Evening star., 1918-05-17
AMERICANS Join
/ BRITISH TO BLOCK
GERMAN DRIVES
Allies Count on U. S. Aid in
Delivering Finishing Blow
to Enemy.
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
/ IS ENEMY AIRPLANES

Germans Believed to Have Almost
Completed Preparations for I'M
pending Crucial Battle.
America is contributing to the stiff
Seuing Of the allied line not only in
A7tesrdy, but in Flanders. American
H1oops, today's dispatches report, have
arrived on the British front and are
finishing their training among the
troops holding the limo which bars the
way Of the Germans to tho English
eHannel, their objective in the north.
So far as Is known, these Americans
are the first troops to get into the fight
ing zone as units brigaded with the
British. They are part Of the force
which has been dispatched from the
United States in the new movement Of
troops forecast soon after the German
offensive was started in March.
Germany still hesitates to renew
heavy fighting on the main battle
fields Of the western front, but the
increase in aerial and artillery activ-
ity indicates that infantry fighting on
q larger scale than in the past two
weeks soon again may be in progress.
Allied and German gunners are
hsrassing opposing lines with shell
Ara and this fighting continues
most marked on the front north
es Ly4 in Flanders, and south
ol the Somme, in Picardy. 1t
has been the German policy to pre-
cede q strong infantry operation with
q few hours Of the most intense artil-
1ery fire, but the enemy bombardments
have not yet reached the highest pitch,
though il Is believed the German prep
arations for another offensive move are
about completed.
Airmen Meet Little Opposition.
Recently British and French airmen
have been meeting with little opposi-
tion In dropping bombs on railway sta
tions. troop encampments and other
military targets behind the German
lines. Now the enemy has become most
active and has attempted bombing
raids behind the allied lines as well
aa trying to prevent the allied bomb
(nPFvinU their work Eff.
ty-six German machines are reported
accounted for by London and Paris.
OF these forty-three machines were
destroyed by allied aviators. Berlin.
on the other hand, claims the destruc-
tion Of thirty-three allied airplanes-
After a battle with German airplanes.
British airmen on Thursday dropped
bombs on Saarbrucken, German Lor-
raine. causing at least one fire. The
British then attacked the German air
planes anew and destroyed five of them
while losing one OF their own number.
There has been no infantry activity.
except for patrol raids. on all the long
fronts from the North sea to Switzer-
land, including the American sectors.
Americans With British.
~ the Associated Press.
WITH THE AMERICAN ARMY IN
FRANCE, May 17.-Troops Of the new
American Army have arrived within
the zone OF the British forces in north
ern France, and are now completing
their training in the area occupied by
the troops which are blocking the path
Of the Germans to the channel ports.
statement that the relations between
the British and American officers and
soldiers are extremely cordial.
Their commander already has COM
manded American forces in trenches
on the French front.
The British officers and men who are
training the new force say the Amer
leans are Of the finest material and
are certain to give most excellent
account of themselves when they
meet the Germans.
British Cheer Americans.
British troops greeted the Ameri-
cans not only as comrades in arms,
but a. warm friends. and the work
of instruction is being continued in
that spirit. The American forces on
arriving within the British zone were
cheered to the skies by the sons OF
Britain. many of whom bore unmis-
taxable signs of battle They had not
seen the Americans before. but they
knew they were coming.
The Americans. on the other hand
gained all the moro enthusiasm by
the heartiness of the greeting which
they received from their battle
SCARED comrades in arms.
Weather Good for Drive.
BY the Associated Press.
WITH THE BRITISH ARMY IN
FRANCE, May 16.-The allies are
still waiting for Field Marshal vor
Hindenburg to show his hand Nc
more magnificent weather could be
imagined than has favored the west
ern front in the last forty-eigh,
hours. But even this has brought nc
change in the military situation The
Germans continue to remain COM
parAtiveiy inactive in their sunba k ed
defenses. and were 1t not for the
.grumbling of the guns, the clouds OF
dust along the lines of transport anG
tho flight of airplanes winging theil
way across the battle zone it would
be hard to realize that a war was go.
Ing on.
Notwithstanding this, there has beer
no relaxation of the tension which
has existed along the front for many
days. It il realized that the enemy
may strike at any time. Certainly
no one doubts that an ambitious of.
I 6ehsive Is In preparation, and tn,
f, time necessary to complete the plan,
must have about run its course.
Battle Nav Be Crucial One.