ON THE MARK

Evening Post, Volume XCV, Issue 45, 21 February 1918, Page 2

ON THE MARK

TENSE SITUATION IN THE WEST

GERMANS' GREAT EXPECTATIONS

Special cablegrams to the Sydney Sun, dated 9th February, stated :— Offensive activity, preparatory to the gigantic battles of 1918, has commenced on the West front. Spasmodic artillery fire searches the positions from Alsace to the sea. The Germans are making daily raids, seeking prisoners for information. Most of these 'adventures are repelled with bloody losses, whilst the British raids are keeping a track of all enemy movements. The front is bathed in sunshine. This is converting the ground into slush, but spring-like conditions are stirring, and all the armies are in readiness to meet the great ordeal. The air fighting has reached an intense i scale, the squadrons having been re-' manned and refreshed and re-equipped. A single day produced 38 contests, in which the Germans lost 23 machines. Most of the other fights were indecisive, because the Boches fled. The German boasts are loud. Hindenburg is reported to have promised the fail of Paris on 4th April, yon Ardenne has promised a decisive combat against the French, and yon Salzmann states that victory lies in the offensive alone. The beginninng is at' hand. The Kreuz Zeitune boasts that theAllies do not know where and when the great attacks will be launched. The Dutch and Belgian frontiers are being closed, and the German railways have been reorganised for the most rapid movements. Several British experts point out that the masses of artillery captured in Russia and Italy require shells of a calibre hitherto not made in Germany, especially Russia's 4.5 in howitzers and Italy's sin guns: The experts agree that the shells can ■ be made, but to keep up and transport a uniform supply will be difficult. In a limited attack the enemy might out-gun the Allies, but in a longer battle we will be able to concentrate a more uniform armament. - (~ I The Daily News expert points out that the British Army is wonderfully reorgani-' sed,' that the artillery has increased, that there i 3 a great development in the Flying Corp6 and tanks, and that the companies of engineers and flame projectors have become an army. The mechanics and specialists on the front he estimates at 100,000. German, trobps are arriving weekly. Their morale is apparently good, but it is notable that the 1919 class- of youths predominates. "It will. . be," writes Mr. Philip Gibbs, "a massacre of boys, and when the first phase of battle is passed, gaps in the shattered ranks must be filled by mere youths." The Tageblatt admits that one of the strikers' phrases was, "No offensive in the West!" showing that Germany's hungry, sullen people: dread the coming slaughter of their youngest 'sons. . Owing to the necessity for Germany seeking a decision in six months, beforo the American army restores the balance of strength, and domestic disorders threaten disruption, the offensive is expected to fall early, and in France. Berlin admits that a blow against Italy, however successful, will be indecisive. It is believed that the attacks will come at almost all points, with desperate thrusts at chosen spots. THE MORALE OF THE BRITISH „ , . . /ARMY.,,.,.'„.„/...;■, ;:: The Times sums up British opinion in ' a-leader which states:—"We may ccc some new development of offensive processes, but remain confident That the enemy's remaining legions will be shattered Vgavnst the Allies' unbroken lin^. A forrijidable feature of the situation is that Germany, in the W«et, is better off in numbers and artillery than ever before. Of the British, armies it may truly be said that the morale is as high as ever. They have made a very {jood winter, and recovered from the.strain of prolonged operations. They have felt the period of waiting less than in previous seasons. We know much. ,more about wintering than in 1914, our organisation is complete, and the comfort of troops thoroughly guarded -with ampler leaye and more rest in the billets. v Moreover, for many weeks everyone instinctively has known what is coming, and the worlc of prepara. tion has gone rapidly forward. A spirit of confidence pervades all ranks. They ask. nothing better than that the German commanders shall throw their last great stake in this mightiest of wars. Prepared 1 at all points, we await with stern conviction the culminating onslaught of "the Kaiser's hordes." HOW AND WHERE? Reuters correspondent at French Headquarters says that the military question overshadowing all others is how and where the Germans intend to strike on thn West front. The enemy must recognise the costliness and doubtfulness of an. offensive in.jche West, but the reasons impelling him to such a movement seem to outweigh counsele of prudence. If he cannot get peace on his own.terms he must get on with the war, and in six months the American army will have restored the balance of strength in favour of the Allies. So we must expect at no distant date as heavy a blow as the Germans, with whatever assistance they can extort from their reluctant Allies, can deal us. Where, will, the blow fall? The decision cannot be reached in Italy; moreover, the German forces ' there wers halved as soon as. the fighting became established in the mountains, and it is probable,that no more than five German, divisions are in Italy now. On the other hand, the -enemy is undoubtedly assembling men and material in France, but are the prospects of a second Verdun on a larger scale inviting?—is the enemy likely to attempt it? , The correspondent proceeds to suggest that the enemy may have something up his sleeve, some new method, some new weapon, which he thinks may prove decisive. , v He recalls that an elegant surprise in war made a reappearance last year at the Riga offensive. It is true that here tho enemy opposed troops of doubtful value, but he had to force the Dvina and face what might have^been a formidable resistance. His attacking divisions were ■concentrated seventy miles- from the theatre* of the attack, hurried up at the last moment; and hurled at the Russian bridge-head after four hours' bombardment, before tho Russians realised that the enemy was really upon. them. • ' However powerless the Russians were, the German -General, yon Hutter, carried out the plan as if a serious enemy confrontod him. It was a brilliantly-planned operation. Is it possible that "the Germans regarded the affair not merely as a victory, but as.a rehearsal? i ; —