Evening star., 1918-07-15
NEW OFFENSVE'S
ROUTE SURPRISES
MILITARY EXPERTS
Expected New Drive Would
Be Aimed at the
Channel Ports.
BRITISH FORCES MASSED
ON THE FLANDERS FRONT

For the renewal Of their drive the
Germans have selected the road to
Paris, judging from early reports of
the violent activity which began at
dawn today.
The front chosen was somewhat Of
surprise to many military experts
here. who believed that the Germans
would seek to make the channel ports
the objective of their new offensive.
Some officers think there is a pos
sibilfty Of the Germans repeating
their tactics Of the drive beginning
March 81. wherein attacks were made
at widely separated points. But this
theory Is discounted somewhat by
the small likelihood that. with the
knowledge Of their previous methods,
the northern allied line would be
weakened unnecessarily to withstand
| an attack farther south.
British Massed at Flanders.
British opinion is known to have
leaned toward the belief that an at
tack in Flanders was to be expected.
Heavy reinforcements from England
nave been sent over. Therefore it is
possible that the Germans believe that
some other point
| The principal element Of surprise In
| the much-advertised drive OF March 21
was the use of gas shells. Reports
| today show that these are being used
\ again. and while censorship has per-
! mftted little discussion Of methods
adopted to Withstand this form of at
tack confidence Is expressed here that
fhe allies are equipped to combat the
gas assaults effectively.
Great Naval Guns Used.
Use Of the great naval guns form the
| nearest approach to a novelty dis
closed in the early reports of today.s
fighting, and their employment hardly
can be termed a surprise.
The argument for a likelihood of a
resumption OF the drive north Of
Amiens has been that the military ad-
vantage to be gained, therefore, far
outweighed tho boon to the enemy IL
Paris were captured. But about Paris
there are extensive munitions works
| and the invasion Of that territory.
aside from the taking of Paris itself
would mean a considerable Though
by no means decisive blow to the
allies,
If the Germans determine to expend
luclT "AOt0 1OTC6 III u uIlV6 1OWar0
Paris. and are willing to pay the cost
in lives for their effort. 1t is admitted
that the French capital is menaced.
but confidence is expressed here thar
with the reinforcer1ents of Americans
and with the French released from
other points by the added British
| troops the city will be held.
a,Ooo,Oo British at Front.
has been added to the allied forces on
French soil was indicated recently by
dispatch stating that 2.000, 900 Brit
| ish soldiers now are In France. Prob
ably a small proportion Of these are
not combatantS.
It is considered possible that the
purpose OF the present action is to
widen further the Afsne salient by
the reduction Of Rheims and the forc-
| ing back Of the whole southern ex-
Rheims Reduction Vital.
A previous attack on Rheims was
Italian troops, and that place is now
the center of a greatly Increased as
sault. In some quarters this was taken
to mean that reduction of the Rheims
salient il regarded as vital to the sue
cess Of the German enterprise as q
whole. \
EXTENSIVE employment Of naval guns
for long-range bombardment of the
allied rear positions suggests that IL
was the time required to bring up and
place these weapons that held up the
German drive.
The new battle line runs clear
around Rheims in its ffty-mile sweep
from Chateau Thierry. where the first
and second American divisions are
known to be in line. American
troops in tho Jaulgonns sector Of the
Marne, east Of Chateau Thierry. also
are involved. q,
Big Gums to Harass.
The object, Of the bombardmeut by
heavy artillery is to harass the
movement Of supplies and reinforce-
ments to the danger points, ana the
careful preparation Of the enemy NAV
mean that he II ready to keep up the
assault for days or usaeks In the AZ
fort to drive through.
Just whore the main force Of the
attack will fall IL not clear. The
apex Of the German advance on the
Aisne front Ii at Chateau Thierry.
where the American LIST CORPS now
holds the left dank Of the new battle
line. Presumably. the main ob5cc-l
tive In this assault n some place ID
the east Of that point, which lies on
1.-THE direct road to Paris