THE CRITICAL DAYS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LV, Issue 16833, 25 April 1918, Page 8

THE CRITICAL DAYS.

BRITISH STONEWALL HOLDS.

SCENES ON THE BATTLEFIELD

RACE BETWEEN THE RESERVES.

LONDON, April 15. The notion is watching with" anxiety, unprecedented since the beginning of the war, the progress o" the critical battle in northern France. The anxiety is mingled with admiration lor the tenacity of the British troops, who are contesting every toot of ground with a stubbornness that has made the enemy pay dearly for his slow advance. Observers here and in Paris are divided in opinion concerning tho enemy's intentions. One section regards the new offensive as a diversion meant to draw off'the British reserves, while preparing for a fresh attack against Amiens. The other section believes that j it is a definite and systematic attempt to destroy the British Array, and break through to Calais, whilo holding the French in the south. The consensus of opinion now favours the latter theory. It is indeed obvious that the enemy, backed by unlimited artillery, is doing what hitherto has been unprecedented in this war—namely, conducting two firstclass offensives simultaneously, or at least launching the second before he had time to draw away from tho first. The prospect is grim for the British, but tho accounts' of the fighting continue to breathe a coiifl- 1 dence that the British, however prolonged j the struggle, will not yield to the enemy I in what is more clearly becoming a test of endurance.

German Point of View. Though the Germans have so far shown no sign of a fresh effort on tho SbmaioAmiens battle-front, the mass of their forces is still between Arras and Noyon. Hence, if the British in the north arrest the onslaught, a fresh stroke will undoubtedly be tried in tho great Amiens salient, whero the enemy has tho bulk of his reserves, which he cannot easily extricate, The German papers, commenting on the battle, claim that the new offensive has compelled Foch to weaken his forces by shifting the reserves. They deny that it is a-confession of failure of tho Amiens thrust, and adjure their readers to hhve patience, because tho strategy of the supreme command is still unrevealed. Succession of Hammer Blows. M. Marcel Hutin, Echo de' Paris, insists that the German attack in Flanders is a diversion, and that Amiens remains the objective upon which all eyes must be fixed. "But," he adds, "if the enemy finds weak spots in Flanders he will cut a path to the sea, with all energy. Therefore, on increase in the British man-power is most urgent. Mr. Percival Phillips flays that the hardest fighting on the crescentshaped battle-front between Givcnchy and Messincs centred on the Lys. Troops and guns crossed, at a number of points to support attacks in the Steenwcrck region, while the divisions around Estaires endeavoured to advance along the river in the direction of Merville. The enomy kept up tho force of his .thrust to the utmost. As in their first advance before Amiens the German infantry were allowed no rest for a moment. Heavy guns were rushed up under shellfire, and aeroplanes, flying low, continually harassed the movements of the British troops. Tho whole movement here is a succession of hammer blows endeavouring to keep down the resistance until the enemy is well established beyond the barrier of the Lys. Roads Blocked With Troops. LONDON*. April 16. While the crisis is not yet past, the fact that tho stonewall in France successfully held tho German onslaughts gives hopes of a turn in the tide. The Germans arc still bringing up reserves, and arc heavily concentrating between Arras and Albert. The roads are blocked with unending ant-like processions of men and Suns, on which tons of bombs have been ropped. All the correspondents testify to tho magnificent tenacity of the allies Mr. Percival Phillips, Daily Express, said on Sunday night that the enemy could no longer hope to break through. Our men were most cheerful. The scene on the battlefield is awesome. A pall of smoke hangs over 40 miles of plain, which is covered with flaming villages. Shells are breaking in others like white-topped waves against rocks, and they are gradually crumbling. The atmosphere is lieavy with acrid fumes of explosives. The thin lines of khaki are hardly visible through the murk, which is stabbed with the flashes of innumerable guns.

The Major Offensive. The general impression of the situation is rather better. The enemy feels compelled to spend valuable time in hammering each aide of the salient in order to secure greater freedom of movement. This manoeuvre, together with the constant appearance of fresh troops, and troops from the Amiens battlefield, indicates his decision to make the northern effort his major offensive, but every day spent widening the salient gives more time for French divisions to arrive. Some newspapers are exceedingly gloomy. Tho Evening News states that the authorities take a very grave view, and do not conceal their apprenet.sibn that tho loss of Hazobrouck would lead to the ovacuation of Ypres and endanger Calais. "It is," says the News, " the most critical hour of the war," The Weekly Despatch states that the immediate crisis has been during the last several days, Then critical weeks will follow bofore we know whether the Germans will roll up the northern front and compel a new line between Havre and Amiens. The loss of the base cities would be most serious. It is now clear that the Germans have no designs on Paris. They may even neglect Amiens and strike hard through Arras towards Abbeville. Mr. Lovatt Fraser, in the Daily Mail, says that the enemy's principal strength continues, and is concentrated on tho Somme. He expects tho launching of a fresh great attack lietween Arras and the Luce at any moment. Nevertheless it is vital that the allien retain undisputed control of tho Dover Straits, and Foch, as at the first battle of Ypres, will thrown in tho last man available to save the Channel ports. '

Britain Deeply Stirred. In these, the darkest days of the war, Great Britain is intensely stirred. Thero is a call throughout the country for a stout heart and a-clear head. It hag been unquestionable for a week that the German design is to crush the British armies with overwhelming forces, whilst holding the French front with a thin lino of troops deeply embedded in concrete and iron, behind wire entanglement*. If the deaths of tens of thousands of Britishers can prevent it it will be prevented. Tho Germans are striking with about IS divisions across the Lys- They were enabled to secretly concentrate these divisions in Lille and Roubaix. The fury of the attack and the depth of the shelling exceeded even those at St. Quentin. The guns were fired until they were white hot Losses Will Be Made Good. It is now a race between Anglo-French reinforcements and tho Germans. .Their capture of Hill 63 has compelled the widening of the salient, giving them the southern section of the ridges. Any considerable further advance from Mervillc' will make the gravest decisions necessary regarding withdrawals from the Flemish ridges north and from the Amis positions south. Britain and Fiance have set their teeth, and are resolved to see the thing through. According to tho statement of the Pall Mall Garetto, if tho Government wishes to conscript women there are largo numbers available not ret employed in national service. The Miinchester Guardian states—"When the present attack sticks tho Germans will probablr try a coastal offensive, hammering everywhere, the object being to destroy the British army, but short of that objective the enemy ran gain nothing commensurate with his losses, for the British army will grow again with increasing reinforcements." That represents the decision of the nation— rebuild whatever is destroyed.