Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1918-02-21
|B|G. OFFENSIVE
| IS NEARLY DUE
May BE Expected at Any Mo.
ment-Huns Have a
New Gas.

BRITISH ARMY HEADQUARTERS IN
FRANCE. Feb. 19.-(By the Associated
Press)-The great German offensive on
the western front may be expected to be-
gin at any moment now and as far az the
British front is concerned, the main thrust
will be made on the sector between Arras
and st. Quentin.
Tanks and "a new mysterious gas" will
be employed by the enemy in the attempt
to break through the allied line. Other
attacks will be delivered further south
These facts have become known through
captured German prisoners and from in
formation Cleaned In other ways. The
plans Of the German higher command are
complete and after many weeks of in
tensive training of assaulting troops. they
are ready to make the supreme and final
effort which has been advertised SO widely
in the past weeks.
Field Marshal Won Hindenburg and Gen.
eral Won Ludendorff appear to have real
ICED that the old methods Of attack. in
which long bombardment Is employed,
are too we'll known to produce the results
desired. Accordingly, the German troops
are being told that surprise attacks,
such as were used in Galicia last summer.
at Riga and again on the Izonzo, are to be
tried against the allies on the western
front.
Much stress has been laid on the
fact that tanks and a new gas are to
be used, leaving the infantry little to
do but to walk through the gaps and
consolidate the positions captured. Ger
man troops have been trained to make
long approach marches and then to
storm enemy positions after a short
gas shell bombardment. These OBJ
ls,Ar az ,,,1St lob, hA n~tt1 ArA
has not obliterated will be rushed by
the troops or ignored. The German in
fantry will rely on weight Of numbers
masses of machine guns and mobile
batteries to finish the work begun by
the tanks and the gas
Word has been passed out by the
German high command that few Of the
allies troops will survive the effects
Of the tanks, the gas and the lombard
ment and that fresh German infantry
will overcome speedily any resistance
offered in captured positions.
Despite these assurances and the in
tensive training to which they have
been put, the German troops are frank
ly skeptical and are undertaking their
task with no enthusiasm, according to
prisoners. They feel they are going to
be thrown into battle to be used as
cannon fodder and to not relish the
prospect.
1t is said that General Won Ludendorff
recently addressed a body Of infantry at
Laon and asked how many men were will
ing to fight to a hnish Only FIVE nom
commissioned officers and privates stepped
forward. The others declared their desire
for an early peace by arrangement"
German officers. on the other hand. ap-
pear to have the conviction that they will
be able to break through by means of their
secret" attacks.
General Won Hutier. who is reputed to
have laid the plans for the capture of Riga,
has come to the western front to assist
in the preparation. The lessons of the
capture Of Riga have been preached
religiously to the German troops. 1t has
been pointed out that there a preliminary
bombardment of four or five hours to cut
the enemy wire and demolish defenses was
sufficient to give the Germans firm foot
ing in the Russian positions.