South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-04-09

eNpectant OF quick success than
Now the Somme offensive is a
far greater affair than the Yer
dun attack, but il strongly re-
sem bles il in many respects. At
Verdun Falkenhayn sought 10
drive "A wedge between the
French armies in Champagne
and those in Lorraine. roll the
Champagne armies back on
Paris and the Lorraine armies
away from the border fortress
es. This Is exactly what Hinden-
burg was after with respect of
the British and French armies
in the present campaign. On
Feb. 26th. six days after the be-
ginning OF the Nerdun adven-
ture the German had 10 give up
the larger purposes of his LOr-
raine attack. ON March 26th OF
this year ne had TO stop in the
same fashion. Before Nerdun he
gave Petain a chance 10 get up
the army that saved the fort
ress. In Picardy ne has allowed
the French and British time TO
get up all their available re-
serves and dig in on new lines.
MADE GREAT GAINS
IN FIRST RUSH.
Before Nerdun. the German
center made tremendous gains
in the first rush, after the first
rush operations were suspended
i'm the. center until the German
could get rid of the flanking fire
from Dead Mans Hill and Fort
DevauX He spent all March,
April and May in eliminating
these flank difficulties. BY the
time he was ready TO go on in
the center. the Russians had at
tackled i'm Galicia and the Brit
ish were about ready toeattack
in Picardy. The German had TO
continue at Nerdun because he
had spent a year in concen-
trating material and guns at
this point. He was bound TO at
tack with the hope OF crushing
the French before the British
were ready, and he could not
prepare 10 attack anywhere but
at 'Verdun in less than six
months. When a high command
had directed all its resources 10
a single sector for a grand of
fensive. IL must continue on
that front or abandon the Of
fensive everywhere for that
period Of weeks and even of
months.
GERMAN Is NOW
BOUND To ATTACK.
Today the German is bound
20 attack. because If he does
not attack the American num-
bers will presently give the al5
lies a decisive advantage on the
west front. He would seem 10 be
compelled TO attack in Picardy
because over many months he
has prepared his attack on this
front. out ir Picardy his dift-
CultieS are tremendous. He has
a desert behind him. ne has a
swamp about him and in front
of him he has enemies strongly
cntrencned on the high ground
and I'm positions which they
have held for two weeks.
II YOU look az the map you
viii see that the French are
substantially holding "a line be
hind the Avre river and the
British another line behind the
Ancre, and these lines form an
acute angle with the vortex in
front OF Amiens. II the German
keeps on going toward Amiens.
ne will be slaughtered by the
converging FIRE from both sides
OF the angle, just as his troops
were slaughtered on the Doua-
mont plateau at Verdun by the
converging fire from Dead
Mans Hiu at Fort DeVauX.
MUST BREAK THROUGH
SIDES OF ANGLE.
The solution OF the problem
must be found In breaking
through the sides OF the angle.
This is what the German has
been up 20 for a week. He has
been hurliug masses OF picked
troops against the French lines
along the Avre and the British
lines along the Ancre. suffering