PROGRESS OF THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 250, 10 July 1918, Page 4

PROGRESS OF THE WAR

AccoroiNG to a message from Paris which appears to-day experts arc of opinion that the German reserves on the West front amount to only fi{ty-6vo divisions, as_ compared with eighty in the spring, and they therefore cxpect the coming blow to be made oil a much restricted front. The news regarding enemy reserves, if it is based on sound information, is better than had been hoped for. The general suggestion in recent weeks has been that the enemy lias been hastily bringing up all available men, from Russia and elsewhere, and that in spite of his losses he might be expected to muster in formidable numerical strength as compared with the Allies. This impression, however, was modified to'some, extent by a reccnt statement, by Mr. Li.oyd George to the effect that the Allies would before long equal, if they did not surpass, the enemy in numerical strength. No detail information is afforded in regard to Allied reserves, but the suggestive statement is credited to-day to the American Chief of Staff that there were 251,000 American troons in the fir-ing-line on July 1. This indicates both that the temporary incorporation of American units in. French and British divisions has been carried to considerable lengths, and that good speed is being made in the training of the American army. The reported reduction in the enemy's reserves is all tho more important in view of the poor showing made by his troops in line on several vital sections of the front in recent local battles. Though available information is patchy and incomplete, it docs not seem reasonably open to doubt that the Allies are much better placed in essentials to cope with the enemy's next blow than thev were to meet his initial onslaught in March.

The expectation of an offensive on a shorter front than was attacked in the drive towards Amiens would be reasonable even if the enemy were better off than ho is credited with being in reserves and in relative strength. There is no doubt that the results he has attained fall far short of what ho hoped for when he launched his offensive, and his natural policy in the circumstanccs would be to base his remaining hopes upon a concentrated onslaught pressed with ruthless disregard'of sacrifice so Ions; as the faintest hope of gaining.a decision remained in sight. An offensive on these lines will not be easily stemmed, particularly if the enemy retains unimpaired tbu advantage he has hitherto enjoyed in being enabled to freely select his point of attack-and to effect what has been termed a "surprise by weight." It is by no means certain, however, that the Allies. will be content to oppose purely defensive tactics to the coming onslaught. They may quite conceivably return blow for blow and_ rely in part- upon a counter-offensive to maintain the stability of their line, or to gain more extended results.

Apart from tic fact that the Allies are bettor off in point of numbers than they were in March, their prospects arc brightened by their great and growing superiority in the air. Already, though tKe American output of aeroplanes is still at an early stage, the Allied air squadrons represent a tremendously important factor in every battle and in the campaign at large. But the most important of all the changes and developments that have taken shape since March, and the one which most definitely improves tho outlook from the standpoint of the Allies, is that time has been afforded for the machinery of unified command to get into effective working operation. By fortune or design the enemy so timed tho opening of his offensive that it caught the Allies in the perilous period of transition from the separate national command of armies to a unified command. To his choice of time the enemy undoubtedly _ owed much of the success he gained, but he thus profited in the early stages of his offensive by p.n importunity which will not recur. The unified command is now firmly established, and it is strictly reasonable to beliovc that under it the Allies aro very greatly strengthened.