The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-04-13

With the shifting of the attack to
the northern part of the British front
it became apparent that the major
purpose of the German offensive is
neither the separation of the French
and British forces nor the opening OF
a road to Paris.
1t is clear now that the main OBJ
jective of the German strategy is the
destruction of British man power and
the capture of British guns and ma
terial In other words to so weaken
the British war machine that it VIII
ncN er again be able to take the 1leld
in major offensive operations
While the main purpose of the Ger
man offensive is to destroy the ag-
sreesiye power of the British army,
the German commanders doubtless
hoped that the results might exceed
their expectations and that some I'M
, mediate decisive results might be at
taired. How near they came 10
achieving a decisive victory in the
early days of the Picardy offensie is
known to very few people even yet
The Germans Broke Clean Thru.
The Fact is that on the second and
tkirt days of the attack the British
lines were completely severed south
CT St Quentin. The gap was about
ten miles wide and ahead of the Ger
man force; pouring thru the gap there
was an ooen road to Paris and the
coast without a single occupied trench
or & single line of infantry to bar the
way.
BY almost superhuman efforts the
British forces on both sides of the
gap fell back faster than the Germans
! could advance and .. junction of the
broken lines was effected. In TINS
maneuver the French forces per
formed an important part TINS
break was the one between the third
u BRIT referred
to by Premier Lloyd George in his
recent speech in the house of COM
mons But for this breech in the line
it is probable that the Germans would
have been held everywhere within
five or six miles of the original front
The German hope of success in
wearing down the British army is
based on the results of their cam
paign against the French at Nerdun,
which so depleted French reserves
and French fighting power that the
armies of that people have never
since been able to carry on an ex-
tended offensive operation.
Why the Attack Was Against British.
If the offensive had been directed
against some sector of the French
front instead of against the British it
might have accomplished much great
err imm ediate results. The disadvan-
tage of such an attack would have
been that at the very 1>loment when
| German men and German guns were
/ concentrated in a desperate attack
against the French General Haig could
| have assumed the offensive on a large
scale and proba bly, could have crushed
! the weakened German line facing him.
| In attacking the British the Germans
! felt reasona bly, safe from any such
| counter offensive. believing that the
necessity of conserving French man
power for defensive purposes would
/ prevent General Petain from under
taking ma jor offensive.
What Germany Hopes For.
! With the British as well as the
| French offensive power broken for the
rest of the war. Germany evidently be
lieves that she can assume the defen-
sive with a good prospect of holding
against any attack that could be de-
, livered by the new American army
/ within at least two years. In the
meantime she could carry on a peace
! offensive against France and Britain
with every advantage on her side.
The Allies Grea test Danger.
! If the German military plans sue
! coed to the extent of crushing the Of
fensive power of the British army
! the period that must elapSe before
America can build up the forces ne
\ cessary for major offensive operations
in France will be an extremely trying
one for the British and French Dis
coura cement and war WEAKNESS
would become widely prevalent Ger
many would likely offer everything
in the west that the allies are fighting
] for with the possible exception o. AL
sace-Lorraine Fifty million people
and one-third of the area of Russia
would give Germany all the fruits OF
conquest that would be necessary to
her for the present, and measureless
resources for use in future wars OF
aggression. In fact, the Russian ter
ritory Germany has already taken is
of much greater value to her than