The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-04-18
BRITISH BATTLE
I'm FLANDERS A
|SECOND Marine?
Experts Look for a Big Major
Counter Action.
Slow Yielding of Ground May
Z Not Continue.
GERMAN SALIENT WEAK, TOO
Allied Counter Drive Awaits
Word of FOch.
That 1t Has Not Come Shows
Situation Not Critical.
GERMAN SALIENT WEAK, TOO
Allied Counter Drive Awaits
Word of FOch.
~ CARL b. GRoAT.

forces in Flanders may be nearing
their battle of the Marine.
AS experts looked over the critical
situation facing Haig today, they fore
casted that the allies. before yielding
Ypres and the little strip of Belgium
they still hold. will launch desperate
counter drive.
Such an attack. officers declared,
would mean the situation had passed
beyond the stage wnere further eff
forts could be made to defeat German
strategy by slowly yielding ground and
mercilessly Strengthening the invaders.
That no great eounter-attack has
been ordered to date by General
Foch indicates. il is believed here,
that the situation has not yet reached
the desperate stage. When the peril
is admitted by Foch, the world VIII
see in Flanders another such stand
as was made by Joffre at the Marine"
The order will be to go forward or
die
Let Enemy Exhaust Himself.
This strategy very often brings the
best results. according to American
army officers here. 1t is merely a
matter of letting the enemy exhaust
the greater force of his blow then
striking back at him with tremendous
energy.
While loss of part of Messines
ridge by the British is regarded as
serious. it does not change the strate
gicaI situation greatly, experts say.
And the fact that Haig's report to-
day shows that he has succeeded in
winning back some ground shows the
British have plenty of reserve punch
for the crisis
British Striking Back.
BY J. W. T. MASON.
New York. April 1s.-The British
are recovering the initiative in the
hills south of Ypres. The recapture
of Meteren by Marshal Haig indicates
that Won Hindenburg's plans are be-
ing seriously disarranged- Instead of
proceeding with his operations against
Ypres from the south. Hindenburg
has shifted his attacks to the east,
where there are still more death ira pS
for him in the hills. The slight re-
tirement in this area by the British
suggests simply a tactical re-arrange-
ment which should present new diff
culties for the Germans.
Hindenburg's continued efforts to
penetrate thru the Ypres highlands
from any direction at SO heavy cost
in casualties, has now become meas
ure OF self defense to protect a highly
dangerous German salient to the east
of Nieppe forest
4 Weak Enemy Salient.
The salient is the weakest link in
is compelled to risk holding fast to it,
because it represents the nearest ap-
proach of the German line to the i'm
portant British railway junction at
Hazebrouck The capture of Haze
brouck is Hindenburg's immediate
objective as the most necessary pre-
liminary step in his effort to reach
the channel ports.
In his latest efforts to reach Haze
brouck, however Hindenburg has
nj
hand. The British position here is a
continuation of the British salient at
Ypres. The two together form a
huge IS" reversed. The Ypres salient
in the upper half of the S. and the
Nieppe forest salient extends west
ward into the British line in the lower
half of the S
If the British hold fast to Ypres,
the German front cannot be straight
ened. Any time General Foch con-
cludes the situation is critical. he can
strike the German Nieppe salient with
his reserves and doubtless bend it
back But, to do this now, while Hin
denburg is so ferociously Staying his
own men, is probably not General
Foch's plan. Hindenburg must be
given all possible freedom first. for
self-destruction.
General Maurice Recalls Waterloo
General Maurice has recently said
which il often has played before. II
is fighting a Waterloo, in which
Bluecher is marching to the battle
field. Multiply the battle of Water
loo a hundredfold and the situation a
noon in that battle correspond will
the situation now in the great worlC
battle. The British army now is un
der a terrible hammering, but provid
ing Bluecher is marching to the bat
tlefield there is no reason for discour
aEement. enormous w r.
the British army has performed AM
still is performing may be shown by
few figures. In this battle of Armen
there's, the Germans thus far have en-
gagged twenty-eight divisions and sine
March 81 they have engaged 126 di
visions. OF these the British arm,
alone has engaged seyenty-nine, tn
French alone have engaged twenty
TOUR and the remaining twenty-five
have been engaged by the British an,
French together
Germans Employing Great Manpowe
Of the German divisions which tn
Germans have engaged, twenty eigh
have been fought twice and on
thrice. OF the German division
which the French engaged, four hav
fought twice. OF tn, German di
visions which the French and Britisl
fought together, fifteen have bee
fought twice and one thrice.
at IS unpleasant business standin
the hammering, but'so long as we ca
stand it. the only question to be aske
is: What is happening to Bluecher
Whit has become of the reserves
Altho the French army is larger tina
ours, we have taken the strain Q
these battles off them. There is n
reason to be in a state of despair
the situation is. regarded from
broad point of view and if we regar
our great sacrifices rightly as a neces
sary part of the great drama"