The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1918-03-29
Tells AMERICA
CERTAIN | DEFEAT Il
CoMlN|e T0AuAs !! /
Major General March Sure
Victory in Store for
Allied Armies.
SAMMEES WILL JOIN
IN COUNTER ATTACK
German Drive Must Finally
Meet Same Failure a.
Former 1hrusts.

Washington, March 2s.--In state
ment tonight Major General March.
acting chief OF staff. assured the
American people that there In no cause
for alarm In the advances made by
the Germans In the great battle now
raging In Picardy and exprcxred COM
plete confidence In triumph Of the al-
lied arms.
General March said.
Whatever may be the. present
ground held by the Germans. whRt.
ever sacrifice OF men the situation
must entail. the allies Will see II
through and will WIN"
Late tonight the general atill was
without any word from General
Pershing concerning the American
troops participating In the battle.
General Pershing's reports today and
tonight dealt entirely with the post
tions of the opposing forces yesterday.
az described In the British and French
official statements.
Few From Russian Front.
Among the new divisions identified
on the German front, the war depart
inent is advised. are four which have
been brought back from Russia.
Announcement by Field Marshal
Haig tonight that the German war mn-
chine along the whole British front hnd
been beaten off today. with heavy
losses, gave new zest tonight to specu-
lation here as to the allied counter Of
fensive officers feel certain will not be
Delayed.
War department officials generally
appeared Satisfied that substantial
American forces would join tho French
when tho counter blow IN given.
The new outbreak OF the German
thrust Mt Arms caused some appre.
| hension here, lest the allies might find
| II necessary TO further delay their cf.
fort to catch the German forces on
thc rebound and seek victory after Bit
ter days of steady. yielding Of ground.
Definite word FROM General IIaig that
| this new drive. also had been checked,
| added to the conviction that allied
strategy will triumph.
IL their reasoning is correct, the
Germans face the prospect OF seeing
their great effort on the western front
meet the fate Of the others. Only
twice before have the Gemans UNDER
taken major operations on this front.
Their first rush In 1914 was stopped ss
their last and perhaps their final e..
fort nearly four years later In now Ar-
parently being stopped by skiiiful re-
tirement Their only other great as
sault at Verdun. was an unqualified de-
feat.
| The thrust at Arras may have been
intended TO divert British reserves
from the real objective Of German
strategy far to the south. where Brit
ish and French lines connect. The
success OF that purpose il highly
doubtful. since the initial effort wal
|, parried by troops already In position
In this sector. There was no time Il
, bring divisions back from the south. st
II seems certain that the regular gar.
rison Of the British lines was suffi.
cient to repel the enemy. This fac
alone is regarded az eloquent evidence
OF the waning power OF tho German
T war machine.
E In the meantime, attention here wal
: not diverted from the chief thsateI
!. the British French junction. IN,
French counter attack there wa
closely watched. 1t may develop int
a great movement, although early re
ports indicated that It was aimed q
2 local detectives and that tho time wa
not yet ripe for the great counter ef
fort. Dispatches from the Frenc
: front told Of thronging reserves bchin
lthe lines. saa