Nelson Evening Mail. WEDNESDAY, JULY 17, 1918. THE GERMAN ATTACK.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LII, Issue 171, 17 July 1918, Page 4

Nelson Evening Mail. WEDNESDAY, JULY 17, 1918. THE GERMAN ATTACK.

IT would be interesting to know _ what I objective the enemy ha'® in view in his } aeries of attacks on the Western front, other than.' endeavouning to U6e ub the \\ reserves of the Allies. We have been jtold by British Cabinet Ministers that I when the German offensive ! on 21st March the Allies held superiority in numbers in France and Flart'ders. This ascendancy was, however, not sufficient to make lit worth While for &he ■ Allies to take the irutiaitive.. The Clerj mains were forced to strike this ybai- in ' view of the fact that America's aid to the Allies would be definitely felt next year. For this reason the Allies' position, so far as the ultimate issue is concerned was infinitely the stronger. Since 21st March many things have happened. The big dents made on the ; Allied fronts have used tvp large numbers of troops ior the reason, of course, ;tbat the curves have lengthened the i line that has to be held. But this also ' applies to the Germans, and the side ithat benefits by such developments i? ■that which has the largest reserves at hand. * But the Germans, through the bi-eakinfg of the British line west of St. Quentin, gained one big advantage. As i« well known', the intention of the British was to retire to the line of the Somme sou-till of Peronne. Owing to the break, which was not mainlly ' due to the enemy's superiority, a retirement had to be made to the Ancre and the Avre. This brought the Germans into close proximity to vital limes of •-•ommunioation, which has necessitated the stationing of heavy reserves there, and this means, of course, that less are available for use elsewhere. In this way the Germans may have gainJed superiority for a time with forces available for general operations. But what is puzzling at present, is why the Germans have ' not attempted to exploit their previous advances' and endeavour to reach the strategical points it was their aim to capture. Instead of continuing the attack they have turned to new areas, and the result, for then!', is practically nil. In reviewing the position a few days ago Mr Bonar Law, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, said he was confident that the Germans could not win a decision by exhaustion. The submarine campaign, upon which the enemy based his hopes of victory, has failed to prevent the entry of America, and, he said, "it will be impossible for the enemy to win by wearing down our reserves before he ha s exhausted" his own." Therefore, it is reasonable to conclude that the enemy's only hope of success is by securing some marked military victory by which he can so dislocate the Allies as to render _it impossible for them to make anything like full /use of the forces avaiUatble. For it is not only numbers that count. Already Germany's position gives her greater hitting power mitt for man.',, owing to the fact that she is fighting on interior lines, and can transport her ■troOpe with great rapidity from 1 one sector to another. It is not surprising that the Germans are able 'to strike heavy blows, but the position is. such that there is every reason) to believe that tfhey will not succeed; unless 'the unexpected happenis. Niapoleon at Waterloo fought on after he know he was beaten in the hope that, something would happen to the enemy's plans. Xhere was nothing else for h : m to So. The Germans- require only a few such events as the breaking of the British line near St. Quentin for ih'iu to secure results that will i;o a long way towards being decisive. T t is a gambler's chance, but what else cf.n the Germans do?