Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-03-18
U.S.. ARMY OFFICIALS
NOT IMPRESSED BY
BIC GERMAN DRIVE
Must be Forced Into Spring Often
sive. War Department Declares
in Review.
CONFIRMS ALLIES BELIEF
nv Associated Press to Every Evening

1oNF lEM !, Al<LtEo bEL1Ef
ny Associated Press to Every Evening
Washington. March IS Germany
/ threat Of great spring offensive on the
western front mo- longer irnprcseee Amerl-
ran military men
In itp weekly review today the War
/ department records the conclusion
/ that the enemy IN spite of his vast pre-
! parations. win not take the offensive
unless forced into u This confirms the
opinion many officers have expressed for
weeks in the face Of official forecasts To
the contrary from both Fldee Of the
Atlantic
While hostile preparations for an
offensive ~ tho weat are not alackeninE.
the review aays, IT ia becoming moro
evident that the enemy viii launch tho
offensive only II compelled 10 do 50 hy tho
exiprncna " the genernl strategic elttia-
tom
The nature nf the information upon
whirh tho opinion is based IS not disclosed
! II IS noted that fresh German divisions
have arrived on illr western front and the
German lines are said to he approaching
the point ~ density beyond which i
would bc impossible 10 60 without choking
communicating lines and hamporing free
!
however. this concentration has como to
be regarded aq defensive mot an nffrn
slvc movement
u =. 6N rIvF rH0NrT
Much IT the statement = devoted to the
actiritles of the American troops nov
enpapcd an five separate fronts. ono ~ tho
seetara lvinr close t. the Swiss border
Tho ofFiClai communications however,
aids rothing ta recently published press
reports nf The raid- and q trench fighting
N winch the Americans have bcon ~
vnlved
Elsewhere on the western front the
exports find 10 evidence of impending
MAJOR activities hy elthrr side The
period of inactivity. the statement says, ls
bong prolonged II notes. however.
intlicatians If Ausfrn-f German rnncrntra-
tom IN tho Italian Theatre winch may
foro est assaults on Verona or Brrseia as
ihclr objeriites
The statement follows
Tho prripd of Inactivity n the west Is
being prolonged
Though the raids now taking placc
would ~ the past have heen considered
important engagements. nevcri heless ow-
lnp 10 tho fact that they are merely 81
MINOR tartlcal value they cannot be held
20 bc mayor operations
While hostile preparations 'or m
offensive in he wrat M nrt StacknHsng
IT IL becoming more evident that the
cnernv will launch tins offensive only It
compelled - 10 20 bv the exiRcncIce 81 the
general stratcglc situation.
rNtMl $ MIS- Ar LIMIT
While fresh German divisions are
reported Is arriving n the west IT Is i'm
partant 10 note that the density of enemy
forces ha- nearly reached point beyond
which IL Will hc Impractlcahlc tn 90 for
should anv large additional body Of men
he n.useed the chances are that he
congestion of the lines ol communication
will hecome So great as 10 make II I'M
possible 70 maintain the fiexibility of
maneuvcr. which ~ 50 essential.
"aur own forces IN France have been
constantly IN action.
Our trooI.s are now IN the trenches 1t
tvc different points
This wtpk Nc undcrtool our first
assault against German positions IN
assisted hv anv Alicd contingent.
"At dawn on March II after = prolm-
mary hombardmcnt lasting three quarters
OF An hour. we drove a highly successful
raid against a German trench segment.
cur men penetrated the German line tu a
depth of 300 wards The enemy was driven
of after Il hand-to-hand fight, wheTeupou
our contingent returned 70 our llesn.
! At three places in Lorraine american
troops. acting IN cooperation with small
! Frcuch detachments raidcd German
trenches Two Of these operations were
carried out simultaneously, each on .
frontage Of some GOO yards After . pro-
longod bombardment the attacking units
wero able 70 reach their obiectlves
Pew of the enemy were found IN the
first limo trenches and the attackers
swept forward INTO the German second
line Our men remained for nearly ar
hour IN the German positions and retlrcC
after intictlng much damage and captur
ing considerable quantity OF material.
sNIpING ON INCREASE.
There has been decided Increase II
snipng owing to more favorable weather
conditions.
We kept up a vigorous bombardmeni
on the rear areas opposite our Toul
sector.
Near the Swiss border where another
detachment Of our men arein the trenches
, hostile bonbardments were frequent
The arrival of oar secretary OF war IN
France is noted. During the past week the
secretary has had interviews with the lead
ing French authorities and Is about "a
undertake Il careful inspection OF our
a5 those sectors Of the front where our
{ forces are in action.
"Thc western front from tho North Sea
; 10 the Aisne was the scene If much hard
I lighting
The Germans carried out a number Of
: ar raids against London and Paris Allied
aviators r;lidcd German industrials centers
Of the Rhine region
{ In the Italian theatre the arrival Of
: more hostile units and the concentration
of material coming from Germany Is noted
: in the area east and west Of the Lake OF
Garda which would point o. hostile opera
tions having Verona and Brcscla IS their
objectives.
''In the eastern theatre the chief opera
tion Uf the week eliminated in the cap
turc of Odessa The occupation Of Odessa
will be no doubt Of economic Importance
to the enemy
In Finland fighting continues. German
infantry has landed ut Abo and the
arrival Of important additional German
forces on the Aland islands is reported.
In Palestine the British have pushed
their lines Is miles north OF Jerusalem.
1 arr