The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1918-06-01
ALLIED AIR FORCES
HAMPER THE ENEMY.
by HILAlRE BIOLOGY

Magnificent work of the air SER
vices does certainly seriously ham
per the enemy, but this alone does
not account for the halt of SO many
weeks. The change Of plan was
the real and serious cause of the de-
lay.
Briefly, what happened to the
Germans was this; First of all, a
check to the main original plan of
separating the French and British
armies. They had a week Of strik-
ing success, expensive to themselves.
indeed, but also terribly expensive
for us; they took prisoners and
guns, and also masses Of material,
but they did not obtain decision,
and the true war movement ceased
upon the line where they were held, |
which still runs as it ran seYenj
weeks ago In front Of Arrasf
just west Of Albert, down to Mont
didier, covering Aniens, then morei
or less east past Lassigny to Noyon.l
The effort in front of Lille made
at first with comparatively small
forces, led to unexpected success;
the allied front was broken upon a
sector of not quite twelve miles. The
bridge was, unfortunately, not de-I
stroyed across the Lys, and for the /
five days April to April IS thsl
advance. gradually slackening in-i
deed, but still maintaining tEe4con-i
ditions Of the war Of movement. was
continued by the Germans.
The enemy seized this suddensand
unexpected opportunity and at !
tempted to press for a decision IN
this new field. He pressed very hard.
His first blow here he deIiv-
cred with six divisions, Of which I
only four were used for the actual /
shock, but within the next three
weeks he put in the equivalent of
nearly forty divisions. His object
was to reach the seacoast, destroy
the allied forces to the east and
north of his thrust, to occupy thal
port Of Dunlzirk, and possibly even /
to arrive at Calais, putting out OF
action a very great portion OF the
allied forces, chiefly British. 4
FORMED NEW PLAN
AFTER TWO DEFEATS.
His failure was definitely regis4
tered in the action Of April s29s
when, with thirteen divisions in ac-3
ton and eleven in line, he suffered
a defeat the magnitude Of which Il
fear is not yet fully appreciated. II.
ALAu b6E4 pEELGAG1 ny a DS4S<SL f04Ai
the other side of the salient when
Bernhard attempted TO reach BETH
une and was completely and disas@i
trously thrown back. Under the e9a
feet Of these two successive res
verses the enemy broke off the bats
tie of Flanders and began to eIaboa
rate new plan, which he has now
begun to put incorporation.
The full extent Of this new plan
We have no means whatsoever for
judging. We can only say that on
the analogy Of what he has done in
the past after similar long delays
he has been rearranging everything
for q very large attack in mass and
has been specially training fresh
units for another such manoeuvTe as
the one he successfully began and
very nearly carried to a conclusion
two months ago.
A change OF plan on this scale
means a reorganization Of everys
thing from top to bottom. Infinitely
laborious, long continued and very
heavy staff work with exact preps
aration Of a multitude Of detail must
be brought to its last limit OF psr~
lection before the new throw is tried
and German calculation though Pc
tient Is slow,
THE NECESSITY
FOR RECRUITMENT.
But over and above this cause Oh