The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1918-03-02
PUzzLING OVER THE PROBLEM
Allied Commanders do Not Know
Where Germany's Principal At
tack will be Made, but They
are Ready to Meet 1t

Washington, March 2.-Where are
Germany's "Lost Divisions?"
That is the big puzzle on which the
whole effort of the French and Eng
lish intelligence offices is centered.
That is the puzzle on which allied
aviators are busy. And it is the an
swer to that puzzle that British and
French and American soldiers have
sought for the past two weeks in ev-
cry trench raid and reconnaissance
they have carried out.
The Allies know that Germany is
planning a tremendous offensive on
the western front.
Through the activity of their intel
ligence divisions, the aero scouts and
trench raiders, the Allies know the
location of every unit of the kaiser's
great army with the exception of ap-
proximately score of divisions.
Those are the ''Lost Divisions" that
the Allies seek, the finding of which
might unlock the whole secret of Ger
many's point of attack.
Allied experts agree that there has
been no battle in this war In which
the results could not have been
changed by the bringing into action
of dozen unexpected divisions. That
is why it is so necessary for the AL
lies to know, before the Germans
strike, just where these lost divisions
will be brought into action.
Extreme massing of men and ma
terials at Zeebrugge and along front
of 20 miles in Flanders, where the
lines begin, and information secured
from prisoners indicate that the big
attempt is to be made there, with
Calais as the immediate objective.
The capture of Calais would put
into German hands the French port
through which the bulk of Britain's
men and materials move into France.
Tremendous terminals and port facil-
tiles have been developed there.
With Calais held by the enemy,
England's whole system of supply
would be disrupted, her line of COM
munication cut.
To send men and supplies into
France through any other port, Eng
land not only would have to carry
them four or five times as far by
water but would be hampered by ter
minal and transport difficulties when
she got them there Calais loss would
be serious blow.
Of course steps have been taken by
the allied commanders to meet the
expected onslaught. Men and mate
rials have been concentrated at the
points where information indicates
increased pressure may be brought.
But the big question still remains:
"Just where will the drive develop?"
When the "Lost Divisions" are found,
that question will be answered.
Although increasingly strong at
tempts may be expected against the
sector where American troops are
taking their turn in the trenches, that
viii not be the point at which the
big drive viii come.
1t is too far from the main objec-
tiyes Of the German general staff
not of sufficient immediate impor-
tance.
For this big blow, which even Ger
many recognizes as possibly her last,
is to be struck at the heart Of the al
lied defenses at Calais and the Brit
ish line of communication, or at a
point further east, where the Ger
mans believe they may be able to
force open a gateway to Paris"
Meanwhile, while awaiting the
much-heraIded German drive and
taking steps to meet it, the Allies are
pushing plans for an offensive of their
own with Berlin as the ultimate OBJ
ject.
"If the Allies can just hold till May
or June" Gen. Pershing has said, @the
German line can be broken. Germany
can be beaten, Germany must be
beaten, and Germany viii be beaten"