FOCH QUITE CONFIDENT.

Taranaki Daily News, 6 May 1918, Page 5

FOCH QUITE CONFIDENT.

AMPLE ALT.TBTI RESERVES. SATISFIED WITH EVENTS. London, April 23. General Foch, the allied generalissmo, in an interview, expressed tho utmost confidence -with the position. Ho stud that he had ample allied reserves which were still intact. He was quite aatisfled with the course of events. M. Marcel Hutin states in the Echo de Paris that during Mr Lloyd, George's recent visit to France he pressed General Focli for his frankest views, saying; "Tell me, general, as a military man, whether you prefer Ludendorffs position or yours." Foch replied, unhesitatingly, "Mine." Reuter's correspondent at French. head-quarters writes: I have interviewed one of the foremost French generals, who was in command during tho great fighting early in April, in ' which tlu'ee French divisions held up 30 enemy divisions for ten days. He declared unreservedly that there was \ nothing disquieting in the present battle situation. On the contrary, we have every ground for confidence hoth ' in Picardy and in Flanders. The Germans, he said, would continue .to fling their wearied divisions into the tattle until the moment of exhaustion arrived. The course of this battle, like all others, was essentially the same. Each side would continue to ply blow and counter-blow, endeavouring by weight of numbers, or by superior skill, to find weak points in the enemy's armour, and each endeavouring to retain reserves sufficient to turn the scale when the decisive moment was reached. We are only now within sight of the decisivo point. As the Germans have still got in France unused reserves .and fresh divisions, the battle would proceed, and the next shock must be expected as soon as the flood pouring in through the Bailleul gap towards Hazebrouck was checked. The battle might continue for a. month or more, but the enemy would be held until his reserves were exhausted and his numerical superiority was torn down to the vanishing point. Then our turn would come with the help ; of American divisions. The general spoke with entire confk dence. He expressed unbounded faith in the British army. During the re- i treat across the devastated region, %wo British corps operated with him. He spoke in warmest praise of their fight-; ing spirit, despite the tremendous battering they received, and said that the British fought like madmen. He was specially grateful for the co-operation of the British artillery, which was placed unreservedly at his disposal; "The Germans are consuming divisions at a rate which cannot last/' he concluded. "Wo have used ours with painstaking economy. Nevertheless we hpld the enemy."