NOTES AND COMMENTS.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16228, 3 June 1918, Page 8

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

History is repeat! ilsclt sadly on the "West front, and only the heroism of the Allied troops and confidence in the strategy of General Foch relieve the gloomy nature of to-day's war news. The Germans have reached the Marne, as they did in September, IGI4, and Chateau Thierry, only 38 miles from the outer ring of forts round Paris, is so gravely threatened that news of its fall may come at any time. As it is, the enemy has advanced 56 miles in four days, and has now occupied a point, Vernouil, lying eastward of Chateau Thierry, rather less than 50 miles from Paris. From two directions the Germans are levelling fierce blows against the Allic-d r.imios. i'he gravest danger seems to threaten Paris from the advance down the Oise V r allej', and as the Germans penetrate further south, they secure uiore and moro railway facilities for linking up their wings and centre, and if tho resistance they meet in one direction is too strong, they will doubtless try in another one.

Grave as the danger is, the Allies have experienced worse, and emerged .safely therefrom. It is just three years and nine months to a day since tho French Government, in view of tho probability, as it then seemed, of tho enemy besieging Paris, moved to Bordeaux, and some two millions of tho inhabitants fled southwards from the threatened city, thereby' earning from tfeJse who remained the nickname of "tho swallows." Then, as now, it was the Crown Prince who was marching on tho city. After his reduction of the mediaeval fortress of Longwv, ho took no his position on von Kluck's left, and was bearing down on Paris, as one writer has pointed out. for the great coup of the war. in which it was arranged that he should figure prominently. "In the plan of the German operations, tho path that promised the greatest glory was reserved for tho Crown Prince. This was in accordance with the policy of bolstering up the fastfading popularity of the house of Hohenzollern." The German Uhlans pushed on very fast to prepare tho way for liirn. They were already at Chantilly while the main body of the Prince's army was over 100 miles away. "The order of march of the German Army up tho Champs Elysee was already drawn up, and as tho Crown Prince was to head this historic march, the French troops opposing him must bo brushed aside." But it was not to be. The French artillery broke tho German plans, and in a few days- tho Crown Prince's" army, much battered and reduced in numbers, was sharing in the general retroat. History, in this respect also, may once moro repeat itself.

One authority remarks of the snccessful German offensive that it cannot be called ft surprise, as tho Allies knew a day or two before that an attack was impending. Yet the accounts of the assault suggest that in spite of their information the Allies ■f. were subjected to a surpriso, apparently because of the absence of the usual preliminary bombardment, and tho fact that the enemy moved up largo forces at night. It was stated on Saturday that the Germans are much more anxious to preserve secrecy than formerly, and that their officers, know only at the last moment what they are in do. A diary found on a German officer killed in the last offensive showed that he had little information about operations to be undertaken until n day or two before they were actually put in hand, and even then the XJoiuts of attack were mentioned only by code names. 'His statements bear out what has been said of the German strategy and methods of attack. 9 ! "The general line of advance," he wrote, "is in a westerly direction to the ports of Boulogne, Abbeville, etc., in order to separate the British from the French., If France is left to herself, she will come to terms quickly; therefore the chief blows are to bo directed against the British. The preparations Jaave been so thoughtfully planned that failure is almost an impossibility. In spite of all this, if it should happen that the attack is held •np at one point, it will be immediately broken off there, and the troops moved to another sector. "We-have a colossal amount .of artillery at our disposal. For instance, "in our own division, of which only two regiments will be in the line, we have 68 batteries and several hundred trench mortars of various calibres. Gas is to be freely used. , An immeasurable quantity. of artillery of the attacking infantry is to # follow up immediately. Large formations follow behind to deal' .with'booty, wounded, and prisoners." A month or six weeks ago the German tanks were stated to have been i a'disappointment, having developed several defects in active service. Their protective qualities were poor, the arm-our-varying from two-thirds of an inch to a little over an inch, 'and it was claimed that armour-piercing rifle ammunition would perforate the hull anywhere. They seem to have been im- ' proved since then, judging by the use j , made' by them in the crossing of the Aisne, or possibly the tanks, in which j j were said to be repeated all the British 1 initial mistakes with a few of the Ger T i 1 mans' own invention added, were not ■ 1 the machines employed on the present i occasion. If, however, they are the same and are as weak as alleged, there 1 seems -to be an opportunity for the 1 use of the!bullet lately, invented by an ± American which was claimed to be , capable of piercing the German tank j armour. f

Another American idea may have been brought into use in the effective little operation credited to the American troops at Cantigny. This is a short repeating shot-gun, for buckshot cartridges. It was first used by the Americans at Seicheprey when theyl beat back an enemy attack very effec-' tively. It is said to have been dugjested by General Pershing himself. He asked the "War Department for 10,000 of them, and as that Department gives him what he wants he got them. At 150 yards this weapon is claimed to be particularly effective on bodies of advancing storm troops.