The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1918-03-20
SUPREME WAR
COUNCIL WILL
CONTROL PLANS
Direction of Major Offens-
ives Rests With This
Body
CBy Associated Presa.)


Washington, March 20.--The key to
the 1918 riddle of the western battle
front is in the hands OF the supreme
war council at Versailles.
Decision as to the time and place
Of major offensives by the allies rests
with that body.
It directly controls also, ofacials
here believe. a new weapon forged
during the winter with which to
make effective It's plans of grand
strategy. That weapon is believed to
lie in a pooling Of the army reserves
OF all the allies armies. permitting
overwhelming concentrations at
selected points of attack.
American observers now are con-
vinced the German high command
plans a defensive campaign and that
the long talked OF drive on Paris or
channel ports has been abandoned.
The initiative, according to this view,
rests with the allied and American
forces. Communiques are being
closely scanned for the first indica-
ton Of any offensive operations map
PED out at versailles.
The supreme council was created
under the urgent insistence OF Presi-
dent Wilson for aggressive action
this year, based on co-ordina.ted plans
and under the direction of a single
agency. The exact scope of the
councils authority has never been
disclosed. It was said both by
Premier Lloyd George and by Lord
Curzon, however, in explaining the
status Of the British imperial gen.
eral stan and the commander in the
field, Sir Douglas Haig, that certain
British forces had been assigned to
the councils control.
May Be No German Drive.
Decision by the war council off,
GERS here believe as to the field where
these and similar forces from other
armies are to be concentrated, will
show where allied blows at the Ger
man defenses are designed to fall. If
there is to be no German drive, as
the war department predicted yester-
day in its weekly war review, the
council will not be forced to hold it's
reserves for defensive purposes and
can devote this new agency to at
tempts to smash weak points in the
German line.
Opinion as TO the sectors Offering
the best opportunity for allied as
saults, varies widely here. There is
substantial agreement, however, that
the Italian front may in fact become
the main theater OF war this year.
concentrations and
possible offensives on that front, also
noted by the weekly war summary,
may represent the recognition Of this
view by the German high command
In any event, even though the
supreme council might have decided
to make the effort 70 break through
in Italy, IL is believed the first moves
in the game would be played I'm
France and Flanders Drives with
all the appearance Of being the real
would undoubtedly ac-
or preceda the main thrust.
The pooled reserves under the di-
rection of the supreme council would
make possible campaign OF such
nature, designed to keep the German
command perplexed as to which as
sault would be driven home. In that
position, adequate German forces OF
selected troops would necessarily be
held ready to support either line. and
they must be held somewhere in Ger
many with ready transportation
available In either direction.