The Washington herald., 1918-04-12
The Attack Widening.

All doubt about the real meaning of the Hin
denburg gesture in this giant offensive is dspclled
Nothing less than the destruction OF the British
army is the objective before him.
There is conclusive evidence now that the Ger
man has embarked upon his present assault with
the plan OF ending the with it. Reverses will
not serve stop his prosecution of the attack.
His strategic plans embrace all contingencies. The
drive Amiens has been stopped, at least tenn
porary; therefore the main assault has been divert
ed to the Armcntiercs Mcssines sector. If the at
tack IS halted here, it will break out somewhere else
along the British line. The struggle is to be pushed
and forced into giant battle into which the entire
force OF Germany will be thrown. The Germans
flushed with the confidence inspired with the
possession OF the greatest military machine the
world has They know beyond all doubt
that their present opportunity-with great
enemy PROSTATE, and another yet ready
WELD onc-tenth OF its potential forcc-will
return TO them. They have calculated their
chances with the thorough hness that is characteristic
OF them These calculations have not gone far
aStray. The collapse OF the British Fifth Army
shows that Hindenburg might be- knocking
at the gates OF Paris if stroke OF genius akin to
miracle had not intervencd. But they have gone
dstray, thank heaven Just they did the Marine,
at Iprcs, at Ncrdun. On such thin strands has the
fate OF civilization hung in the balance.
rs the allied defense hardens, may look for
outbursts OF Tcutonic desperation. Having
stakcd everything this offensive the German
general staff will admit defeat until the fires OF
human energy and human vaor have burned them
selves completely out We doubt if there will be
any rclentng. The offensive will be continued
doggedly. desperately. for weeks and months to
1t is mere matter of the spring 1t will
continue into the and ia, and unless the
Western nations throw their utcrmost strength
against the Boche the smallest surprise, the most
insignificant manedver, may be turned into stuff
which will decide the ,fate OF nations The Ger
heading for Calais and the ChanEel
ports. Perhaps the "last quarter hour" the last
10000 men which Britain could have thrown into
the fray but did not may determine the battle. 1t
is the difficult matter possible to the
normal human mind from its natural limitations OF
inertia preJudices, and conventions. 1t took the
menace OF overwhelming disaster to bring Great
Britain to acquesce in unified command the
Western front. 1t took the event to bring
the American government to the point where it
willing to exert the last OF its strength
TO get troops to Europe The fact that they
now going at rate estimated to be about three
times last planned only few weeks ago
tells its story.
Now have Foch now we have American
troops going into the fight merged with the British
and French armies, losing their identity utterly for
the time being now we have conscripton in Ire
land, and new spirit among the allied peoples
everywhere. FOR these things we can thank the
Germans.
Every tick OF the cable brings us the realiza-
ton that the battle is to be continued indefinitely,
and that it is Jolly relapse into even the shadow
OF old confidence that the Germans are going
10 fail in the great objective they have set for
themselves. 1t is time nythng.
The sensational success achieved by the Germans
before ST. Quentin narrowly missed the mark for
which Hindcnburg was striving. That TACT is
warning that we should never lose sight OIL