South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-01-28
THINK SPEECH
HERALDS NEW
GERMAN DRIVE
Hertling'S War Aims Address
Only Sop to ModerateS and
Excuse For Waging War
For ImperiaIiStiC Terms.
lternationaI News service :

international News Service:
LONDON, Jan. %. - That Chan
celor Won Hertlings war aims
speech is the prelude to the long
expected German offensive on the
west front was a belief that gained
considerable credence in military
circles today
Germany began to throw off the
mask that she is waging a defensive
war when she began negotiating
peace with Russia and now she has
virtually admitted to the world that
she aims at conquest
sop for MOderatcs.
: The German militarists who are
in control OF the imperial govern
ment's peace attitude threw a sop to
the moderates and non-annexatiOn-
lists, when the chancellor stated that
some OF Pres't Wilson's terms were
| acceptable, but at the same time
conditions were named.
There is every ground for belief
that Germany was convinced that
her imperialistic peace terms would
not be accepted by the entente and
that they would be greeted in allied
countries by the cry of Fight on"
This gives Germany an opportun-
ity although a hypocritical one. to
| claim that responsibility for the
continuation of the bloodshed rests
with the allies, and to make such
an accusation while launching her
supreme blow in the west
Expect Bloody Fighting.
French military experts believe
| that the next few months will see
some OF the bloodiest fighting Of the
war. but they are supremely con-
ident that the German onslaught
will fail and that the allied lines
will stand as firm as granite.
There are indications that the
Teutons plan a triple land and sea
drive
Information has been received
from Amsterdam that the German
submarine fleet is being overhauled
and fitted out with heavier guns and
that new units are being added 10
il. Germany may even risk sending
out her high seas fleet to give bat
tie 10 the British fleet while the
submarines concentrate against
merchant shipping.
May Renew Drive I'm Italy.
With the sea drive and the land
offensive under way in France and
Belgium il is probable that the
Austro- German armies in Italy Will
renew their blows in that theater of
war This is confirmed TO some eX-
tent by news from Geneva that the
bad weather on the Italian front has
interfered with plans for Germany's
general winter campaign
While the Germans have been re-
organizing their army on the west
ern front, putting young soldiers OF
the shock troop type in the first
lines and moving men into Belgium
from Russia, the allies have been
working feverishly preparing for the
expected blow.
Both the French and British war
Office reports of the past few days
show that there has been a partial
rearrangement of the allied armies
in the west. The French now hold
the extreme northern end OF the
line on the Belgian coast while the
British front has been extended
southwestward to a point below ST.
Quentin.
French ut NieupOrt.
The Nieuport sector ton the West
Flanders 'front.' which the British
held for three years and where their
gallant stand held back the Ger
mans from Dunkirl and Calais. has
been taken over by the French. They
are supported by Belgians.
Sandwiched between two sections
of the British army on the Franco
Belgian frontier. are the Portuguese.
The French forces in Champagne
Cthe district Immediately west of
the Argonne forest) nave been
greatly strengthened in view of the
possibility of a German stroke in
that sector.
Il is virtually confirmed that
forces OF AustrO- Hungarian soldiers
have reached the west. but the Ger
mans are not placing them in posi-
.ions OF importance. These are
generally used As supports in quiet