New-York tribune., 1918-03-24
offensive, at Present Rate,
Cannot Last Over Week,
Say Experts
Foe Stakes All in
Quick, Bloody Drive
Present Thrust Is Twice the
Size of Haig's Attack
on Somme
By Arthur S. Draper

LONDON, March %. - BY a lavish
,ss of men and an unprecedented bonn
ssrdment with high explosive and gas
shells. the Germans have succeeded in
recovering all the lost positions of the
H;ndenburg line, and in advancing in
.one places several hundred yards be-
vOud the old British lines.
Roughly, the new British line on the
heeinning of the third day Of battle
ran through St. Lcger, Vaulx-Vrau-
court, Morchies, Beaumetz, Hermics,
Hayrincourt and Metz. then south
,lonc the west bank of the canal to
gosel.
Apparently, one attack has been
socussed on Bapaume, with the old
ridge as the objective, a second di-
,ected in a northwesterly direction
from St. Quentin, while a third has
been pointed southwesterly toward
Noyon.
Haig Forced Back
The third attack, according to latest
teports, succeeded in penetrating the
British positions, and Haig was forced
to fall back to prepared positions
further west. Here is the junction
between the British and French, north
Of the Aisne.
This is the devastated area across
which the Germans withdrew last
March. destroying everything. 1t is
the extreme right of the British line
and a strategic point of great lmpor-
lance, but Haig reports an orderly
withdrawal punder the heavy pressure
ofS;resh troops hurried in during the
night.
The enemy is expending men prod
icallv in both his northern and south
ern attacks. The french left may soon
be drawn into the titanic battle. From
q quarter to a third of the whole Ger
man army has been already engaged,
representing a force of over 100000.
Observers say that the enemy's pace is
50 swift that the battle cannot last
over week, unless the Germans elect
10 shorten the front of the attack.
Early Decision Likely
So far he has attempted to over
whelm the British, but, although
Haig's troops have been greatly out
numbered IN certain sectors, and al
though frightfully bufFeted. they are
still stsnch. even around St. Quentin.
The policy OF q quick, bloody drive
leads u, an early decision. That the
offensive is planned to extend over
months, as those on the Sommc, at
verdun, and at Ypres did, seems i'm
probable. This is twice the size of
Haig's thrust on the Somme, although
it is doubtful whether the enemys
superiority now equals that of the
British and French in 1916.
The Germans have admitted that
time is not on their side, and that
America looms big in the future. So
they arc making the greatest gamble in
the worlds history. If the enemy fails
to break through, he is beaten-he has
no more cards to play. At an enor-
nous cost, he has captured number
Of villages and considerable batch
of prisoners and guns.
Menace at st. Quentin
There is no denying that the situa-
ton around St. Quentin will cause
worry for some time, but elsewhere
along the whole wide battlefront Lu-
dendorf and Rupprecht have won no
greater successes than did Haig and
nls generals in 1916 and 1917.
II Haig's secondary positions at st.
Quentin hold, and ne continues to ex-
act the toll OF the first two days, while
lie Germans fail to increase their
present pace, then the Allies can claim
he greatest success of the war, and
possibly the decisive victory.
4 heavy ground mist his been a con i.
slierablc handicap to the British avia-
:ors. and the dry battlefield has been
another valuable advantage to the
enemy. who has shown great speed n
Rowing forward the artillery.
Tactics Not New
Thc tactics at st. Quentin disclose
nothing new 1t has only been a few
weeks since the British took over this
sector at the request of lie French.
Aeser shelling intensely the whole
area for a mile behind the lines, the
enemy puts down a barrage and hurls
nis masses into the battle. The Brit
lsa machine gunners then cut down the
N1Fancing hosts until they were
s'no'hered By the weight Of the
easmy forces.
Inc Cermana continue TO use a trc-
nendous number Of gas shells. 1t
eooaid cause no surprise if the German
atsst attempts TO assist the army. In
ns pre- sent crisis the Kaiser may be
.~pected 10 use every weapon. An at
zes on the British coast is not i'm
p'oanle. British civilians are grimly