Progress of the War.

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

Progress of the War.

The blow which Sir Dougla s Haia has delivered on tho Western front is one that it will take all the military genius of Hindenburg to parry. It appears to have fallen upon tho Germans Jiko a bolt from the blue, and has com- [ pletely frustrated all their carefully matured plans for a further retreat. There ha 6 been nothing in recent operations to indicate that an offensive on a large scalo was to be launched north-of Arras. In fact the tremendous strength of tho enemy defences in tho region was such as to make it one of the least possible points of attack. Yet in a few hours the blood-stained Yimy ridge. which the enemy had used .all his skill to render impregnable, has fallen to | tho valour of the Canadians, and other | position s almost equally strong around ! Arras itself Jiave been captured. From the reports to hand it is clear that tho great battlo has only just begunj but all the preliminary objectives have been achieved, and the enemy has been driven back from the higher elevations to lower-lying lands to the eastward. The

value of th(s positions captured for future operations is incalculable, and if fortune, which in this case means the weather, favours the Allies there seems to be every hope that the turning of Hindenburg's flanlc will bo accomplished. If this can bo achieved, and the British and French co-operate with equal success at th e St. Quentin end of tho line, the belief held by correspondents that the present battlo may bo decisive i 3 likely to be realised. The Hindenburg line is threatened at both ends. It is too lato for a further strategic retreat, and any other kind of retreat might well develop into a rout. Of course a great deal depends upon how quickly the Allies axe able to follow up the advantage which the early success has given them. Tho great blowalready struck at tho northern end of tho line "will in all probability be fol-

lowed by a vigorous Franco-British offensive in the St. Quentin region, and if the two offensives can be carried on successfully at the same time Hindcnburg may find himself in tho painful position of the nut between the jaws of the crackers. It is specially interesting to note that the British now hold the elevated positions along almost the entire front from Givenchy to St. Quentin, and this advantage alono is worth a great deal at the present stage. But apart altogether from the possibilities which tho future holds the actual achievements have already been very great. The description of the battle by Mr Philip Gibbs, together with the brief, soldierly report of the British Commander-in-Chief himself, is sufficient to show that a notable success has been achieved by tho wonderful gallantry of the British troops. The area of the ground recovered embraces gome thirty square miles, all of which was strongly held. The prisoners captured already number 6000, and quantities of artillery and other valuable material have fallen into our hands. Taken all in all, Sir Douglas Baig'g Easter offering is scarcely likely to prove acceptable to tho enemy, and it may well spell utter disaster to the German hopes.