The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1918-05-01
FOE SUFFERS
MOST SEVERE
DEFEAT SINCE
DRIVE BEGAN
English Troops See Prophecy
of Allied Victory in lO-mile
German Failure on North
ern Front.
new ATTACK EXPECTED

LONDON, via Ottawa, May las
details of Mondays fighting are re-
ceived. confirming the fact that it was
the worst day the Germans have ex-
perieuced since the opening OF the
great offensive. the English troops
hitherto reticcnt in view of the fluc-
tuations of the battle, now comment
upon the operations in tone of con-
tidence they have not hitherto dis
played The Times says: "Of all the
violent combats witnessed in the last
few weeks we know of none which is a
more hopefu! augury for the allies
than this 10-milo failure"
II is pointed out that the public is
apt TO reckon victory in terms of Of
fensive success, but II defensive vic
tory ike that or Monday may con-
tribute equally toward the ultimate OBJ
ject OF the campaign: namely de-
struction OF the enemy's fighting
strength.
From this view point, the Germans
despite their spectacular successes
can be regarded as having had the
worst of the balance of nearly a
weeks fighting for it must not be for
gotten that they sustained a series of
Monday was the most sanguinary of
the last fortnight.
Nearly a Complete Failure.
Indeed, apart from the capture of
KENNEL hill it has been one COM
plete failure including four defeats in
pitched battles.
The eliminating effect of this has
been to immensely increase the con-
fidence of the Anglo-French troops
whom the correspondent describes as
now feeling that they have got the
measure of the new enemy division.
Other strokes will undoubtedly come
before the German reserves are ex-
hausted but confidence is felt that
wherever the Germans try they will
find the allies ready. Now that the
attack of no fewer than 100000 Ger
mans has been broken in n sheer trial
OF strength on ground none too favor
able by the thinner allied lines, there
is growing hope that Ypres will not
be abandoned
Allies Show Ability
The Germans apparently are as anx-
ious TO capture Ypres as they were to
take Verdun two years ago and 1t now
looks as though their experience at
the French fortress was about to be
repeated. The loss of Ypres, the news
papers say would be less serious than
the loss of Verdun would then have
been.
But now that the allies have shown
their ability to hold positions with a
force smaller in comparison to that OF
their assailants IL may be advantage
Gus to hold lpres and continue to In
fict enormous losses.
The correspondents emphasize the
facts that everything favored the Ger
mans on Monday. They had magnif1-
cent artillery support. a favoring fog
innumerable machine guns masses OF
men, and unlimited explosives, yet
they failed.
The Daily News concludes a hope.
full editorial on the whole position with
the paragraph:
"The new British advance in Mesop.
tamia threatened the most vulnerable
heel of the German military system.
Things are now going too we'll in Rus.
sia The fact that Germany wants her
prisoners in Russia back on her own
terms throws some light on the state
Of her man power problem, nor is it
clear that Germany's effort to brow
beat Holland is working to her ed.
vantage. Added to her economic anx
ieties Germany has her hands pretty
fii,l"