WAR OUTLOOK REVIEWED.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LV, Issue 16825, 16 April 1918, Page 6

WAR OUTLOOK REVIEWED.

ENEMY OBJECT IN THE WEST FAILURE OF FIRST ATTACK. RENEWAL OF SOUTHERN BATTLE. [BY TELEGRANT.— PRESS ASSOCIATION.] WELLINGTON, Monday. His Excellency the Governor-General has received the following telegram from the Secretary of State for the Colonies, dated London, April 13, and containing official news of the operations for the week ending April 11: — " The fighting for Amiens and the railway to Saint Just resulted in very little change, the chief alteration on this front being further east whero tho French retired from an awkward salient southward of La Fere made by the old and the new lino, but north of Arras the enemy advances were appreciable. Opening ol New Attack. " On April 6 a violent bombardment of tho lino between La Bassee and Armentierca seemed to indicato an attack but it did not develop until April 9. However, the attack was launched on a. front of 15,000 yards, aiming at tho Portuguese division in tho centre with a British division on either side. The wings at Givenchy and Fleurbaix held, but the enemy, assisted by thick mot, forced a way through the centre and penetrated beyond the Rivers Lys and Lnwe. Givenchy was taken on April 10 and later retaken by the Fifty-fifth Division with 750 German prisoners. A further attack was mado north of Armcntieres between a point east of that town and Garde Dieu, north of Mcsaines. On the Messines front the enemy was checked, but further south he penetrated tho British lines, capturing Ploogsteert Wood. Salients were, therefore, drivon on both flanks of Arrnontieres, which mado the retention of that ruined town inadvisable. A withdrawal to conform with the line north and south was ordered, resulting in ono large salient approximately 20 miles long and four miles deep. Results of the Campaign. To destroy tho British Army is clearly the enemy's aim. He failed to separate the armies of the allies, and has failed to take Amiens, while the solid wall of the Arras front made it imperative for him to find a weaker spot. V'my is the stronghold which more than any other blocks his way to the west, and since Arras holds firm ho has tried to win his way to the rear of Vimy Ridge through Givenchy, thence to Bethune. Although there is no sign of a cessation of the enemy's offensive against Amiens, which will be renewed in due course, it is clear his main effort was checked. His second effort north of the Somme was defeated, and his flerco though brief attack south of the Sommo was also completely repulsed. Ho is now diverting attention rom the main front to which ho will ultimately return with all the force available. " A rapid rotation of his divisions is calculated to allow him to keep in reserve a greater number of fresh ones. Tho moro quickly ho can re-form them tho moro ho has availablo temporarily. Such a system obviously has its drawbacks and can only be carried out for a limited time. It is ono more sign of Germany's determination to win tho war in this battle, and risk all in doing so. The destruction of the British Army is his object. There is therefore- satisfaction in noting that so far tho destruction of his own army lias proceeded more rapidly though tho situaliion is still serious. To date the British Army has been attacked by doublo its number of enemy divisions supported by an enormous mass of artillery of all natures. In these circumstances it is not surprising that tho enemy gained an undeniable success, but at great price. Attack In Italy Expected. " On other fronts there aro no operations of importance. In Italy attacks are expected to develop in due course, and will, no doubt, coincide as nearly as possible with tho maximum Gorman presauro in Franco and Flanders. In Palestine, Karek, east of tho Dead Sen, was occupied by Arabs. A successful raid on the Iledjaz railway was magnified into an enemy victory, but nevertheless tho British made further advances on a fivomile front, capturing villages. "There has been less activity in tho air this week on the western front owing to the broken weather. Raids on hostile troops and transport have been productive of satlifactory results, and scouts have harried the enemy on every possible occasion, bringing down 53 and driving down 31 hostile machines out of control Luxemburg has .again boon rnidod, a ton of bombs being dronncd. In Palestine our air craft successfully co-operated in the operations against the Hedjaz railway, bombing the important Amman railway and destroying trains and other important enemy material. In Home waters, tho Adriatic, the .'Fgean and the Mediterranean seaplanes and airships continue successful co-operation with the naval forces on an ever-increasing scale."