The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1918-06-03
Like "Maddened Rhinoceros" Hindenburg
Shifts Attack From Picardy and Flanders

uttfnpttt sutpftsrs Ills amman
intelligence. knowing he was
halted at ono spot. expected To
takc his enemies by surprise la
another.
That the allies were not 80 sur.
prlscd az Won lIindrnburg expected
Ii shown by tho fact that british
and French forces met his attack
along the Chsmin dcH DANES. ia a
district hc had assumed to b. de-
nudcd OF It's defenders since the
Americans, there three weeks ago.
had been shifted north TO meet the
Erayrr thrust
THERE rs COMFORT For
IN THE FACT THAT
VOS liINDENBuRG pELlBER
ATELY CHOSE TO MAKE HIS
THIRD AND PROBABLY FINAL
ASSAULT IN A sf'OT WHERE HE
KNEW THERE WE'RE No AMER.
IcANs.
The 90 mile front between Nsuxnii
lon and Rheims has seen no fighting
since last summer The first Ger
man blow gained tontrnAlbly for the
crown prince In less than a day the
famous Chemin dea Danes. Road 81
the Ladies'" for which THOUSANDS Of
lives were sacrificed yalnly in 1917.
Reasons for Move
Tho German STAFF apparently has
decided TO move the main battle
front from Flanders and picsrdy to
tho Champagne There ar, two rca
sons perceived for this strategy;
l. The armies of the allies
have strengthened their front be-
tween Nprrs and Monidisiirr TO
such an extent that Il II improb-
able the Germans could again
break thru on that front.
2. The Champagne front was
necessarily weakened to throw
r-inforcemrnts northward into
Picardy and fiandsr~ to stem tho
great drive Of March and April.
Thousands Of American troops
who had been stationed along the
thrnin dcs Danes wrrc among
the reserve. sent 20 ficsrdy.
Therefore the Champagne front
would scem 20 b. the best spot TO
select for victory" OF the sor, dear
10 the hearts Of the German people
--one In which ground IL gained re-
gardirsa of tho cos; In lives.
Reversing the Order
The German strategy In attacking
a, new point ~ similar 20 that en-.
pioycd In March. when the drive b..
gan The French were given every
10 come along tho Chenln dez
Danes. Accordingly the reserves
were sent 20 this part ~ tho limo.
and American troops took over part
Of the front near Chavignon.
Instead OF attacking there. how.
ever. tho Germans struck In Picardy
against the British. A gap was
forced In tho line Of General fIaig.
and IL took several days for sui.
noient reserves 20 come up to make
any apprcciablc defense.
iiindenburE ~ now reversing the
order and forcing the allies TO draw
troops from the limo in Picardy 60
the assault In the Cham.
payne.
-Four Detectives
A. for tho German objective. II
may be any one Of these four pos.
asbilities. which are set down here
In the order Of their plauSibllity;
1. Tho purpose Of the attack
In Champagne may be 10 widen
the front. u began nj the right
end Of the ground In tho advance
Of March and April. n the bat
tie goes as the Germans hope. IL
will force the allies TO strengthen
the Champagne front without
weakening the Picardy.t1anders
line. This viii force tn. employ.
ment Of the allied reserves.
2. II may he aimed to straight
en- out the great dent In the Ger.
man line made by General Petsin
last year when he forced the
crown prince To retreat from thr
Chefnin dies Danes 10 the AiIcttr
river. This would prevent allied
Thanking movements both from
the east and west. which have
been much talked OF since the
drive began.
3. The Champagne attacks
may be merely n feipt to dis.
guise the German purpose Of
new Iunge for the channel ports
mt Amicns and ypres. All the
German preparations have indi.
Gated that the latter IL still their
main objective. n this IL tho
case, the Battle ~ the Aisne L.
not the principal struggle. but
merely n part Of great new
plan.
4. The drive on tho Aisne
may mean that Hindenburg has
determined TO take and march ON
Paris.
The fourth possibility. that Of a
march on Paris. f. con.
least probable for the reason
that To make this attempt would en-.
tail greater German losses than have
yet been dreamed Of. even in this
war Of horrible slaughter.
II would require secondary series
NJ attacks against the Picardy line,
for unless Hindenburg protected his
right flank he would place his armies
In exactly tho same position that
Won Kluck was In on the Marine in
1914 when the French turned the
German left flank and forced the
great retreat 10 the Alsne.
The only difference would be that
In this case IL would be the German
right flank. rather than the left
which would be In tho gravest dan.
ger
There In the greatest reason for
confidence in the ability OF the allies
TO stem the new offensive. whatever
it's objective may be. Hundreds OF
thousands OF American reinforce.