE TRIBUNE.

~s 49, Ni1A iiiei l1S III L l ~ -
the great offensive. The Germans are
plainly seeking a solution Of the prob
lem or the world war upon the battle
field and e~ndeavoring to insure the
~permanence of their war-won struc-
ture of their great mittel- Europe edl-
nee by a military victory.
Since Napoleon set out for Moscow,
therefore there has been no campaign
equal in magnitude of issues to he
present. Germany is fighting as Bern
hardi forecast, for world power or
downfall"
Not less clear is the fact that the
Germans have chosen to make their
supreme effort against the British.
The day" long. forecast by William
Ii has arrived, although it is the Brit
ish army, not the navy, which bears
the brunt of the attack. and the Ger
mans have attacked the British be-
cause the BRITISH are their great enemy.
If the French We're attacked and
beaten the great British army woul
remain and Britain would be forced
to continue the war, if only to save her
empire, But if the British army shall
be defeated and driven back to the
coast, rance IA hardly escape max
ing Il separate peace, since she will be
unable to bear the full weight of VIC
torious German armies and American
nelp cannot be material for a year.
Hate British Most.
Hating the British most, believing
them the real remaining obstacle to a
victorious German peace, the Germans
have also attacked HaiG because they
believe hat it will be easier to smash
the British thar the French. If the
trench warfare can be ended and the
open a wal maneuyer like the cam
paign from Mons to the Marine will
result. In German military calcula-
ton, the British army will prove an
easier victim Thar the French, since it
is made up of not professional soldiers,
differed largely by civilians, not SOL
diers by career, if old fashioned war
fare be restored. AS to the actual bat
tie aspect of the German offensive. it
is to be noted first that the artillery
preparation was snort but of unprece-
denied intensity, recalling the Nerdun
offensive of two years ago. At the
Somme and in Flanders the artillery
duel lasting two weeks, but thank to
captured Russia ana italian artillery
and to the aid of German and Austrian
guns released from the eastern front,
the Germans nave been able to inten-
sify the fire and shorten the duration
OF artillery preparation.
After their artillery preparation on
a front of some SO miles between the
Scarpe and the Disc, that is between
Arras and st. Quentin, the Germans
three days ago began their infantry at
tackS, not evenly along the line, but at
various widely separated points. On
the first day their main effort was di-
rected al British positions on either
side of the Observation-Disclosures
road, not'far from the scene of the re-
cent battle of Cambria and extending
to the ground of the battle of Arras.
BY Friday their activities had shifted
to the other end of the operative front
before st. Quentin and along the st.
~, NIyr,,, Do,i- ,s~,I
Double Turning Movement.
1t would seem, therefore,, that the
Germans are again seeking to employ
their favorite strategy OF a double
turning movement. In other words.
they are GndeaNoring to break through
the british line at two widely separated
points, isolating the British troops be-
tween the two breaks, e~nveloping them
and thus making a really great gap in
the whole 1ont. This they did with
great success in Poland in 1915. in
Rumania in 1916 and in Italy last
autumn.
Following this plan the Germans
nave made material but indecisive
gains on the north along the Bapaume
road. Croisllles, Lagincourt, Boutairs,
Doignes, mentioned in the official re-
ports of Friday, are all in this region.
On the other hand they have made
more considerable gain about ST.
quentin II a material retirement OF
the british along the Noyon road is dis
closed N Haig's Saturday report. The
two German tllrusts may be
to the application of a pair of pincbers
II the Germans aim is to crush all the
BRUSH lne between the upper jaw Of
the pinchers on the Bapaume road and
the lower on the Noyon road
Most Vital Problem.
But the real question which is now
1tc., i yrAt "a - -
or actual success Of the Germans in
breaking one, two or ever three lines
of British defenses or taking a NUMBER
OF ruined villages. 1t is whether the
British have provided a sufficient num-
Der of positions, behind one another to
enable them to break the weight Of the
first German thrust. On this depends
the fate of the allied campaign of 1918,
Because the French failed to make
this provision at Verdun they nearly
lost that town. a similar failure led to
the disaster of the Dunajec and the
ltailan de1eat at the lsonzo had exactly
the same cause.
On the other hand, German foresight
at Chapaegne, at the Somme and in
Flanders deprived allied advances of
any but local profit. Haig's report of
German success about st. Quentin and
British retreat over the devasted coun-
try to their next line raises the whole
question squarely. The Germans de-
vastated the country with an eve To
possible later offensive. They de-
stroyed every village and wood that
might give the enemy cover or mater
ial to improvise d defense Under pres
sure. All depends now upon the pre-
pared lines behind, OF which Halo
speaks. The Germans on their narf
will be handicapped by the difficulties
Of BRINGING up their guns to face tbe
new positions and of transporting their
munitions.
Thus if the British have foreseen the
present emergency. they will presently
be in their new ines and the Germans
will be compelled TO pause While their
heavy artillery is getting up. Such an
interlude marked the battle of Arras
after the first British rush over the
Vimy ridge to the plain. Such a pause
has been a familiar circumstance in all
great offensives.
Decisive Moment Of First Phase.
On the other hand, if the British have
been caught mapping, if they have not
prepared lines, as the Germans did be-
fore the Somme, if their main systems
have not been penetrated. Their difficult
and dangerous days must be expected.
Then Haig will have to counter attack
while new lines are constructed. lust
as Petain had to counter attack on the
Douaumont plateau at Eerdun, Just as
the Germans themselves counter at
tackled at nee at Cambria while they
r-nrn 49, 4 fInt- ---