Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1918-04-22
At Tic Allied Lines If
Present Hun Drive
Fails
WASHINGTON'S
. JWEEKLY REVIEW
Cannot Be Held that Battle
Now Raging Is the Final nor
Even the Most Determined
Onslaught Of Enemy

:" Vashirg'"n, April 2l.-AnOthcr
CermE shrust a the allied lines more
poweffM' than those that have gone
iyfore is locked for by the war &c
.partmcnt'S stratceists if the pres
cnt drive NJ the channel ports fail
f4s.Hcparimcnt's weekly review to-
) night. ,aa>s The encmys enormous
SACRIFICES have been barren Of phi
!. mary results. but adds:
Looked at from a broad stand
point of the general military situa-
ton in the West. it cannot. however,
he held that the battle now raging
in this salient is tho final nor even
tic most determined onslaught Of the
enemy.
There are indications that should
the offensive here also fall to lead to
some definite result. the enemy may
undertake a further and even moro
powerful thrust
The review emphasizes the har-
appointment Of Cen. Foch as COM
mandcr-in-chicf of the allied armies
i'll the West. 1t, tells of increased &C
tivity along the sectors held by
American troops and discloses that
recently a number of Americans VINO
had been captured and were being
conducted through No Mans Land to
the German lines. turned upon their
kaptors, escaped and made their way
kback to their own trenches. No de-
tails of the incident are given.
I'm what has hitherto been held the
4 principal scene of operations the sa-
<4ient stretching from north of Arras
10 south of the Disc canal. with is
lpex in front of Amiens," says the re-
As1iew, there has been no important
lSesa 1xea6luring the week in the posi-
Il jbas ehe, contending forces.
!, n AfT Hpn4ferlt slackening of hostile
Tf,l'essutesfoft and south of the
/ Somfne ~ recorded, though it would
be premat aIre to assert that the
Amiens objective has been aban-
doned.
In the secondary theatre of the Of
fenSive, the new salient formed by
the pressing back of the British be-
tween Merkem and the LaBassee can
al, desperate fighting continued
throughout the week. Here the en-
envy was able to win terrain of dis
tinct tactical value.
THE Germans have been able to
gain q local advantage in Flanders,
vet surveying the incombat as a
whole, it can be affirmatiyely stated
that their enormous sacrifices and
heaped-up casualties have hitherto
been barren Of primary results.
The enemy, while pushing with
Nigor towards the channel ports and
increasing his pressure to d maxi
mum, has been unable to force even
a strategic retirement upon the e.
lies, much less disorganize their Or
der Of battle
Unity of command has materially
facilitated strategic problems with
which the allies are now confronted.
THE complete harmony of allied
opera tons is illustrated by the bring
ing up Of 4 large body of trained
Italian units.to take part in the bat
tie in the west.
Along the sectors Of the front in
which our own troops are in action,
there was relatively greater activity.
In the Meusc area the enemy
broke into our lines, but was prompt
Is driven out with severe losses
INCREASED sniping and machine
gun fire was noted both along the
Meusc and north of Toui. Our coun-
ter battery work showed inself efiic-
lent in keeping down hostile shelling,
which hurs, forth in greater volume
IN intensity N restricted areas.
NO operations of Importance took
place in the Italian theatre aside
from intTmittent artillery lombard
merits.