Decine Will Become Collapse.

Levin Daily Chronicle, 29 August 1918, Page 3

Decine Will Become Collapse.

M AVE ICE'S VERDICT'. WHETS' THE TQjE TUliXhi). Received this day,_B.so a.m. London, August 2-S. General Maurice, iu a review of the military situation after a visit to the front, states : Amiens must have fallen after the enemy's attack on Villers Bretonneux on April 24th if the Germans had pushed on. Foriunately General Rawlinson, who realised that the enemy 'must not be given time to dig ' in, counterattacked with a small force, mainly Australians, and thj;! Germans were driven past. Villers Bretomieux. * It was equally fortunate thai the civ.*my made the mistake of embarking on Ihe Flanders offensive which diverted forces which, if uM?d on the Amiens front, would almost certainly have resulted iu the separation of the Allied forces. Hindenburg and Lud.'endorli' made exactly the mistake Moltke made in 1914. their forces being frittered away on side issues. We are witnessing now the consequences. Tl took too long' to shape the .Rhpints offensive. The American forces grew and we were allowed time to recover. Thp turn of the tide dates from Gourand's repulse of the Crown Priuce'f. army in the Champagn" attack, /where fifteen of the lies I Germa/ divisions, carefully nursed and trained, wer:.-> smashed. Foch took tlie chance by onfgreat" masterpiece of generalship. The German policy of selecting storm troops enfe-O.ilcd the German defend 1 . The corps d'elite was formed at the expense of the whole army. We have captured numerous .orders signed by tiudendorfL' adverting in strong languag'o to the weakening discipline of the troops and their slackness. The rigid Prussian discipline is nol standing the strain. Prisoners are laken more easily than ever and p:«'ls of the German army are lighting slackly. This is shown by the slat- of I heir trench defences. Thev- have been content with a single front trench withoui support lines and communication trenches which indicates great slackness or scaredy of labour. Commanders are nioviiie' their reserves about in a ma'i'ier hef'av ill."' ii.-'vvniisnei's. General Maurice does/lio! wjsa In couA-ey the impression thai the German'arm : es will within mensurable distance of collapse. Ihe.\ are still well fed. and. equipped and are formidable. We have not yet 'the sup'"-rioritv of force necessary to crush them, but if wo play our cards properly the German decline will Iccnnie a collapse.