Before Counter-Stroke

Manawatu Times, Volume XL, Issue 13948, 29 July 1918, Page 7

Before Counter-Stroke

ENEMY’S PLANS REVIEWED. MOVE IN EAST POSSIBLE. (Commonwealth Official—Copyright.) July 15. The Australians yesterday continued gradually to worm their -way into the original positions held before VillersBretonneux by the British at the time of the German attack on April 24. In Monument Wood the Germans made some resistance, but the greater part of the position, which a month ago would have cost thousands of men to gain, is now ours. The present position appears to be that the Germans arc holding the front with a certain number of divisions, while the remainder are out training for some great assault. Therefore, apparently the German staff still believes it can obtain success by a full-power offensive on the western front. At the same time we know that within a few months the day must come when it passes beyond the power of the Germans to make a successful break through on this front. No one can say certainly when that day will come, but there certainly exists some day when the power of a successful offensive finally passes from the Germans in the west. From that day quite a different policy becomes inevitable for the German Government. Its sole chance to get a victory then will lie in the oast, pushing German influence, and probably Gorman armies, through Russia in order to consolidate the immense power there, so that they may come out of the war vastly stronger than they went in. The Germans at the same time as they turn their main policy eastwards will seek to obtain on the western front successes which, though no longer final are decisive, may press so heavily on France and Italy that the enemy hopes to force them to negotiate for peace. Probably the German staff, like. Baron von Kulhman, realises that the chance of a decisive victory in the west is now very doubtful, though it dors not dare as yet to admit thi- to the soldiers and people. If it is really planning a last great throw in the west on the offchance of a complete victory, it is also prepared to rest content with a result which it could use ns a lever for obtaining a negotiated peace.