Evening star., 1918-05-18


Roye. Nesles and ST. Quentin received
$4,000 Kilograms Of projectiles and
munition depots were destroyed
Fires and explosions were caused at
other points.
Eastern theater. MAY 16.-There was
reciprocal artillery activity in the Dol
ran. Guevgueli. Cerna bend and Monastir
sectors. There were patrol encounters
west Of Lake Ochrida. British aviators
bombarded enemy establishments around
Seres and Porna-"
German Losses in West.
LONDON. May 18-The most definite
figures yet announced regarding German
losses on the western front this spring
have been given to the Associated Press
Since the beginning Of the offensive
March 81 206 German divisions have
been on the western front. of which 1875
actually have been engaged on the
Somme and Armentieres fronts.
The 20Sth German division, which was
one of those suffering most heavily, lost
20 per cent Of its electives. Seven other
German divisions are known to have lost
more than so per cent and at least seven
other divisions are named as having lost
40 to so per cent
Only forty men to the company were
left in the 10th Division after the
fighting OF March % and 23 The 1st
Division was in similar straits after
reaching Sally Laurette on March %
and the 234th Division was weakened
similarly on April 6. One regiment of
! the 4th Ersatz Division virtually was
annihilated on April 9, and there are
scores of instances of companies and
battalions which disappeared almost
completely
In a f1ve-page closely typewriter
list of losses to German regiments and
divisions engaged in the offensive
which have been substantiated by
British Intelligence officers, there is
scarcely a single instance where the
losses were not SO large as to cause
serious crippling of the efficiency of
the unit.
While it Is impossible to make from
these figures any exact estimate of
the total German losses. it is suffi-
GENTLY evident that the enemy cas-
ualties have been exceedingly heavy.
One evidence of this fact is that the
Germans. after calling upon all avail
able reserve depots in the western
area. have already been compelled to
draft into crippled divisions men
drawn from Germany itself, includ-
ing those Of the 1920 class. From this it
may be concluded that the demand for
men to replace losses has been great
er than reserve centers could supply.
Summary Of Situation.
LONDON, May 1.-THE Associated
Press has been given the following
summary Of the military situation as
repreenting the considered opinion of
the British general staff:
THE situation on the west front
has been quiet during the past week.
except for minor raiding operations
in which the allies, on the whole, had
the advantage.
1.-THE momentum of the Germans in
the opening spring offensive has been
are now boiling up for another big
effort.
THE longer the Germans wait the
more men they can pat In from Ill
visions which have been resting and
little longer they will be able to re-
sumo the offensive on the same scale
as before. when they opened on a
front of fifty miles.
But they cannot wait too long The
steady stream of American reinforce
ments is coming faster.
American Participation.
The Germans still pretend to treat
German staff does not. underrate
them. II the German staff had not
taken the American Army seriously,
it is doubtful whether they would
hazard their whole future on the
dangerous expedient Of a spring Of
fensive this year.
THE Americans will have to buy
their experience. but Americans are
good business men and can be de-
pended on to buy in the cheapest mar
ket and sell at the dearest price. The
British stIff is confident that the
American Army will make good and
that the American nation will never
let go until the end.
Allies Win in Air.
THE air fighting during the past
week has been heavily in the allies
favor. Between the 9th and the 18th
we downed seventyone enemy planes
to nineteen of our own missing. This
shows situation infinitely better
| than twelve months ago.
THE allies aerial success has been
large factor in bringing the first
standstill.
"The situation on the west front to-
day is much as it has been before.
The German command, finding that
the momentum of the first rush has
| been suspended, has tried smaller at
| tacks. but finds that they do not pay.
Our experiences in the past have been
similar. 1t Is clear that an initial
| success is the cheapest. and that the
l
more costly attacks become, until the
| ratio of loss to profit becomes pro-
hibitive. So now the Germans are
preparing for another really big move.
But the more time they take in
preparation the more time we have
| for defensive plans.
Time Is Aiding Allies.
Tn the meanwhile there is great
strain and wastage to the German
troops in tho line from shell fire, gas
| and other causes. The longer the
enemy waits tho better becomes our
defenses and the moro perfect our
counter plans.
Regarding the war situation as a
| whole. we urged the Importance of
| the public retaining the proper sense
| of proportion. We have got a long
| row to hoe. and for the whole summer
the situation must continue to be an
anxious one. 1t is not the loss Of this