Approaching a Climax.

Press, Volume LIII, Issue 15872, 11 April 1917, Page 6

Approaching a Climax.

Operations on the grand scale which we were led to expect on the Western front in the spring have now been commenced, and the next few weeks may see important developments in the progress of the war. Sir Douglas Haig'fc plan is evidently to break through the German line on a wide front, and to carry on the advance so quickly that the enemy shall not be able to remove his guns under cover of rearguard actions. The British have now penetrated to a depth of two to three miles on a twelve-milo ffont. They have evidently already captured some of the most elaborately fortified of the enemy's defences, and if they can continue the advance same impetuou's rate of progress the Germans I will soon find themselves in serious difficulties. Failing a further retirement on a wide front they will run the risk of finding the broken ends of their line envelo.ped and crushed by the victorious British. If our gallant and intrepid troops keep up their present rate of progress, the Germans may have to quit their entrenchments in order to effect their retreat, in which case the campaign will revert to the open order of fighting, which tho Germans latterly havo been boastfully declaring is all they want in order to show their superiority over the Allies. They had plenty of opportunity for open fighting! after the battle of tho Marne, but in- j stead of availing themselves of it they j fell back as rapidly as possiblo on tho Aisne, where they proceeded to ontrench themselves with the utmost celerity. Should the fighting once

more assume an open character, a national factor will bo the "moral" of tho opposing armies. In this respcct all the evidence goes to show that the advantage lies with the British and the French. The Germans, who have been driven out of tlio most elaborate anil carefully designed system of entrenchments, and who, dazed and dispirited, have surrendered in thousands, are not the men to put up a successful stand against the victorious British, who carried these defences in a rush. Tho news from the front is now most encouraging, but it does at the same timo enable us to understand that the British High Command is calling out imperiously for men and yet more men. If, as now seems probable, there is a chance of ending the war this year, it would be a thousand pities if we lost that chance because the last hundred thousand men required to turn tho scale were not forthcoming.