The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1918-06-05
As BRITISH STAFF SEES II.
MENACE WILL CONTINUE AS
LONG AS ENEMY HAS RE-
SERVES.
Attack Not Surprise But Allies Did
Not Suspect Move OH Scale Develop
ed.

London, May 31.-The Germans in
their Champagne offensive in France
have now reached the right bank of
the River Marne on a ten mile front,
according to statement given to
the Associated Press today by the
British general staff.
The statement says that the Ger
mans have not yet entered Chateau
Thierry. but that they are attacking
heavily there and to the northward.
The announcement which is said to
express the opinion Of the general
staff continues:
THE situation around Rheims is
not quite clear, but if it is not already
lost it seems clear it must fall soon.
Yesterday the French were driven
back to line from Noyon to Sois-
sons"
"A new development is the German
attempt to extend their attacks to the
east of Rheims. where they were re-
ported to be attacking last night. but
no further details have yet been re-
ceived.
THE situation is very anxious
one, not only because the Germans
have made such rapid progress-an
advance of 26 miles in four days--but
also because they still have such large
reserves available to be thrown into
the battle at any point.
Our transport Of reserves has
worked very we'll and there is reason
to hope that the Germans will not
make any further progress, although
the situation must remain anxious as
long as they have plenty of reserves.
The immediate future depends on
what course the enemy takes. The
crown prince has used up virtually all
his own reserves and some from the
army groups to the eastward, but the
great bulk of the German reserves are
to the north. 1t remains to be seen
whether the enemy will use them to
pursue his original intention in
striking toward Amiens with view
to cutting. the allied armies in two.
THE attack during the past week
has not been so serious as other at
tacks at other points i'm the allied
line because we have more room for
mancuver and can better afford to
! fall back. Another thing that must
| always be considered is that the Ger
mans are rapidly using up their ef-
fectives. Thus far they have employ
| ed probably As divisions in the pres
ent attack.
''The question has been much dis,
| cussed in the past few days whethe
this German attack was a surprise I'd
The allies. 1t can not be called a com
plete surprise because of the fact
| that enemy concentrations in the
Laon area were known, but until a
day or two before the battle we hady
no indication that an attack on a bigl
| deserve full credit for maintaining
secrecy Of their plans. The main
| masses of men were brought UP to
the actual front lines only on the
| night before the attack, which was
preceded by only two hours of bonn
bardment for the purpose of cutting
wire entanglements. The Germans
are not making the same use of ar
tillery as heretofore. They are using
trench mortars in large numbers for
wire cutting.
us this the enemy's main attack?
HE probably did not know when
he initiated it whether it would prove
to be a subsidiary or leading opera
ton. 1t must be remembered that
the enemy has three great geographi-
cal objectives as means towards his
great objective of destroying the
Franco British armies-the channel
ports. separation of the allied armies
by an attack through Amiens and an
attack on Paris.
I'm the present operations he is do
ng all possible to develop his initial
success by attacks both on the center
and on the flanks of the salient He
has achieved considerable success in
The center. but on the fanks the
French are holding well on the heights
west of Soissons and the British are
similarly fighting hard on the heights
around Rheims.
No review of the past week would
be complete without mention of the
fine exploit of the American troops i'm
the capture of Cantigny. 1t was an