The Hawaiian gazette., 1918-05-28
The Week In the War

CPEC ULA ] ION on the cause tor the delay OF
- Germany in resuming its offensive continues
rife. For more than week the renewal has been
almost n1omentarily expected and days ago it was
reported that the enemy's preparation for the
launching Of its next phase of offensive was COM
plete Yet the attack still hangs in allegiance.
The reason assigned by Germany for the lull in
hostiIitiGs is not the one which is offered by the
Allies and it is hardly likely that if the latter rea
son is the correct one that Germany would admit
IT, Germany says the weather is inclement and
prevents extensive military operations. The Al
lies assert that they have the control Of the air
and such control is restraint upon the Teutons.
1t is claimed by the Allies that their airmen are
preventing the enemy scouts from making the OBJ
servations necessary to conduct an important as
saut and at the same time are able to keep thor
cughly posted on Teuton movements and by
means of air raids hamperng the concentra-
ton of forces. When the weather is inclement,
when clouds are lowering and rain is falling, the
usefulness of the air scouts and air fighters is
n1inimized 1t is here that one sees the reasons
offered by the beligerents are not readily harmo-
nzed Under these circumstances the German ex-
plahation would seem to be excuse and not a
reason
1t has been pointed out that while up to a GER
tain point the enemy oVas gaining strength
through delay, greatly increasing its man and gun
power, there was point beyond which it could
rot go without danger. While the enemy force
may strengthen with delay, so also do the Allies
for United States forces are reported to be en-
tering the fighting zone in quantities which would
offset Teuton increases and at the same time ltal-
ian forces are being added to forces that prevent
md Of her
hents.
While Germany has held back the British and
the French have shown a more aggressive spirit
and the enemy positions have been weakened
rather than strengthened by such engagements as
have occurred in the past week. Military observers
say that the Germans by no means strong
as they were last March when they started their
great offensive 1t is pointed out that at number
Of points their positions such to lay them
open to fanlring movements. IT,. r-s-.r q,
A few days since dispatches said that American
army observers expressed the greatest confidence
in final results from the next phase of the great
battle the Western front They believed that
in it the Teutons would expend their last energies
for an offensive and some of them even went sc
far to forecast an end to the war within year
With such expressions from army officers i:
cOntrasted the tremendous increase in the plan:
and preparations Of the United States for partici
Eation. The budget which the war department
has presented in asking for an addition of sever
and quarter billions of dollars to its already
enormous estimates raises proposed expenditure
/ to a figure which the world has never before con
templated. And the United States is fighting TIL
enemy not with men and guns on land alone bu
on the as well, with its navy and with it's mer
chant fleets. The expenditures contemplated 70
\ ship building run into figures that were beyond
conception in the days before the war.
" If Germany can be held little longer; if tn
United States can be accorded the time and tn
opportunity to carry out its program, it woul'
appear that the combination of the Allies and thi
country must prove irresistible
Thus it is that the Allies are in a better position
to play the waiting game than the Contra
powers and so the observers are certain that Ger
many cannot merely hold its ground, that it mus
advance and in of failure to achieve grea
results, must fall back to new positions whic
would be less open to the strong counter which, il
time, the Allies will certainly make.
SIS,