The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1918-06-01
GERMAN PLANS AAiLYlED.
TRYING TO BREAK THROUGH
BEFORE u. S. Is READY.
American Military Men Believe At
tacks Yesterday are Only PreIimin-
ary Moves.

perate attempt to smash her way
through the Allied armies TO victory
before American troops can reach the
battlefelds of France and Flanders in
great force.
Associated Press reports from the
British and French fronts telling Of
the new assaults which may mean
that the supreme test of power is at
hand, were conveyed to President
Wilson just as he was leaving the
White House for the capitol to ask
congress for legislation to provide
more money for the war; The presi-
dent emphasized his request by tell
ing the house and senate in Joint ses-
sion that the great enemy offensive
apparently had been resumed.
Later Mr.. Wilson went to the State,
war and navy building for brief con-
ferences with Secretaries Lansing,
Baker and Daniels. 1t was taken for
granted that the primary object of
the visit was to seek official news
from the battlefront and while there
are reports that president discusse; L
other phases of the world situation
with the department heads, they were
not given the slightest confirmation
in official quarters.
| No official information had come
tonight to supplement press dispatch
es from the front.
Army officials studied the press ac-
counts closely for signs Of the Ger
man purpose. The fact that one blow
was launched at the southern end of
the Picardy- Flanders battle line and
the other at almost the extreme north
end of the 2O0-mile front was taken
as direct evidence that tOday's at
tacks were only preliminary moves in
the German strategic designs
Extension Of the active battlefront
to the Ais ne sector on the south would
mean adding forty or fifty miles to
the fighting lines at time when the
German army needs every unit it can
get together in centralized positions
within the wide salient driven into
the Allied lines by the first rush. Of
critics that the most probable place
for the renewal Of the drive to de-
velop would be in the Albert sector of
the Amiens front. An advance there
would menace Paris and the channel
ports.
An explanation of the long delay
| Of the Germans in renewing the Of
fensive has been found in the forty
mile stretch Of shell-torn roads over
which they had to move up guns and
ammunition before they could resume
pressure at the Amiens line with
massed power. Many officers thought
tonight's extension of the offensive to
the Aisne theater was merely a feint
preparatory to later attack in the
Albert region, or near Amiens, the
point of maximum penetration, and
where American units now block the
road with British and French COM
rades. 1t was pointed out the long
sweep of the French line from Mont
didier southeast to Pinon. the north
/ ern flank of the new German thrust,
ha taI
whole German position in the Picardy
sector.
Others contended that the new
blow was struck directly at Paris and
the long range gun brought into ac-
tiOn against that city again in order
to force Gen. FOch. supreme COM
mander. to mass reserves on that
side.
From the French point Of view the
road to Paris must be defended at all
costs. The British, of course, attach
supreme Importance to the channel
ports. The new German thrusts ap-
peared to be cunningly planned to
exert the greatest popular pressure
on the allied leaders to draw their re-
serve strength to the south and
rCrth, gradually weakening the line
in the center. The center is north
of Amiens. probably, from a military
standpoint. around Albert Some OBJ
servers are convinced that if the
blows to the north and south prove
effective for few days, compelling
uatiOn will change overnight at the
psychological moment and the real