The sun., 1918-04-17
SSscisi Daspofch TO TIE SuS.


wAtaiN0T0H. April 1s.--Army officers
here regard the latest news from the
British front as extremely serious and
fraught with danger for the troops under
Field Marshal Sir Douglas Haig. which
are holding the line from the slopes OF
the Messines Ridge northwad to the
Channel ports.
The capture by the Germans OF Ball
leul. followed swiftly by the taking o:
Wytschaete and the German domination
OF Messines Ridge, has brought frank
admission by army experts here that
the whole British line is now In imml-
nent danger.
The situation is regarded az the most
critical since the beginning o. the war
Unless the Allies now can drive the
Germans from the hign ground Of the
Messines Ridge the pivot OH which the
British northern limo rested Ia gone and
retirement, with uossib.e forced aban-
donment Of the Channel ports, looms up
menacingly.
American Defeat Claimed.
Information reaching here throughout
the day from the battle front was con-
sistently disQuieting. simultaneously
with the success against the British
came a report from Amsterdam stating
that semi official Wolf Bureau de-
spatch from Berlin announced de
cded German victory over American
forces north OF 81. Mihlel.
This report stated that the main part
o: the American position situated to
the eastward and southeastward OF
Massey on the right bank OF the Meuse
River was taken by storm" 1t added
that a large sector OF the main American
line OF defence on the highroad from
st. Mihiel to Bourois had been rolled up
despite brave resistance OF the Ameri-
cans. "who suffered the severest casual
ties in addition to the loss OF prisoners"
Acting Secretary OF War Crowell when
shown this report said he had received
no reports bearing 1t out. He was not
inclined to jump at the conclusion that
the Information was false. though he
apparently hoped that the German re-
port had reference to the same encounter
which the American correspondents with
Gen. Pershings forces described in n
despatch published this morning. This
encounter. according to the correspon-
dents was OF n minor character. with
only 400 German picked troops engaged
and resulted IN victory for small
force Of defending Americans.
The Berlin despatch was frankly dis
uuieting. Army men admit that the
German reports. especially since the be-
ginning o. the new drive, have been re-
served and inclined to be accurate. There
IL no case where evidence OF deliberate
false statements has appeared. In many
instances the German reports have un-
derstated rather than overetatcd their
successes. II Is admitted.
shows Need Of PershinE Report.
The statement by the Wolff Bureau is
not viewed here In the light of an on
cial German communicate, but there IL
nevertheless keen anxiety here which
cannot he dispelled, because there Is no
means whereby Americans may he in.
formed OF what American troops are do
ing excepting through dispatches from
selected newspaper correspondents, who
make no pretence at giving more than
descriptive accounts OF such local en-
gagements as they learn about,
Al Gen. PershinE issues no COM
muniuue. the only version here has nec-
essarily come from German sources. To-
days development, which Is an elabo-
rated version OF the German official re.
port, in the opinion OF many army of'i-
GERS here. has emphasized more than
ever the need of an Official report OF
aome kind from American headQua ters,
which II .s felt would have more weight
In offsetting German statements than
press despatchss. Just why Gen. Persh-
Ing has refused to issue such report
may be explained tomorrow by Secre-
tary Baker.
No ono here 10 ready to predict what
the next move On the sorcly pressed
No. osrae41A - U>a~~A D~~>