Norwich bulletin., 1918-03-29
Makes Washington Certain Counter Assault Will Not Long Be Delayed

Washington, March 28-Announce- ment by Field Marshal Haig tonight that the German war machine along the whole British front had been beat en eff today with heavy losses gave new zest tonight to speculation here as to the allied counter-assault which officers feel certain will not long be delayed.
 War department officials generally ] appeared to be satisfied that substan- | tial American forces would enter the battle lines with the French when the signal for the center blow is gwen.
 Major General March. acting chief of staff, stated fiatly, however. that he l was not advised as to the numbers or disposition of American units which
 may be employed with the French ar | my of attack.
 German Thrust Caused Alarm. The new outbreak of the German thrust at Arras, reported early in the | day, caused some apprehension here | lest the allies might, find it necessary to further delay their effort to catch the German forces on the rebound and iseek victory after bitter days of steady yielding of ground. Definite word
 from General Haig that this new
 drive also had been checked added to
 the growing conviction that the strat-
 egy of the allies will triumph.
 If their reasoning is correct, the
 Germans face the prospect of seeing
 their third great effort on the wester1
 front since the beginning of the wal
 meet the fate of'the others Onlys twice
 before have the Germans undertaken
 major operations in this main thea
 ter of the war. Their first rush ir
 1914 was stopped as their last ant
 perhaps their final effort nearly foul years later is now apparently beins
 stopped by slillful retirement. Theil
 only other great assault, at Verdun was an unqualified defeat
 Scheme to. Divert British Reserves. The thrust at Arras may have bee, , Tor the purpose of diverting Britisl reserves from the real objective o German. strategy far to the souti i Where French and British lines con meet. The success of that purpose i , highly doubtful since the initial effor 7 was parried by troops already in DO sition on this sector. There was n, 1 time to bring divisions back front tn
 south, so 1t seems certain tha. th f regular garrison of this portion Of tk
 British lines was sufficient to repel tn
 enemy. This fact alone is regarded as eloquent evidence of the wanin ]. power of the German war machine. In the meantime, attention here wa ] not diverted from the chief theateI l the British French junction. Tn
 French counters attack there wa
 closely watched. It may develop int e a great movement, though earfv re r ports indicated that it was aimed a s local objectives and that the time wa ]. not yet ripe for the great counter eff h fort. Despatches from the Frenc d front told of thronging reserves be e hind the lines.
 An ominous Sign.
 There is no denying that Genera
 Haigs report brought distinct relic e here. The fact that the Germans la e found sufficient strength to endeavo V to widen their hold on the Rritis y line just when all signs pointed towar d the exhaustion of their forces was re l. garded as an ominous sign.
 s Unless the Germans are successf, s in crushing the British army and sev if ering it from the French, observer
 here can see nothing but ultimate de
 feat for Germany. No ground ths
 has been fought over during the la, s few days is strategically vital to eitt !. CT side But the prestige of the Gel Y man army at home may well be in ti n balance and in view of the terrib T losses already inflicted by the allie U it is believed nothing short of a dc e cisive victory and an opening of II road to early peace will justify il le cost of the drive in German eyes n home.