The Sentinel=record., 1918-06-15
AMERICAN AID FASTER
 THAN GERMANY ESTIMATED
Secretary Baker Reaffirms His Conf dence in General Foch as the Battle Is Being Followed Along the Lines of the Conference Held With the Al lied Chieftains.
lied Chieftains

Washington June 14-The present lul on the battle front in France only presages a new and more violent storm of attack on the allied lines In military opinion here. The impress sion IS rapidly strengthening that the stage is almost set for the renewal ofl the German main thrust at the Brit llsh army around Amiens with the channel coast as the objective
 , Belief has never wavered among the majority of officers here that the reai purpose of the German staff has been from the first to cut the allied armies apart by drive that would carry them to the channel; that arrived at that goal, massed attacks would be hurled against the northern sector for the purpose of destroying the British army while strong defense was maintained against the French to the south. The thrusts at Paris have been looked upon as well planned and executed feints designed to weaken the Amiens front before the final effort should be made there.
 On no other theory can these ob servers explain the continuance of German operations in the great bat- tie, and no no ether basis, they say, | can the campaign of defense waged by | General FOch be continued.
 1t is a battle in which the ultimate reserves will win the day, as the fight l is seen here. If the German staff con- siders the present situation along the vast front stretching from Ypres, on the north, to Rheims on the south, | promising for the final effort, the ul- innate German reserves is now being | assembled for the attack while fight ing fronts take breath.
 Other observers are almost con vinced, however, that the situation not only permits but demands that the enemy main attack be pressed with | out delay as American aid is coming | forward more swiftly than the Ger mans possibly could have estimated would be the case. The German coup must be attempted before the Ameri- cans can turn the scale of power
 Official announcements show that approximately half million Ameri--I can soldiers have landed in France since the German drive began. All ready they have aided in establishing the lines, as they now stand.
 At recent date American forces held in all more than fifty miles of the whole western front One ele-l ment of General Pershing's mobile forces, in direction of General Foch guards the way at the apex of the whole German wedge near Mont Di- dier. Cantigny, recently recaptured from the Germans by these forces, IS very close to the point of maximum penetration achieved by the enemy in nearly three months of desperate fighting
 Secretary Bakers re-affirmation yesterday of American confidence in General Foch was made with full knowledge, for MT. Baker was fin Europe, in conference with the allied chieftains when the plan of cam- paign now being followed was being worked out. He knows why no effort has been made 10 wrest the initiative from the enemy. Many officers who do not know are frankly puzzled and cannot understand why some of the obvious openings for great counter thrust have not been seized,
 Members of the house military
 committee at their weekly war de partment conference today were told
 that the stream of Americans stendiy moving to the front had resulted In