Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-04-27
KENNEL HILL MAY
Be BOOMERANG
FOR H|NDENBURG
Germans Hold on Eninence In
sccute and!May Lead to Heavy
Losses, Says Military Expert.
HEMMED IN ON ALL SIDES

Washington, April p A high mill
tary expert, discussing the war situation
late last night, said:
AT first blush the news that the Ger
mans have captured Kemmel Till rs the
result of an assault and all-day battle
IN which they had superiority OF men,
appears discouragIng. Al best the news
cannot be called good
But we must remember that the
cnemys hold on this stratcgical height Is
far from secure Careful reading Of the
dlSpatches discloSes the fact that the
Germans advance at this point was made
on - front of about two-thrds Of mile Ia
y depth of little more than a mile.
This gave Won findenburg kcmInci
I'LL, but left him hcmmed in tight on
all sidcs BY British and French veterans.
have no doubt that the counter attack
Of the French at thus point Is bcIng ear
ned ON with the greatest vigor, and that a
hcroe battle rs raging. aS later dispatch
indicate
Ii Is not haui TO visualize the char
actcr ui the battle, with the French fight
'ng dctcrrulncdly To regain KENNEL Hill.
Mess the Germans Succccd in cStah-
fishing themselves firmly upon the height
their lnSseS Will h. frIghtfu and they
Will bc IN constant danger of losing IT.
EXPOSED TO ARTiLLERT
'Nothingg IN the dispatches so far in
dIcates that their hold upon tins domi-
mating hc,ght Is even approximately
secure. The width OF their new wedge
here is not sufficient Tor comfort Every
Inch of IL can hc swept constantly by
artillery and to large extent by machine
gun firr
The explanation of the British retire
nent in the KENNEL till district Is to
I've found IN the fact that the enemy on
!. very narrnw front nASScd An over
whclmIng superiority OF men and guns.
Human beings can withstand only GER
tain amount II battcrlug such n the
British must have received under such
conditions Then thu lInt must bc with
,irawn or wlI-d ont Nhcrr positions
have been prepared IN the rear as WAS
undoubtedly the ,.LSc III this instance,
Il Is better strategy 10 withdraw since
the enemy would advance ~ any event,
and the defending force hv retiring 10
prepared Positions would conserve lt>
man power for another t ght
1t Is cheering news that the Franco
British forces have been able 10 regain
much IT the territory lost in the Nillers-
l3crtonncuX region 10 a point south OF
he Luce In view of the greater strength
" the allied defence lneS along the
Amiens front this successful counter
pl3w WAS 70 have been expected
So CAUSE FOR DISCoURAGEMENT
Then, has been no good ground for
discourage mcnt 80 long as the allies are
7hle 10 resist the enemy with the stub
aornncss and success they have shown
since the new thrust started.
The enemy Is attacking in fore, from
the Ypr,>s-1 'omines canal to Dranoutre,
partly for the purpose OF compelling the
Franco-BritISh forces to strengthen the
me along this front at the expense of
hat in the vicinity of KENNEL Hill
md McSSlncs Ridge
Their i no particular ground for
IncasIne>s because Of the report that the
rneInN attack toward Amens Is IN
reasing IN strength II IS quite appar-
mt that the surprise element IS not
curing IN the present operations, Ger
i;unly not on the German SIDE
80 long as the united allied line can
withstand the shock of the terrific enemy
.,ttacks as they have during the past few
davs no one need fear that the Germans
will succeed In gaining their principal
nbJeCtIves on the western front