Middletown transcript. [volume] (Middletown, Del.) 1868-current, 1918-04-20
TURNING POINT. N 7
WEST IS REACHED.
.. s. Review Says Boches Have
Failed to Achieve Victory.
GERMANS HAVE ADVANTAGE
tlune To Go Back To Tactics OF Seek
Ing To Gain Limited objeet've'
French Holding
Firm

WaEhington.-"Thet turning point in
No West is being reached.
The War Departments weekly sum-
nary of operations voiced this view,
s0ding that the Boche has failed ito
sehteve victory in the field" and will
soon be compelled to 60 back to old
hctics seeking to gain limited objec-
dives"
The statement warned, however, that
tho Germans have scored distinct
advantage, which it would be very
unwise to endeavor to belittle."
The summary revelations were sup
ported by other official information
which indicated the struggle Is likely
70 be long and bitter, but showed that
General Foch has his troops so dis
posed that probably the Germans will
make little, if any, more real prog ess.
And German news reports contained
the warning that another war winter
may be in prospect-a virtual notice
that the Teuton has not achieved his
aims.
Meantime, American feeding OF
troops cover there" proceeds vigorous
y, and new call for $4,000 the first
part of May was made today. At the
same time it developed that more men
will be called in May than in any prev
lous month.
This was taken as proof of the e..
6cacy Of accelerated transport plans
Meantime the battle will go on furious
", it is held, but with the Germans
gradually losing the advantage.
"As time passes it becomes evident
that the enemy is striking with re
newed vigor at the weakest point ne
can find opposite him." said the Wal
Department summary.
I'm the offensive in Picardy the Ger
mans sought for rift in the lint
where the French and British force:
Joined. Failing to achieve any definite
far-reaching results from this opera
ton, they promptly returned to thu
assault elsewhere and plunged forward
hoping that by driving wedge int
the sector along the front held by thu
Portuguese and British units they ma.
be able to roll the British toward tn
sea and effect a break through
The statement points out that tn
enemy can muster the driving vantage
GUS points northwest of Bethune AM
that he is now within 40 miles Q
Calais. with the main lines of c0mmun
ication radiating vertically from thi
battlefront to his advantage.
I'VE must bear in mind that tn
enemy is waging battle of annihila
ton to achieve victory" continued tn
summary. "He is fighting today wit
the sole aim of annihilating the Bril-
ish armies. Thus, Terrain conquere
counts for little. If the enemy ca
muster the diving power he will in a
probability continue his assaults, hol
ing that by an enveloping attack
an oblique front he may score con
plete annihilating victory.
while it must be admitted that &c
man operations since the beginning I
the present offensive have resulted
more than a mere blowing up OF pal
of the Allied trench system and tn
capture of local detectives along vic
front, nevertheless the aim of the &c
man higher command to obtain d
cisive strategic success by these a
saults has not been obtained.
The statement pointed out that Il
French hold firm along the impOrthl
Montdidier-Noyon sector.
in the sectors where our forces a
fighting. considerable activity p1
vailed" said the statement, reviewil
the engagements and pointing out tn
American casualties have been rel
lively slight Officers here are gra
fed at the snap our men have shcw
and say they will continue to 81
Fritz all he wants.
The probability Of an enemy offe
.;,o ,o,;rct lto1v whon wa2thor RI