South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-03-31


Xdouquomt plateau
READY FOR COUNTER OFFENSIVE.
We are then, the morning Of the eighth day in
which allied offensive is TO be looked for
The Germans physically and tactically IN
the condition Of these other German armies which were
defeated at the Marine. The rapidly OF the push Of
their center toward Roye and Chaulnes has exposed
their TANKS as Kluk's flank exposed toward Paris
The strain Of the last days have told upon and
the difficulty of getting heavy guns munitions UP
across the devastated district be tremendous.
counter offensive OF the allies then to looked
for in short time. 1t succeed and it may fail;
If it succeeds the Germans will be halted and
they may be compelled make a local or a general
retirement II * fails then the chances that real
wedge Will be driven between French the
British and the British flank rolled back through
Amiens and perhaps from the great sea bases
at Roye. and these remoter possibilities but they
are real possibilities.
We must recognize that the decision Of the battle
has not yet come. We must concede the German sue
cess anything that has dreamed of in al
lied quarters But il equally fair recognize that
to the end o. the first week there been no
ter, like the Dunojec the recent Italian col
lapse. there has been steady resistance orderly
retreat and that there has been the two days
stiffening allied resistance and an unmis-
taxable slowing down of German advance. These are
hopeful signs hut nothing more; great crisis
here and the allies have far escaped disaster o.
fatal disorganzGton. They have come about to the
position of Jofre. when he ordered
sve Of the Marine. The failure of counter
offensive will decide the magnitude of the German
victory, but there be mistakng that
the first week the victory been stupendous
4 fails 10 prove Waterloo a Sedan. thar
brief interruption in of position.
FIGURES MAY NEED REVISION.
1t remains now to say word about numbers. Mos
Of the information which we have as yet about Ger
Eman numbers actually engaged is untrustworthy ard
ali the figures supplied subject to revision down
ward in the future. Allied information which is fairly
accurate, indicated that the Germans had round 20;
divisions the present attack
OF this number Ito occupied in holding the lin,
from the North to Switzerland. There remain 81
divisions which constitute the total strategic reserve
OF this number IS have already reported as en-
aged in the great battle between Arras and Disc
1t would then. that the Germans have prac
tcaly put in their entire reserve of IS divisions; il
any they than 10 divisions
in reserve. Seventy-fve divisions would be abou
900. 900 CsOO.9ss). maximum o number en-
gagged in the German thrust-or at least available fo
it-wouId then be between 100000 1000, 900 bu
it is doubtful if even the smaller figure has vet beer
passed.
On the other hand the allies are reported to hav,
used something so divisions troops
1
the week and this would approximately hal
million We may then. that the allies hav,
been outnumbered at least two to one on the who
line, while they have been outnumbered much mor
heavily in Up 70 the Of the first weel
there is indication that the allies used any
thing butlocal reserves the problem concentrating
their strategic the point of attack
lem which involves the element of time
GERMANS READY FOR FRAY
/ German knew where he was GOING IN strike
had his reserves ready. The allies had to wait unit,
the blow had disclosed the German purpose fully be
fore they made their concentration At Yer
dun. the French counter concentration began thre
days after the attack the first reserves reached tn
point the sixth day; but the situation at Verdi,
was desperate than in Picardy because the i'm
mediate problem of Nerdun save fixed objectiv
upon which the Germans advancing very rapidly
In the sum the German in the first phase .
\ the present battle included the penetration of tn
British lines a very wide front comparable witt
their earlier triumph in the the Donajec and
the last autumn. In the phase the Ger
mans did not succeed in Overwhelming the defeate
British troops. after these had been compelled
abandon their lines they overwhelmed the Russian
Galicia the Italians Julian Alps. CT
the contrary the British fell back fighting preservia
the front and presently supported by the
divisions At the close OF the seventh day the opera
tion entering the third phase in which the Germa
problem to achieve a decision in advance of tn
arrival of the strategic reserve the allies while tn
allies problem hold while retreatins
unbroken until their strategic reserv
could enter the conflict The crisis third phas
was nearly reached the eighth day began