The Washington herald., 1918-05-02
The Battle Wanes.

The severity OF the repuIse that Ludendorf has
suffered before Ypres may be measured by two
things: First, the fact that two days have passed
while the enemy is trying to recuperate from the
terrific blows rained upon him, and while Won
Amin is trying to reconstitute his shattered di-
visions; second, the weak, neutral-tinted and nom
committal character of the German official report
of the engagement
Berlin admitted that the "enemy succeeded in
establishing himself in Locre," and said nothing
about his attacks than that Strong artillery
activity, which lasted throughout the day, extended
over the whole KENNEL territory and continued
until darkness fell"
London does not give itself to undue elation
over what on the surface of things appears to be
great victory, but that the bloody repulse of
Monday does not necessarily mean that the attack
on the northern sector has been abandoned.
Clemenceau goes a little further than this, and
tells the chamber of deputies that the whole front
now has become stable and that the steps taken by
the high command justify the opinion that points
against which the enemy has directed his attacks
are out of immediate danger.
Military experts believe that enemy attacks are
to be renewed on a larger scale than ever before
in the Arras-La Bassee sector The reason for a
colossal offensive this key-point is clear. In
Picardy the Germans have driven big but useless
wedge into the Franco-British line. In Flanders
the dent is much smaller one, but it is large
enough to be dangerous at any time the German is
able to increase his pressure But between these
two dents there is rock" on the map which the
enemy has not been able to bulge, and which OBJ
viously is the worst kind of a thorn in his flesh
The assaults on Arras began shortly after the
Boche met with his first sensational against
the British Fifth Army, under command of Gen.
Cough, below ST. Quentin They were complete
failure. The British line not dented inch.
1t has remained immovable, despite repeated ef-
forts renew the offensive in that sector. 1t will
be impossible for the Germans to coordinate the
two arms of their thrust while Arras remains like
a partition between them.
The Washington Herald before has pointed out
that the present offensive followed the identical
lines which were rehearsed before Riga last fall
and which sensationally successful Briefly,
the Won Hutier strategy is this: Accumulation of
artillery in unexpected quantity and short but terri
bic preparation followed by an assault OF over
whelming numbers whose presence in the sphere Of
action unforeseen for the simple reason that
they were brought up only at the last minute, in
some during the preparation itself.
Batteries placed in position during the night,
and thoroughly camouflaged to escape observation
by the allied airmen. To register on positions op-
poste, they fired minimum of shots at carefully
heightened intervals, that they were able TO
know the exact range without awakening entente
suspicion"
1t is stated that the French army authorities
known that units marched fully sixty miles in
three nights preceding the opening OF the often
sive March II, and that division actually
covered twenty on the night OF March 20, arriving
in the trenches at o'clock the next morning. and
attacked five hours later.
The layman will ask: What OF the allied air OBJ
servation: The German concentration was made
by these forced marches at night, with the divisions
concealed in some manner other in the daytime.
Everybody believed that the element of surprise"
on a large scale had been eliminated from modern
warfare by aviation. Apparently there are a few
tricks left in the bag for the oldne tacticans and
strategists