ARMY HINGE MAINTAINED.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 14567, 1 April 1918, Page 3

ARMY HINGE MAINTAINED.

GERMAN OFFENSIVE ARRESTED IN MID.COURSE. (Reuter's Telegram.) LONDON, March 30. Renter's French headquarters' correspondent writes :— The enemy's, offensive has been arrested m mid-course. The German has abandoned marching straight upon his objective and breaking down resistance,, by overwhelming num-j bers, and he is now striking at estimated weak spdts. ■. His drive down the Oise valley has been finally arrested. Attempts to cross the river further north failed, and the bridges are now being destroyed. The onemy's captimyof . ' Montdidier was just too late for him to profit thereby, as the, French • 'forces were able to engage the Germans to the westward, bringing the advance to a standstill and nullifying lyis efforts to find the junction of the Anglo-French ai'mies. The liingo between the Ajiglo-French armie.s wpll never be broken, as the junction, is now. covered with French forces strong enough -to meet all eventualities'. Eighty -seven enemy .divisions have been identified on a fifty-mile battlefront, comprising not only* the pick, but practically all the sound troops. The French have already engaged three , of the Guards divisions and the famous Brandenburgers and some of the best Bavarian divisions. : > Before, the offensive the Germans had a hundred and nine divisions m the line on the Franco-British front and 76 divisions m v reserve. The enemy therefore has already engaged more than the whole of his reserves m France m the present battle' and has also denuded, certain sectors of his best troops to replace wastage. | The enemy possesses ahojut twenty divisions and conceivably forty of injferior material useful for filling gaps, but not for winning battles.