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Show THE HUN'S DRIVE. All hough the exports assured us that tho Germans were about to renew their drive in I'icardy, we took the liberty of suggesting that tho next blow would be at tho heart of France and that it might bo struck in the Champagne country. What appears to be a major offensive has just been launched in that region, but it is a little too early to say that it is the chief offensivo planned by tho German general staff. At this time the indications are that it will be pressed with tho utmost energy to a conclusion conclu-sion and yet there is some slight warrant war-rant for the opinion that the enemy might suddenly shift his attack and strike toward Amiens or southward toward to-ward Paris on tho old Picardy battleground. battle-ground. The central position which the Germans Ger-mans occupy has mado it difficult for the allies to determine whether the enemy would strike to the west or to the south. Preparations for either offensive of-fensive might go forward in the same localities, for a titanic offensivo is prepared pre-pared many miles behind the lines as well as at the front. At the last moment guns pointing south in serried ranks might suddenly be pointed west and the legions which had given every appearance ap-pearance of being sent forward to the Aisne might rush westward into Picardy. Pic-ardy. That is about what happened in -March. At that timo the allied observers observ-ers thought they had ample proof of the enemy's intention to begin his offensive of-fensive between Soissons and Bheims. On March 21, after a bombardment of Civs hours, tho enemy moved west instead in-stead of south and pierced the allied lines between Le Fere and Arras. Since the battle of Picardy has subsided subsid-ed the enemy has concentrated his new . and repaired divisions in the same zones in which he concentrated for the offensive offen-sive of March 81. The dispatches seem to show that dcneral Foch was not taken by surprise, four or five British divisions were uncovered un-covered in the Aisne-Champagne sector as soon as the enemy commenced his attacks. Evidently an entire British army is in that region assisting the French. The results of the first two days of fighting are not decisive, although the allies have been badly worsted. While the Franco-British line was not pierced, as in the Picardy drive, it was bent back quickly a distance of four miles to the Aisne river and on a considerable frontage fron-tage the British were forced across and beyond that stream. They must have lost some thousands of prisoners and vast stores, but they were able to inflict heavy losses upon the Huns. On the second day the French and British appear to have been forced back seven to ten miles from the points they held when the offensive started. Only a sweeping triumph can justify an offensive of great magnitude. If the Germans fail to achieve their objective, ob-jective, they will have sacrificed their man power in vain, and it is only a ijuestion of time when their numerical superiority will have been overtopped by the allies. Already they have expended ex-pended a largo part of the man power they brought from the Russian front and before the year ends all of it will have been accounted for, if the Germans Ger-mans continue on the offensive and continue to fail. The French aDd British quickly lost the celebrated Chcmin-des Dames on the "Hogback" north of the Aisne. The ounter-attack reported yesterday was not in this sector, but in Flanders. On tho Aisne the Franco-British forces have not recovered from tho initial enemy stroke and arc fighting desperately desper-ately on the defensive to prevent the foe from developing his success. |