The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1918-02-23

TANKS AND NEW MYSTERIOUS
GAS WILL BE EMPLOYED By
THE ENEMY.
Allies arc Confident of Holding Lines
German Infantry Told Victory
Will bc Easy One I'm the Coming
Conflict.

pected to begin at any moment now
and as far as the British front is
concerned the main thrust will be
made on the sector between Arras
and 81. Quentin.
Tanks and "a mysterious gas will
be employed by the enemy in the at
tempt to break through the Allied
line. other attacks will be delivered
further south. These facts have be-
come known through captured Ger
man prisoners and from information
cleaned In other ways.
The plans of the German higher
command are complete and after
many weeks Of intensive training OF
assanlting troops they are ready to
make the supreme and final effort
which has been advertised so widely
In the past weeks.
Field Marshal Won Hindenburg and
Gen. Won Ludendorff appear to have
realized that the old methods OF at
tack In which a long bombardment
Ia employed are too we'll known to
produce the results desired. Accord
ingly the German troops are being
told that surprise attacks. such as
were used In Galicia last summer, at
Riga and again on the Isonzo are to
be tried against the Allies on the
western front
Much stress has been laid on the
fact that tanks and new gas are to be
used. leaving the infantry little to do
but TO walk through the gaps. Ger
man troops have been trained TO
make long approach marches and
then to storm enemy positions after
o short shell bombardment. Those
--9hstacles which the German artillery
has not obliterated will be rushed by
the troops or ignored. The German
infantry will rely on weight OK num-
bers. masses OF machine guns and mo-
bile batteries TO finish the work be-
gun by the tanks and gas.
Word has been passed out by the
German high command that few of
the Allied troops will survive
the effects of the tanks, the gas and
the bombardment and that fresh Ger
man infantry will overcome speedily
any resistance offered i'm captured Il
positions.
Despite these assurances and the
Intensive training to which they
have been put. the German troops
are frankly skeptical and arc under
tnking their task with no enthusiasm,
according TO prisoners. They feel
they are going to be thrown into
battle 20 be used as cannon fodder
and do not relish the prospect.
IL ~ said Gen. Won Ludendorff re-
Gently addressed a body of infantry at
laon and asked how many men were
willing to fight to IA finish Only five
non-commissioned officers and pri-
Yates stepped forward The others de-
clared their desire for an early peace
by arrangements.
German officers on the other hand
appear To have the conviction that
they will be able TO break through
by means of their secret attacks.
Gen. Won Hutler. who is reputed to
have laid the plans for the capture
OF Riga. has come to the western
mont to assist In the preparation.
The lessons OF the capture OF Riga
have been preached rcligiously to the
German troops. IL has been pointed
out that there a preliminary bonn
bardment OF four or five hours to Gu,
the enemy wire and demolish de-
lenses was sufficient to give the Ger
mans a firm footing i'm the Russian
positions. The enemy troops have
not been told. however, that the
morale of the Russians at Riga was
very low and that the German attac,
Was a complete surprise.
The Germans will find the Allied
morale at the highest pitch on the
western front ana their attack will be
far from the surprise desired. Thc
Allies are ready for big blow anJ
await with assurance the next move
o: the German high command.
The German attack cannot he de
iayed much longer. All information
points to the fact that both German
civilians and soldiers are keyed up to
such pitch OF nervous expectancy
that the strain cannot endure for
long. They are waiting for the at
tack with fcverish hope that the high
command can this time make good It's
promise. The German troops are cx
pcctcd 20 nght well.