PROGRESS OF THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 173, 11 April 1918, Page 4

PROGRESS OF THE WAR

It has often been complained and not without justification that the British Government is given to withholding disquieting facts from ' public knowledge, but there, is cer- | LainJy no room for any such complaint in reference to the speech by j Mn. Lloyd George which is ro- ' ported to-day. In its treatment of the critical early events of a campaign which in all likelihood will determine the fate of the war, it is frank to a fault. There havebeen few more striking examples of a decision to trust the people, and probably Mil Lloyd George could have selected no better method of arousing the nation to the wholehearted effort that is now very plainly demanded. The arresting feature of the speech is the straightforward admission that at one stage of their retreat tho British armies wore very near to disaster, and that only the dogged courage, of the troops saved tho clay after the Germans contrived to break through between the Third and Fifth Armies. _ Precisely in what manner the British organisation failed has yet to be determined. Meantime, we have an unqualified admission that the enemy has won a great initial success, and that, as is obvious, he is much too near to Amiens for comfort or security. The British Premier's observations suggest that it was hoped to hold the enemy, temporarily at least, and perhaps permanently, on the line of the Sorame -—that_ is to say,-on the, reach of that river which runs north to Feronne. The Germans to-day are 16 miles west of Peronne, and within eight miles of Amiens. Mn. Lloyd Georoe obviously does not exaggerate in crediting the enemy with a great initial success. At the same time be is equally explicit in affirming that the enemy has failed so far a,s achieving his main object is concerned, and that our armies are quite ready for the next encounter.

Just what grounds for confidence exist may a.ppear very shortly, for the latest news of the battle' (conveyed as yet only in unofficial reports) is that tho enemy has taken the offensive- on the front between Lens and Armontieres—a front of 18 miles as the crow flies, immediately north _ of that on which tho battle has hitherto been fought, and extending as far north as the Flanders border. This sweep from south to north definitely supports an opinion that the enemy is now at a very considerable disadvantage in the south in the matter of communications. The! possibility of an attack further north was mentioned in the cablegrams some days ago and presumably the event has not found the British unprepared. * * * #

While it presumably militates against the enemy's chances of ultimate success that he has been compelled to shift his point of .attack instead of continuing his drive on Amiens, his attack in Artois raises critical issues. Tho Germans are attacking from a section of front which immediately covers their main communications, and successive Allied attacks in Northern France and tho British advance in Flanders last year havo materially narrowed the margin by which these communications are held secure. Achieving an extended advance_ in the area of their present offensive, the Germans would in the first place make their own position safer and at the same time such an advance would seriously menace tho northern section of the Allied line and its flank extending to the coast. ■*- * # * The early reports of the battle as yet in hand show that tho Germans havo-made some headway into tho British' positions south-west of Armenticres. They have apparently reached the River Lys, two or threo miles behind tho front on which the battle oponcd, though this is not yet absolutely clear. They have also broken, into the Portuguese positions in tho vicinity of Neuve Chapclle, on the northern flank of the La Bassee salient. It is evident that the enemy has developed an exceedingly formidable attack, and the opening events of the struggle can hardly be regarded as favourable, but tho news as yot in hand does not warrant any very definite opinion. # * * * _It is of_ course obvious that the situation is extremely tense and critical, but the very magnitude of tho struggle suggests that the standards of values hitherto observed mus!) be revised. Rapid changes in a front that has long been stationary do not necessarily reflect the actual trend of the colossal struggle of armies that is developing.' Mr. Lloyd George has emphasised the gravity of the position and outlook. He has at the same time shown that tho Allies are bringing very great resources to boar and that in his opinion they aro able to look forward with confidence.