South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-05-05
BRITISH SHOULD HAVE. TO RETREAT
Possibilities That Lie in Store the German Should Reach the Channel

The returns Of the Germans to the offensive 10
ago served TO reopen the question Of the possibilities
OF the campaign With respect OF the British in north
France Douglas Haig in his memorable ad
dress TO his soldiers the crisis Of the battle or
Armentieres when he babe them hold TO the last,
since they were hghtins with their backs to the wall
plainly indicated the difficulties Of the situation
ated by geographical circumstances.
As 1t today, the British lighting rather
than a hundred mile front with the Belgans
holding least and this combined front is
nowhere more than 40 miles from the sea at
points. very Thus any considerable
British army another retreat like
following the defeat of the fifth before St Quen-
would bring the British almost literally the beach
and produce another situation like that Of Sir John
Moore at Corunna in the Peninsula
The first objective OF the Germans when they made
their great destroy the British army To
territory 10 advance. to the channel ports
is a relatively minor thing nov" as the fourth year OF
the war draws 10 close and the German people are
waiting a promise Of speedy victory. Merely
compel the British retreat either toward the coast
or southwark behind the Somme would not be a sum-
cient German success TO Justify the promises.
But the German did not achieve his major purpose
at single thrust his successes in Picardy fall far
short Of smashing British military power.
The second battle Of the Somme must stand as one
Of the great victories of the war and the largest Ger
in the four Of western warfare but
infinitely removed from a decisive victory.
COMPELLED TO NEW ATTACKS.
Having failed in his major Objective-that is hav-
ing failed accomplish all most of his purpose
battle, the German has been compelled TO seek by
other attacks reach his goal And his goal remains
the destruction British military power He seek
ing TO the British army back to the channel to
push the it narrow a territory
may achieve colossal Sedan with the channel
playing him the part Belgium played in the fam
victory OF half century
British strategy therefore face very grave
dangers. Another disaster like the second somme
would bring the Germans to the sea. They nearer
10 tide water below Abbeville at the mouth of the
Somme they TO Amens two months
The distance from Hazebrouck is greater than that
from ST. Quentin the environs of Amiens which the
Germans reached in 10 days after they attacked
March When the Germans reach the sea, if they
do British troops north of the wedge the Ger
mans would thus drive In British lines, would be
isolated from French and British troops TO the south
Accordingly plain that the greatest o
British concerns, Of Fochs problems is TO hold the
southern part of rigdly where
The Germans attacking before Amiens
IN the position or man trying 10 the limb OF
tree of close TO the trunk armies north
O in the position a that
limb He must either stop the saw or get off the limb
avoid fall.
This is the explanation of the prompt counter
attack Of the British days ago when the Ger
took Villers-Bretonneux, nine miles east
of Amiens Petain Verdun used sell much French
territory the of the Ger
mans because he had it to sell for price But on
the east bank he chung to every inch, because any
German advance this side the would
have fatal In the way any material ad-
OF the Germans about Amiens would be danger
AN EXTREME POSSIBILITY.
IT is extreme possibility. but 1t is possibility
that the the British may to retire
of all that of France north of the SOmme and
OF the present front They may have do this
precisely the that the Belgians
abandon Antwerp and western Belgium and hurry
southwark October 1914 to avoid being interned
narrow circle about Antwerp and ultimately de-
stroyed 1t essential then, and is now, above all
else to the army-no matter how great the
rihce of territory.
But the problem OF retiring south of the Somme for
the British and Belgans would be a very great one Ow-
ing the tie corridor between the sea
and the 'front.' and the absence of any network
To all practical purposes. the Boulogne- Calais
Amens railroad is about the only that