THE CAMPAIGNS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17788, 13 May 1918, Page 4

THE CAMPAIGNS.

: The weekly surrey of the war position, (telegraphed to the Governor by the Colonial Office, anticipates the early renewal of th'e German offensive on a large scale on the front between Arras and Amiens. It is suggested, also, that the Germans will continue their looal attacks against the ridge positions in Flanders. As the information on which this message is based presumably is official, wo may take it that the enemy is now massing his men and guns particularly on the front north of the Somme, and that the main thrust will come on either side of Albert. When the Gormans retreated last year it was estimated that fully three months would be'needed by the British and French to advance their heavy artillery, to construct roads and railways, and to prepare generally for a big offensive on the now front, and as the Allied retreat this year lias exceeded the German retreat in depth, it should presumably occupy the enemy three months at least to build up ins orgamisation for a renewal of his great offensive. In that case it would bo July at the earliest before the enemy would be .ready to move on a wide front. But we cannot assume that there will bo so long a delay. It is more probable that the whole of his energies will be devoted to the preparation for a heavy and sustained offensive on a smaller front, and that he will endeavour to achieve a break-through by the employment of masses of men in repeated attacks, relying on his weight ultimately to carry him through, say, to Amiens. Even at Albert, it must be remembered, the enemy is now more than twenty miles from his old front, and it is scarcely conceivable that in a couple of months ho could extend his railways and accumulate all the machinery for the offensive unless he compelled the whole of the civilian labour available behind his lines to undertake military work, and 1 even then he would find it difficult to supply all the material that would he needed, 'ibis point is briefly,touched on in the dispatch to tho Governor, *ndl it is suggested that the Germans will have to open the next big phasic 4k their offensive without waiting for the completion of their organisation. When the Allies attacked last year, it will he remembered, they chose tho sectors on either flank of tho new front, the British moving from Lens .*«■> the Scaipo and the French north of } *

the Aisne. The British subsequently extended the front of their offensive southwards to Btilleeourt. Wo should expect the Germans to open their next thrust on the Lens-Arras front but for the fact that they cannot now afford to spend their reserves in minor enterprises. Indeed, if they elected to be content with partial successes they would probably throw their weight into Flanders, in the hope of reaching the Channel. But they are so close to Amiens, and their concentration has so obviously been directed against Amiens that we are bound to look for the continuation of the offensive between Arras and Montdidier. It is there that the largest results are attainable if they are attainable anywhere, because even a direct drive on Paris by the valley of the Oise would involvo the danger of a powerful counter-offensive by the Allies on their flank. It is persistently asserted by the correspondents that Goneral Fooli has been using his reserves very sparingly, and tho story is confirmed in this official dispatch. Tho fighting in Flanders and France during the past day or two lias been unimportant. The most sensational news is that concerning tho new raid on Ostend, in which an old cruiser that had played a brilliant part in tho affair at Zeebrugge, was sunk across tho entrance to tho port. Probably the public arc not now interesting themselves greatly in the Russian position, but the developments in tlio Ukraine are worthy of more than passing notice. After posing as a friend of tho new republic and so obtaining ieasy access for his troops to the heart of the grain districts tho enemy is now rovealing his hand and placing the country under direct military domination. To all intents and purposes the Ukraine is being treated as conquered territory.