Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-05-25
GERMANY MAY GEL
FATAL BLOW IN
COMING ATTACK
Hun Power Likely to BE frokeh'
Washington Military Author
ties Affirm.
ALLIES AXE (OlNr iCIA~

Washington. Nav 25-Renewal ot the
German drive in France, Indicated by
Premier Llovd George. Yesterday. to
he ;tnmincnt. finds American military
onipion here absolutely confident ot the
o,,tcome There is not doubt IN the
minds Of high officers familiar with the
situation that the enemy will be repeiied
with loss and the offensive power q,
Germany broken.
There nrc those who believe that the
end of the war may come tins year rs
result Others. however. foresee long
defensive struggle by the German army
wnIle efforts 10 secure peace on the best
nossibe terms are made by the Berlin
diplomats.
GERMAN POSITION WEAKER
I'm statlng the situation as 1t stands
TODAY. IN France. officers here point out
that the German position strategIcailv Is
far weaker than Il WINS when the drive
was launched in March Their lines are
pow shaped 81 that there IS constant
danger o{ flank attack from several points
that might mean disaster To gunrd those
rnlnts ample reserves must he hcld'
whatever the call for more mon may
h. made from the fronts of attack
Bc(nrc the German armv stands n
force that has been largely rehRbiiltated
s,nee tho shock Of the drive tell unon the
British and French fronts anti bent
them hack hy weight oi numbers Losses
N mon and material have heen made
good Tho ARMIES are keyed 10 hlgh
pitch ~ enthusiasm
American wau power si'hcichl 20
rerlaec hy f1r the larger portion ~ me
I,asos II the Brtish and French ~ the
butter fighting which stopped the hfs'
t.e,,nan rush has hoeu carried - the fight
ine zones. s,lpplcmentiug tho considerable
ArnerIcan force which already was ~
France Except tor Tho finer points 81
tranch warfare. the new American unlts
arc ready TOR thc hnttlc They are re-
gardod as fully prepared for the form ot
action IN which They viii ho ernegagd.
ITALIANS rHFRF T"o
In addition. many thousands vt tram
Oh ltallan troops have reached tn" front
m France They camo without equip
mont heyond their uniforms. il Ia under
stood. but have now heen fully suFr'eh
and arc avallahlc for employment ny ''en
F0ch
II - regarded a. probable. to sum
nv tho mau power situation. that the
ef4rrtlvp fighting strength q the Niles
and the Americans IN France TODAY shows
a considerable net gam over what II
vas ou March q whom the German as
sault was begun
On the other hand Germany with
LOSSES certainly as great as those 81
tha British and ! rnch combined. and
prahahly very much greater, has only
her returning wounded men to fill up the
dqpletssi ranks of her front limo DIVISIONS.
Every regiment vi the German troops
that could be spared from the eastern
front was withdrawn before the hrst blow
was struck Nothing has happened since
then tn make available additional forces
With dlsorEanized Russia at her
hack Germany cannot further ~tuce
the forces she rs compelled to hold N the
cast. II Is believed here Some inter
,hango Of regiments or larger UNITS he
tween the cast and west may have been
made during the hull In preparation for
the tjrzt great onslaught IN the west,
however, the German high command
,on,bad ont Of the east not only every
strictly front line regiment, but even re
placed the fttcst men IN companies
there with Older personnel, taking the
n1cked men t0 fill IN west front organlza-
tIons
,.i-ecrg here point out several CON
T.
Germans to attempt further advance,
homeless a. the outlook for success may
appear In the FIRST place, the present
German Inc ii Picardy and Flanders
Is n such position ss in he untenablt
whenever Gen Foch feels that the time
has come t0 strike back The German
withdrawal TO the famous HIndenhere
line was forced bv much less serious
military menace than nov confronts the
AmienS and Ypres sallents which the
Germans have created Military pre-,
cautions demand II Is declared that the
llne lie either advanced or retired IN the
near future
Internal conditions. II Is believed
compelled the military party IN Germany
10 INSIST on the drive IN the first place
The rest iessness of the masses under the
cost of he war threatened the held oi
the mihtary and territorial expansion
advocates oD the government Il any
thing. 1t Is sald, that restlessness must
have been increased by the grave food
situation and the frlntlesS effort alreadN
made and consequently there must b'
desperate efforts for military victory x
quiet the brewing storm al home.