OCR Text |
Show BELIEVE GERMANS MUST GO FORWARD OR BEAT RETREAT WASHINGTON, May 22. The long delay de-lay In renewal of the German drive in Picardy and Flanders is variously accounted ac-counted for by officials of the war department, de-partment, among whom It has come to be a subject of animated discussion. The most generally accepted explanation explana-tion is that German divisions engaged In the first phases of the battle were so badly shattered that it has taken time to restore them to fighting form. It is apparent, however, that many officers of-ficers feel that a deeper reason than this underlies the lull. They regard it as certain cer-tain that only some serious international condition would cause the German high command to lose the advantage gained by the first rush of the great offensive. The value of pressing forward without pause, once an offensive effort is made, and taking full advantage of the momentum momen-tum gained In initial successes, is well recognized. That the Germans have sacrificed. sac-rificed. During the lull the strength of the British Brit-ish army Is understood to have been steadily increased, and French and American Amer-ican reserves have been assembled in both of the sectors of attack. It now appears, therefore, that when the assault is renewed, as every observer in Europe appears to believe It will be in a matter of days at most, the Germans will face again well established defensive systems and armies that have been rested up and re-equipped. It is certain that the Germans can not expect to set up and maintain trench lines where they now are, it is said, as the contour of the German front, bulged forward into two salients, lends Itself to counter-attack whenever the allies are ready to strike. It is therefore felt in some quarters that unless the reasons for dqlay are soon overcome and the attack renewed, the German chiefs will be obliged as a measure of safety to withdraw with-draw at least sufficiently to straighten out their-line. |