WAR THEATRES REVIEWED

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 200, 13 May 1918, Page 5

WAR THEATRES REVIEWED

OFFICIAL SUMMARY OF THE

OPERATIONS

THE ALLIES' STRATEGY

The following lelpgraphio review of military operations has been received by His Excellency tho Governor-General from the Secretary of Stato for tho Colonies:— Operations on the Western front during tho week ending May 9.— Sinoo tho enomy's drastic repulse on the Lys sector on April 29 only minor operations have been carried out, namely, before Locro, westward of Morlaincourt, southward nrm of Xpres saliont. All were repulsed heavily. Otherwise, apart from raids and local shelling of back • areas, the week has been ominously quiet. Tho position now is that tho Germane, determined to concentrate every available unit on one enormous offensive, are draining iho country dry to force a. docision before it is too late, while tho Entente are, so confident that, given the choice of a small immediate American army for defence, or waiting till reinforced by a complete, powerful, self-sup-porting American Army, havo chosen the latter. Tho sledge-hammer use , of masses by tho enemy tho Allies aro opposing by tho strategy of meeting tho blow with i tho smallest force capable of standing up to tho shock, while keeping the strongest TDservo possible. Troops on tho wings aro permitted io givo ground within limits whenever the enemy has been lu ado to pay a greater price than the ground was worth; tho whole aim being to reduce the enemy to 6uch exhaustion that the reserve at the right inomout can restore the situation. In the present operations tne British have played tho part on the wings, mid have withstood many times their own weight of the enemy masses, and havo retired slowly, exacting the fullest price. Meanwhile, Foch holds the bulk of the French in reserve, sending unite only to points hard pressed. This strategy has been justified, in that three weeks have seen the enemy brought to a standstill without a single strategic objectivo being fulfilled, and losses so immense that hie reserve is in danger of proving inadequate to hie policy. The German commander, seeing how nearly ho is delivering himself to tho Allied reserve, has been compelled to accept temporary failure and call a halt. His position is tactically exposed in two dangerous salients on waterlogged ground. His countrymen are dangerously dissatisfied at the immense price paid for the failure to torminato their sufferings. His allies are on the verge of quarrelling daily, and ejhibit their growing dislike and distrust of their taskmaster, who robs ttiem of lives and food. His reserves aro nearing complete exhaustion; those of tho francoBritisii are still in bsing, while American preparations develop, and the time draws closor when defeat is inevitable. Therefore he must renew tho oftVnaivn. His preparations proceed feverishly, but ae it takes montns properly to organise such an offensive, ho must bo satisfied with what ho can do in weetes.

Wo may, therefore, expect a renoivod furious onslaught before long, as the enemy is so committed to his strategical plan that we may await his main blow on the Arras-Amiens front while necessity compels him to try to improve his position in the Lys sector.. Tho Allice may have complete confidence in the result. For the enemy the issue is a desperate endeavour to avoid defeat; for the. Allies the issue is only that of victory deferred. Tho coming battle may be a repetition of Verd'in on a larger scale, and if both sides be exhausted the Allies havo vast powers oi recuperation, while Germany has drained her resources already.