New-York tribune., 1918-03-28
Capital Awaits
News of Allied
Counter Drive
British Thrust May Be Sig
nal for Expected
Offensive
Hit at Foes Wedge
Reserves Believed in Position
for Blow ON Both
Flanks
Hit at Foes Wedge
By c. w. Gilbert


the brief dispatch telling of the retak-
ing by the British of Morancourt and
Chipilly and the advance to Proyart
it was impossible to determine whether
or not the main counter offensive of
the Allies, news Of which was expected d
here all day, had begun or not. Wash
ington based its expectation of. a
counter thrust upon the fact that the
German advance had virtually stopped
and upon the probability that all the
German reserves had been thrown into
the drive to produce the movement al
ready accomplished
What the British apparently have
done is to strike the Germans directly
at the apex of the wedge on both banks
Of the Somme. This counter blow may
be merely local and undertaken to
check the advance of the Germans in
the direction Of Amiens, a town whose
retention is of great Importance to the
Allies. Or it may turn out to be part
Of the big counter offensive which is
certain to follow upon the German
drive as soon as the Allied generals
feel that the moment for retort
upon the enemy has arrived. The Jews
Of the next twenty-four hours will
show whether the British are striking
their main blow in reply or not.
The dispatch showing the recapture
of Morlancourt indicated that the
apex Of the German wedge was further
west than was supposed. Morancourt
is on the road from Peronne to
Amiens, four or five miles west Of
Bray sur Somme, which was mentioned
in General Pershng's dispatch of last
night as one Of the places in the Brit
ish line. The blow upon the apex of
the wedge, if it is the beginning of
the real counter movement, may be
accompanied by a stroke upon one of
the fianks. The understanding here is
that the Allies have large reserves
upon both tlanks of he German wedge
German Left
Flanis Exposed
The left flank is regarded as espe.
cially exposed, the French having clung
with great strength to their positions
south of the Disc. The firmncss of
this position and Of the British posi-
tions to the north limit the forward
movement of the German thrust, and it
is now thought that it cannot go much
further without widening its base by
driving the French from their places
south Of the Disc or the British from
their strongholds on the northern end
OF the battlefront, which have hitherto
resisted attacks. The reserves sup
posed to be stationed at these two crit
zeal points may be there to prevent the
widening of the breach rather than in
preparation for a counter thrust. But
the general expectation here is for an
Allied attack on the hanks of the Ger
mans.
There is no reason to change the view
already expressed with regard to the
German drive. 1t was aimed at part
Of the line which is hard to hold To
the south the French positions are
nearly impregnabe TO the north Ger
man hammerng has had little effect
Upon the British. But in this section
where the attack was delivered terri
.ory has changed hands repeatedly.
The natural defenccs are slight. Either
army by putting forth the effort and
paying the price can hurl the other
back considerable difference. Most
of the recent drives of the war have
been in this neighborhood. When the
Germans were hammering Verdun and
the Allies felt counter effort was
necessary to interfere with German
concentration against the French fort
ress, this section was chosen for an
Allied drive. The battle of the Somme
was the result. 1t carried the British
forward from the old Somme line estab-
lished at the retreat from the Marne
into the territory which has just been
fought over again. Another thrust last
year threw the Germans back to the
Hindenburg line, from which they
launched their great drive, the end of
which is not yet in sight.