Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-04-27
SATURDAY EVENING. APRIL 81. 1918.

= e1e,i.he5 herein.
sATURDA EVENING. PR -, 1915.
! EVENTS OF A WEEK
The early part Of the week was marked by a ,ull
N the fighting along the line OF the German Offensive.
Thsre were fierce engagements, it is true, on practically
svery sector, but these were mostly Of q local character
{ ana no very important Gains were made by either side.
Later the Germans have resumed their determined efforts
to hack their way through the British resistance. con-
firms their attention mostly to the sector held by Brit
r-ish treeBs. and to the point Of junction between the Brit:
iA and. French armies. ~
This tns. instead Of one ueat ofensire. there are
eve. One Of these il in the valley Of the somua and to
the north toward Albert, where an attempt is being made
TO bring up the poftoa Of the line north OF Aniens 50
that the city will be hemmed in BY = ssmicircls of Ger
maA troops. In that case there would DO 4 reasonable
expectation Of taking the city without direct frontal at
tack. which has apparently been given up a. hopeless.
! In this sector the Germans were able to make slight
| prosrsH. They sueeeeded in occupying the village Of
! ana Is late as Friday evening the village was in the
) hands Of the allies. who had also gained sections of the
surrounding country.
What il generally regarded ~ the most important
battle has been rasins continuously for days in the dis
straet bordering on the 4pres salient. In their earlier
i effort the Germans were able to occupy a considerable
part Of the Messines ridge, which gave them a material
advantage. Their position was not secure, however, and
thsy were unable to make effective use Of their captured
portion of the ridge 80 long as KENNEL hill, which is
the greatest elevation in the ridge district, remained in
the hands OF the allies. A new attack was therefore
launched against KENNEL hill, and the capture Of the
place was announced on Friday afternoon. With this
important observation point in possession Of the enemy
the British tenure of Ypres. which has been the scene
Of so much fighting ever since the early days Of the war.
might be very brief, and would certainly be very inse-
cure. The fight for tho possession Of the hill was there,
fore a most stubborn one. andsno sooner had the Ger
mans gained possession Of it than . vigorous counter
attack was launched by the British, and the result of
this has not been announced as these lines are written.
. . . . 5sA-
The noteworthy feature Of the fighting during the
week has been the slow progress made by the Germans.
They have gained ground at some points. In many
: cases the lines have remained unchanged after great
losses to the attacking Germans. In several cases the
allied troops have been able to force the Germans back.
In the case Of KENNEL hill the capture is admitted to
be of importance, but in no case has the German advance
been more than = few hundred yards. Several causes
have contributed to this result. For one thing, the
Germans made their supreme effort in the first days Of
the offensive, and q supreme effort cannot be continued
indefinitely. There must be 4 letting down at some time.
It is to be supposed. too, that the Germans have found
Il appreciably more difficult to conduct an offensive from
newly established lines than from their former positions.
where months had been spent in preparation for the
big job. r-..t
The element of surprise has also been lacking. In
the literal sense of the work there was no surprise in
connection with the offensive that began five weeks ago.
But there was the element of uncertainty. The British
and rrooch had ann potiea thai nrAnsr><ion. -. a
sreat offensive were being made. They understood that
the blow must be struck, and that 1t would be struck
soon. But they did not know where the blow would fall.
The application Of the rules Of military science to the
problem had convinced them that the attack would be
launched approximately where it was actually launched.
But adequate preparations to meet it at that point would
Il have defeated their own object, and would merely have
7 reSulted in the transfer Of the attack to some other point
d where. perhaps, the conditions for defense would be less
advantageous. Hence it was necessary that the defense
await the initiative Of the attacking party and
7Dermit him to expose his purpose by the selection Of the
time and place for his assault.
That element is lacking in the present situation.
defense may not know precisely where the next at.
Zalrk will be made. but it is definitely known that fur
@ther stack cannot be made at certain points without
$1lslster to the attacking force. In the region around
@Aniens, for instance, the southern part Of the line was
much farther than the northern part. A fur
%EtAer advancement Of the southern sector until the north
@Nfngend OF the line IL also wen advanced would be sui
ESAtdal. Atmiiar conditions exist elsewhere. Hencs it 10
#SNeMlbes for the allies 70 adjust their forces In the knowl-
86x4tS that major attacks cannot be nads It certain
55SSIla1ppa This makes possible : better distribution OF the
f~Slfss1ins force
gAnothsr. and A yery innpsrtant element, IL tie re-
y 1sFce ahsld bytGsnsral Foeh awaiting dsyslopuients.
gas6ntssdeabt - bssn est On the existence Of this
1 sssSsree = --arny q nassuvre.,'. rls -exissnes|
- asag - - &snisl puts, No abssscss ~ j