The Knoxville independent. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1918-03-23
ENTENTE ALLIES
may MAKE DRIVE
Decision as to Time and Place
of Offensive Rests With
War Council.
may HIT ON ITALIAN FRONT
Will Pool Army Reserves and Deiives
Blows at Various Places and Con-
fuse Enemy as to Location
of Real Offensive.

Washington, March 21.-The key to
the 1918 riddle of the western Dattie
front is In the hands of the supreme
war council at Versailles
Decision as to the time and ptace
Of major otrensiyes by the allies rests
with that body.
: e4tssa.tisssetlss. oaRfsels s siisss ~
here believe, a new weapon tors
during the winter with which to make
effective its plans Of grand STRATEGY
Foe Abandons Offensive.
That weapon Is believed to lie In q
pooling of the army reserves OF all the
allied armies, permitting overwhelm-
ing concentrations at selected points
of attack.
American observers now are con-
WINGED the German high command
plans defensive campaign, and that
the long-talked-of drive on Paris or
the channel ports has been abandoned
The initiative, according to this
view, rests with the allied and Amer
lean forces.
Communicates are being closeiy
scanned for the first indication OF any
offensive operations mapped out az
Versailles.
Council Wilson's Plan.
The supreme council was created
under the urgent insistence OF Presi-
dent Wilson for aggressive action this
year, based on co-ordinated plans ano
under the direction of a single agency
The exact scope Of the councils au
thority has never been disclosed. Il
was said both by Premier Lloyd
George and by Lord Curzon, however
in explaining the status of the British
imperial general staff and the com
mander in the field. Sir Douglas Haig
that certain British forces had beer
assigned to the councils control.
Reserves CIew to Drive.
Decision by the war council, officers
here believe, as to the field where
these and similar forces from Other
armies are to be concentrated vii
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 II
! its weekly war review. the council vii
not be forced to hold its reserves fol
defensive purposes, and can devote
this new agency to attempts to SMASH
weak points In the German line.
May flake Blow In italy
Opinion as to the sectors offering
the best opportunity for allied assault!
varies widely here. There is sub
stantial agreement, however, that thu
/ italian front may In fact become tn
main theater of war this year.
In any event, even though the su
preme council might have decided =
make the effort to break through II
Italy, 1t Is believed that the frs
moves In the game would be played Il
France and Flanders.
Drives with all the appearance Q
being the real offensives undoubtedl
would accompany or precede the mali
thrust
The pooled allied reserves under d
rection Of the supreme council woul
make possible campaign of such ne
ture, designed to keep the Germa
command perplexed as to which al
sault would be driven home.
Theory of Reserves.
The theory Of pooled general r.
serves under command Of the suprem
war council already has appeared !
the British press to some extent 9
the explanation of what has been sal
in parliament.