THE WAR

Evening Post, Volume XCVI, Issue 36, 10 August 1918, Page 4

THE WAR

The Allied progress east of Amiens is most satisfactory. Later details show that the attack, while most successful in the centre, has expanded towards thp flanks. The new front, as reported early this morning, was as an aro of a circle of fourteen miles radius, with its centre four miles south-east of Amiens, and its ends on the Ancre and the Avre rivers. But this line is quite unstable, and an hour later it had been reported' that the' Canadians had captured Beaufort, which is three miles east of the line described, and two miles north of the straight main road from Amiens to Roye. At this point the advance is twenty miles from the centre of Amiens, instead of ten, as at the beginning of the battle. Moreuil, which formed the southern pivot of the opening attack, has fallen, and the sharp temporary salient of which it formed the apex has been reduced considerably. Tt is probable that, unless the Germans make a very rapid counter-concentration in the threatened area, Montdidier will soon go, and a retirement upon Roye may then be expected.

Secret concentration, a \ brief intense bombardment, and the vigorous attack launched by the tanks are quoted as the features which caused- the swift success of the Allied attack. In the matter of secret concentration, the attackers took a leaf out of the enemy's book, and applied the principle which was so vividly illustrated in the German offensives at St. Quentin and the Ch-emin dies Dames. The tanks seem to have played a. very important pao* in the battle, comparable to that allotted to .them at Oambrai lost year, except that their use' in big offensives has now bocome regular instead of exceptional. Tho machines in use are no longer slow and heavy. A new class of tank made its appearance a few months, ago and picked up the namo of "whippet." It is ,a curious looking machine, stranger even than its cumbrous predecessor. The general principle of construction is the same ; that is, it runs on traction belts which move under the whole length of the body along each side and forward over the roof. The body ia very much lower than in the big machines, but apparently of about the same length; and the necessary height for giving visual command and freedom to use guns is obtained by means of a turret on tho forward part of the roof. The general appearannce is something like that of a snail with a shell on its back, while the big tonics' are more like fat slugs. But the whippet's special characteristic is speed. Enthusiastic correspondents declare that it is as handy and fast as a motor car; and while this would no doubt be an exaggeration on good! roads, it is probably quite true on the battlefield. The new machines seem to be able to keep station with cavalry, and to be a terror to infantry and transport on the move, since if is faster" than either and can run them ■do .vn.

The new offensive seems definitely to> haye taken the edge off ' the weapon pointed at _Amiens; at all events, the German position cannot now be restored without a heavy battle, for which the enemy is not in an advantageous position. It is still too soon to know whether the offensive caiight the Germans on the eve of a retirement from the sector; but it' is clear that the foremost part of the Flanders salient is being abandoned as a refinement' which has lost its value to the, enemy. The latest movement reported in this quarter is in the Lys Valley, injthe neighbourhood of Merville.

The British Prime Minister, in his speech in the House of Commons, emphasises the way in which tha Government came'to the rescue of the Generals after the disaster to General Gough's Fifth Army. His special attention to this point is understandable when it is remembered that the charge that the Government directly or indirectly coerced the British Generals into extending their front to include the St. Quentin area— with the result that the Fifth Army's line was unduly thinned—has never come to trial. General Maurice, for publicly raising the issue, was retired. The Government and Mr. A.6quith differed as to. whether the investigation of the charge should be entrusted to two Judges or to a Parliamentary Committee. Resultno investigation at all. The Government treated Mr. Asquith's amendment as a cenaura motion, won on the division, and went on its way. That sleeping dog Mr. Lloyd George, in his latest speech, does not kick. But he vigorously takes up the sequel of the Fifth Army's disaster, and shows that the losses were very swiftly replaced; in fact, the Allies' recent success has been "largely .due to the rapidity with which the losses were made, good, and the rate at which American troops were brought over." When Gough'e army was broken, Britain had been .for some period strike-free, \ and material was abundant. Manpower was raised by a special appeal that resounded throughout the Empire, and a pathetic feature was the sending from Britain of boys of l&i years. "No veterans ever fought more courageously than did these lads, who helped to save the cause of the Allies from disaster."

After analysing the British man-power performance, the Prime Minister states that "a similar proportion of the United Spates population called to the colours would mean nearly fifteen million men." America is listening; so is Germany.' General March has just announced that the United States establishment will be raised to five millions. At the same time Germany, to Teplaoe her material losses, is putting the whip on the munition factories of Germany and tired AnstriaHungary, and is also looking to her

great spirit of hopefulness. Last night's cablegrams concerning Austro-Hungarian forebodings, and Germany's million casualties (Colonel Repington's estimate), speak for themselves. All accounts agree that the internal state of Austria-Hung-ary is explosive; and the remarkable performances in Russia of a limited number of Czechoslovaks' indicate what the dissident Slavic material in AustriaHungary itself may yet accomplish. More ™an one. report encourage the belief that the disorganisation of- parts of AustriaHungary approaches that of Russia herself. Meanwhile Sir Douglas Haig once more advances, and President Poincare dares to hope that "the hour of decisive success will shortly arrive for the Allies."