Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-05-29
GAIN or GERMANS
IS INSIGNIFICANT 7
Military Critics Do Not Regard
Hun Advance as Important; Ad-
NIT Conditions Unsatisfactory.

init Conditions Unsatisfactory.
! Washington. - G May 20 Military
! men here are without s'l;ticicni lniur'na-
/ ton about tho new German drive on the
/ Aisnc front 10 form conclusive views
as to- what developments are to be 'N-
| pertcd In spite ot the wide irnht :"
| attack and the large forces used by the
enemy there still was doubt ia the
: minds Of most ofi ccrs last night whether
! n real thrust toward Paris hv new
! route was IN progress. or whether the
| blow Is only n buudv strategic move ~
pave the way for later renewal nt the
| effort tu crush the british army and
| split the allied line near Amcns
| On the basis Of accounts So ter re-
| ccIvcd the upinton prevailed that y"
substantial success had vet rewarded tho
+ German effort In the north, around
! Lore. he has evidently suffered com
/ plctc rcpulsc Whatever part that NJ
cratiun was tn play IN th" strategic
/ designs of the German general stall, =
! has falCd
1 /, was admitted however that reports
| from tho Arsnr front IN tho snuth we're
unsatisfactory IN that they tuid httl' -
/ nothing uf what Is Transporting beyond
/ thu fact that crossing of the Nsnc had
/ hcpn forced hy the Germans h"re
4 great caution and frw words oi any post
I tive natrr, mark The ohcial commit
ni1uos observers here have hccn l7d hN
4 experience - fear that greater lnroad7
than ar, announced have hccn made ~
the cncnv The fact that the German
statements have made no striking clnim
of success however. Is taken rs evidence
tha, The struggle = ind"cisivc rs VET
4 That would Er t0 tho advantage ~ the
! Franc British forces since Y would
mean tnat thcv had sustained the tr7t
powerful cpom, rlzh
,Airr or t~JTRn 'oNMtNr rHoNFn.
The ,rnod results of uplhcd command
| under General Foch. officers here believe,
already arc hcIng shown ~ tho nrw op-
tons "a striking contrast ~ TIE
,-,nftsinn ~ tho alhcd ranks that inl-
/ lowed the original attack begun March
/ ~ JhCrp ARE AZ vet no reports tend
ING to show the new attack ha- been
attended hv an, i vclopmcnt for which
General Fach had not prepared ~ AL
/ vspcs
Lacking detRIicd statements ~ tu the
nroqr.-s rnade IN the German offensive
nn The A,sue front officials here toda,
ala not know whether il was proceeding
over a "a hciant area and with sufficient
mower ia threaten the security NJ the
whole 4O-mlle from;
Most officers here look upon the Aisnc
operations ae prelude 20 a later direct
assault in the Amlens region and as an
extension of the battlefront for the pir-
p,se - dndiug q weak spot through
which p rush to Paris might be direeied
II i us4 clear however. whether the
German thrust in the direction nt Soissions
Is intended to undermine the French
line from Nontdldler % Plnon N""d
and widen the Amlens salient extensively
permitting new attacks around Albert
without serious threat along the TANK
at such movements he French hne
there runs almost east and west, Paral-
lehug the route Of the German advance
of 40 miles from - Quentin to within
few miles of Amiens II that flank
OF the allied position before Amlens is
forced back II Is argued herr. renewal
Of the attempt 10 cut apart the French
and British armies near Amens would
hc the natural course.
DECISIVE DEFEAT ~ FLANDER@.
some officers believe that the Aisne
drive Is intended by the Germans only
as direct threat along the short road
to Pgrls TO draw French reserves into
before Ameus II the move should be
successful { is believed there would be
a sudden transfer Of the point ot attack
from that front to the Albert sector
The British and French countcr-as-
sault on the northern front is Intcrpre
! ted here t0 mean that the Germans have
met decisive defeat and observers are
houeful that the allied forces viii sue
coed IN bettering their positions mate
risllv as a result Of this phase of the
battle.
Nothing vet reported from either end
Cl the line has occasi oned any uneasiness
in Washington
The War Department Is eagerly await
ing official information Of the renewed
efforts Of Germany to break the resistance
Of the French and sweep on TO victory
before the power of American arms can
become a deciding factor on the western
'front.' The advIces awaited 10y otncls Is
here are expected To clear the mystery
Of the German purpose in striking on two
vjdelv-separated sectors Of the front as
the enemy did yesterday IN attempting
10 drive forward in the Aisne regi Jn rs
well Us L Flanders
The War Department today was en-
ttrcly without Information as the daily
communI lue Of General PershinL. IS
sued las, night dealt only with actiyitie
Of Il American army and made no men
Of the renewed offensive. 4 scanning
Of press dispatches led many observers
TO intimate their belief that the present
offensive actions are but preliminary to
another m 5vcme ut, possibly a renewal
OF the drive in the vicinity Of Albert on
the Amiens front where q decided advance
would not only menace Paris, but en-
danger the Chounel ports
ACCUSED OF LOITERING.