The Washington herald., 1918-03-24
fierce Fight RACES
CONTINUED FROM FACE ONE.


not breach the main line. Had a
real break through" been effected
the British could not have afforded
to hold on to their positions in
the north. which Haig's report spe-
cifically says they are doing.
What Hindenburg is. trying to do
is to effect a breach on a limited
front sector and pour through that
breach such a mass of troops as to
force the two fianks to retire to
escape being rolled up. Failing that,
the drive will be a bloody fasco
for the attackers.
Nevertheless the menace present.
ed by the forced British retirement
west of St. Quentin was fully real
lied in military quarters here.
though absolute confidence contin-
ues to reign supreme. That menace
lies not only in the separation of
the British from the French, but
in a flanking movement against the
whole French front north of the
Aisne. which would Inevitably fol-
How should the German advance be
sufficiently deep.
In the midst of the terrific strain
imposed upon the allied public mind
by this supreme military crisis,
there is manifested in high political
and military circles a note of deep
est gratitude toward none other
than President Wilson. Overnight
the last vestige of doubt as to the
wisdom of centralizing allied mill
tary control has been swept away
by the lessons Of this gigantic Tcu-
ton onslaught. and all the world
knOws-fOr Lloyd George has OPEN
ly said so-that it was President
Wilson who pressed toward that
end against considerable odds and
saw it through.
If in the face of all that has hap
pened and is happening the public
of Britain and France is tonight
sternIy, unShakabIy confident of the
ultimate failure of the German
blow, this is due to the decisions
and announcements Of the Ver-
sailles council and to the knowl-
edge that a vast strategic reserve
| is at the allies disposal in such a
position and SO to be drawn upon
as to offset. if not shatter, the en-
emy's onslaught.
Only the next forty-eight hours
will tell whether this strategic re-
serve is to be thrown into the Ar
Tas-La Fere front or whether the
allied staffs, divining or even GER
! tain of a major drive on some other
| front, is holding it for further de-
velopments.
Kaiser Directing.
What is happening at present is
| a general Strengthening out of the
British front all the way between
ArTas and the region west of La
/ Fere. AS was foreshadowed in these
| dispatches early this morning the
two first days attacks dictated a
British fighting withdrawal from
the whole Cambria salient as the
| strategically wisest and sanest
| course.
As a consequence of this with
drawal and owing to the further
German advance west of st. Quen-
tin, both Bapaume and Perrone
| chief storm centers in the weary
bloody-months of the Somme battle
may be evacuated.
Emperor William is reported tc
have taken personal command Of
the entire Western operation
Troops of the German Grown
Prince appear to have been drawn
from the Verdun front for partici.
patton in the Arras-La Fere drive.
Up to late tonight no infantry as
saults on a major scale had beer
reported from any of the sectors o.
the Franco-German front between
scissors and Verdun, but terrific
gun duels were under way at al
vital points. particularly on boil
sides of Rheims. in the Cham.
payne and before Verdun.
The war is now the biggest new,
story of the day. To discuss it In.
telligently you will want to know
! the location of the towns and fort
resses about which the battles cen.
ter. Three complete war maps, de-
failing all fronts, are given with
three months subscription to The
| Washington Herald for S1.20.