Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1918-04-05
Great German Drive Slowed Up
and Allied Counter Thrust
Seems at Hand.
AMIENS the HUNS OBJECTIVE
British Speedily Check Diversion At
tack on Arras-French stubbornIy
Hold Line on Oise-Americans
Acuuit Themselves Weli--Uk-
rainians and BoIsheviki Re-
capture Odessa.
Bv EDWARD W. PlckARD.

Another week of the blOOdieSt kind
of fighting failed to bring to the Ger
mans the real victory on which they
had so confidently counted, for though
the British and French armies had
been forced to yield further territory.
their lines were unbroken and their
spirits undaunted. Assthe German mil
itary authorities. General Ardenne,
saws, it is not the capture of territory
that can bring decision, but only a
victory over and through the shatter-
ing Of the enemy's armies. So far from
being shattered, the allied forces,
weary and battered as they are, are
full of confidence, and as this is writ
ten are but awaiting the opportune
moment to strike back with the big
army of maneuver which was placed
at the disposal Of the supreme war
council.
Amiens, a most important link In
the British line Of communications
appeared to be the real objective OF
the Germans, and they were able dur
ing the week to push forward toward
that city, along the line of the Somme,
as far as Hamel, and little farther
north they took Albert and were hold
ing it against fierce counter-attacks by
the British. To the south they had
pushed a salient forward little be-
yond Montdidier, but there the French
came back at them with such elan that
they were checked and lost several
commanding positions. East Of this
sector the French troops held stub
bornly to their lines along the Disc and
on Thursday attacked dashingly south
of NoyOn and drove the enemy back
two miles at the1point of the bayonet.
IT was along this east and west base
of the German salient that the allied
world expected the great counter
thrust of the army of maneuver to be
| made. ANY considerable advance to
the north there it swas pointed out,
would force the Germans to draw back
to save their lines of communication,
| which already are SO badly stretched
| out that they have great difficulty in
| bringing up artillery and food.
What looked like a diversion rath-
1
| tack of the Huns in the middle of the
week at the northern extremity of the
! line Of battle toward Arras There
| the British after giving some ground,
repulsed the enemy with terrible
slaughter. Presumably this thrust at
| Arras was made to keep the British
I from sending men and guns to the Sec
i hi of
the French, but it was so quickly
blocked that it failed of it's purpose.
| Extraordinarily bold and successful
was the work of the British and
| French aviators. In their low-fying
| battle planes they flew in swarms con-
| tinuously over the battlefields and back
| of the German lines, playing havoc
with the enemy's transports and in
| f1icting heavy casualties In his re-
serves. Battles in the air were innu-
merable, but the allied airmen main
! tanned the upper hand always. The
| artillerymen also distinguished them
| selves, sticking to their firing to the
| last moment and usually saving their
| guns when forced to fall back.
On the whole, the developments OIL
| the week were such as to restore con-
| fidence among the allies, for though
| the situation was still critical, 1t seem
| ed that Premier Clemenceau was right
| when he said that whatever might hap
| pen in the next few days, the enemy
| could not win the path to the sea nor
| the path to Paris.
| 81
Just what part the American troops
, have been playing in the Somme battle