The sun., 1918-03-24
FRANK H. SL7NONDS VS.
GERMANSSTAKEALLON
BATTLE OF PICARDY
They Are Fighting for World Power Downfall
Campaign Is Greatest in Magnitude of Issues
Since Napoleon Set Out for Moscow
by FRANK II. SIMONDS,

same cause. On the other hand Ger
man foresight in Champagne. at the
Somme and in Flanders deprived al
lied advances OF any but local profit.
Problem Of Defence.
Haig's report OF German success
about st. Quentin and British retreat
over the devastated country to their
next line raises the whole question
squarely. The Germans devastated
the country with an eye to pos
sible later offensives They destroyed
every village and wood that might
give the enemy cover or material to
lmprovise a defence under pressure.
All depends now upon the prepared
lines behind, Of which Haig speaks
The Germans on their part will be
handicapped by the difficulties of
bringing up their guns to face the new
position and OF transporting their mu-
ntions.
Thus, II the British have foreseen
tho present emergenc.. they will pres
entiy be in their new lines and the
Germans will be compelled to pause
while their heavy artillery Is getting
up. Such an interlude marked the
battle OF Arras after the first British
rush over the Vimy Ridge to the plain.
Such a pause has been II familiar cir
tumstance in all great offensives.
On the other hand, II the British
have been caught mapping. II they
nave not prepared lines. as the Ger
mans did before the Somme. II their
main systems have been penetrated d.
then difficult and dangerous days must
% expectP6 TnpM fiafY -wfT Mavg-yJ
counter attack while new lines are con-
structed. tust as Petain had TO counter
attack on the Douaumont Plateau at
Nerdun. just as the Germans them
, se.ves counter attacked at once at
Cambria while they were preparing
their main counter thrust which did
not come for nearly week after the
first British success.
At Decisive Moment.
We are then clearly at the decisive
/ moment Of the first phase of the
| great German offensive. All depends
now upon British forethOught and
British success in retiring upon care
fully prepared lines. The hattie is
now in the stage which P year ago
saw the Germans retiring from Vimy
! Ridge ana the hills just east OF Arras
| to that famous series OF switch lines
before which the fury Of the British
! attack wore itself out after the very
| great initial success.
| II the British are unready then we
may look for real German success
Their great aim has been made where
! the front is nearest Paris. some eighty
miles distant. Any considerable ad-
vance here would drive a wedge be-
tween all the French armies and al
the British armies and might ultim-
ately enable the Germans TO roll uI
the eastern flank Of the British anc
throw them back upon the coast. We
may talk about this exactly as We
talked about expelling the German'
from France year ago. during the
Aisne and Arras offensive. or Of driv
ing them back from the Belgian coas
In the Flanders operation last year
These maximum possibilities have
never yet been realized. but have al
ways to be recognized.
position Of the Germans a year age
when the news came rolling in Of th'
steady progress of the British ant
French after the first big leap. Th'
Germans have not get achieved sim
liar success. although they seem in {
fair way to accomplish something lik'
as much about St. Quentin. But th'
real point of anxiety cannot be unit
the Germans have taken Bapaume
Peronne, Ham, their immediate OBJ
jectives now, as they were the OBJ
jectives Of the Allies nearly two year
ago when the battle OF the Somm'
opened. 1t took the Allies from Jul,
to late March to get that far, which
II Is comforting to recall now.
Attack on Morale Also.
In sum, we have come to the frs
crisis Of the German offensive; tn
German gains have been considerable
and the British have had to give III
lines they meant and expected to hole
at the danger point OF the whole front
that nearest Paris, but unless the!
have omitted to take the most ele
mentary precautions against a blow
they have long expected to fall wheI
and where It has fallen this crisis will
he weathered with no real loss, AZ tn
Germans have weathered several evel
more serious crises on the same from
in the past four years.
1t is we'll to realize too that tn
German offensive Is not merely su
preme military effort. II Is also an at
tack upon allied morale. II the Ger
man shook our morale without break
Ing the allied lines he might get hi
victorious German peace To guar
against such an enemy success behin'
the lighting lines Is an obvious and i'm
perative duty imposed upon all OF us.