The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1918-05-28
american Military Opinion Con-
fident Germans Will Not
Gain.
NEW DRIVE is IMMINENT
Allied Armies Are Ready and
High Officers Familiar With
Situation Say Enemy Will Be
Repelled.

Washington, May 27.-Renewal n,
'he German drive in France, indi-
Gated by Premier Lloyd George to bs
imminent, finds American military
opinion here absolutely confident of
the outcome. There is not n doubt
in the minds of high officers familiar
with the situation that the enemy
VIII be repelled with losses.k30
There are those who believe that
the end of the war may come this
year as a result Others, bwever.
ioresee long offensive Struggle by
the German army while efforts 10 Sc
cure peace on the best possible terms
are made by the Berlin diplomats.
In assessing the situation as it
stands today in France. officer. here
point out that the German position
strategically is far weaker than it
was when the drive was launched in
March. Their lines areI Ipow shaped
so that there is constaA danger of
flank attack from severR points that
'"iS"t mean ulSasterk To guard
those points, ample resetv must be
held, whatever the call Tor more men
may be made from tha front of at
tack h
Allied Armies Ready.
Before the German army stands a
force that has been largely rehabit-
ted since the shock of the drive fell
upon the British and French fronts
and bent them back by weight of
numbers. Losses in men and mate
rial have been made good. The are
mics are keyed to high pitch of en- 7
thusiasm.
American man power sufficient to
replace by far the larger portion OF
the losses Of the British and French
| IN the bite" fighting which stopped
! the first German rush has been car
ried to the fighting zones supule-
mentinf the considerable American :
force which already was in Fratce.
In addition many thousands of
trained Italian troops have resyhed.
the front in France They came
| without equipment beyond their uni
forms, II is understood. but have
row been fully supplied and are
available for employment by the SUP =
preme commander, General Foch.
Net Gain i'm Man Power. d.
IL Is regarded as probable, to sum
up the man power situation. that the
effective fighting strength OF the al
lies and the Americans in France
today shows a considerable net gain
over March 81 when the German as
sau't was begun. a.
ON the other hand. GERMANY with
losses certainly as great as those OF
the British and French combined
and probably much greater. has on
" her returning wounded men tn
MI up the depleted ranks of her
'rort l'le divisions.
oHcers here point out conditions
which contribute to force the CO..
mans to attempt to further adva ,Ie
homeless as the outlook for Nccess .
may appear. In the FIRST place the
present German line in Picardy and
FLANDERS is in such a positiohsa,, TO
We nntenable whenever General Foch
reefs the time has como to strike
back. The German withdrawal To
me famous Hi1danburg line war
forced bv . much less serious men-
're than now confroatnI the Amiens
ard Ypres salients whSch the Ger
mans have created Military pre-
cautions demand. il is declared
net the. li~a he either advanced or
retired in the near future.
Internal Conditions.
Internal conditions, IL is believed
compelled the military party in Ger
many to insist on the drive in tho
hrst Mace The restlesspess Of tba
masses under cost OF war threatened
the hold OF the military and terrific
rial expansion advocates on theasov-
frrment. II anvthing. it is said HAT
restiessness must have been jncreas-
.ed by the grave food situation and
ne fruitless effort already made
md consequently there must Sc des-