Show 1 l T N T I IMA MAKE MA OVE RIV oNLy l W WHEN FOH f R OLD I Threat of Spring Offensive Offensive Offen Offen- Offensive I sive on West Western rn Front Froni I No Longer Impresses I American Military Men By Associated Press fress WASHINGTON March 18 I VY Germanys Germany's threat of a aI I great spring offensive on tl the e I western front no no l longer nger impresses impresses im im- presses American military men In its weekly review today the war department records the conclusion that the enemy In spite of his vast preparations preparations' will not take the offensive of offensive offensive of- of unless forced Into It This confirms the opinion many officers have expressed for weeks la tt the face of official forecasts fore to the contrary I from both sides of the Atlantic While hostile preparations for an offensive in the west vest are not slackening slackenIng slacken- slacken lIng Ing the review says it Is becoming I II I more evident that the enemy will willIt launch the offensive only if it compelled It to do so by the exigencies of the general gen gen- general general gen gen- eral strategic situation I Tho The nature of the information upon which the opinion is based is not I disclosed It is noted that fresh German divisions have arrived on the I western front and the German lines I are said to be approaching the point in density beyond which It would be Impossible to go without choking communication lines and hampering free movement of reserves Apparently Apparently however this concentration has come corno to be regarded as a defensive noti an offensive movement ACTIVITIES OF AMERICANS Much of the statement is devoted to the activities activities' of American troops now engaged on five separate fronts one of the sectors lying close to the Swiss border The official com com- however adds nothing to recently published press reports of the raids and trench fighting In which l the Americans have havo been Involved Elsewhere on the western front the experts experts' find no evidence of Impending Impending impending Impend Impend- ing major activities by either side The period of inactivity the statement statement statement state state- ment says is being prolonged It notes however Indications of Austro- Austro German concentrations In the tho Italian theatre which may forecast assaults on Verona or Brescia as their ob ob- The statement The period perlo 1 of Inactivity in the west Is being prolonged Though the raids now taking place would In the past have been considered considered consid I ered Bred Important engagements never- never tho less owing to the tho fact that they are merely of minor tactical Importance Importance Import import- ance they cannot be held to be major operations t DRIVE FORCE Tile AThile hostile preparations for an I offensive in the west are not slackening slacken slacken- ing mg it is becoming more evident that the he enemy will vill launch this offensive only if Jf compelled to d do dv so by the exigencies of tho the general strategic situation While fresh German Lerman divisions are reported as arriving in the west It Itis itIs its is s important to note that the tho density of f enemy forces has nearly reached a point bo beyond ond which It will be Impracticable Impracticable Im Im- practicable to go for should any large largo additional body of men be massed the he chances are that the congestion of f the lines of communication will become so great ac no to make it Impossible impossible Im im- possible to maintain the flexibility of maneuver which Is so essential Our own forces in France Franco have been een constantly in action Our oops are now In the trenches trench trench- I es s at five different points This week we undertook our first I assault against German positions unassisted un un- un- un assisted by any allied contingent SUCCESSFUL RAID At dawn on March 11 after a preliminary pre- pre bombar ment la lasting 3 three three- Continued ed page on on page 6 TO MAKE Continued from page I 1 1 quarters of ait an hour we drove a highly highly high high- ly successful raid against a trench I segment Our men penetrated the German line to a depth of yards ards I The enemy was was was' driven off after a hand to hand fight whereupon our contingent returned to our lines At three places in Lorraine American American American Amer- Amer ican troops acting in cooperation with small French detachments raided raid raid- ed pd German trenches Two of f these operations were carried out simultaneously simultaneously simultaneously simul simul- each on a frontage of some yards After a prolonged bombardment bombardment bombardment bom bom- the attacking units were I unable to reach their objectives Few of the enemy were found in the first line trenches and the attackers swept forward into the German second line Our men remained for nearly an hour lour hourin lourin in the German positions and retired after inflicting much damage and capturing a quantity of material There has been a decided increase in sniping owing to more favorable weather conditions We Ve kept up a vigorous bombardment bombard ment on the rear areas opposite our Toul sector ector Near the Swiss border where another another another an an- other detachment of our men are in the trenches hostile bombardments were frequent The arrival of our secretary of war in France is noted During the last week the secretary has had interviews interviews interviews inter inter- views with the leading French au authorities authorities au- au and is about to undertake n a careful inspection n of our schools training areas rest rest camps as well as those sectors of the front where our forces are in action The western front from the North sea to the Aisne was the scene of much hard fighting The Germans carried out a num num- 1 ber berof r of air all raids against against again t London and Allied aviators tors- tors raided GerI German Ger Ger- man industrial centers of the Rhine I region In In the Italian theatre the arri arrival arrival al of more hostile units units units' and the the concentration con con- of material coming from Germany is noted in tho area east and west of the tho lake of Garda which II would point to hostile operations having hav hav- ing Verona and Brescia as their objectives In the eastern theatre the chief operation of the week culminated in the capture of Odessa The occupation occupation tion of Odessa will no doubt be of economic importance to the enemy In Finland fighting continues German infantry has landed at Abo I I and the arrival of important additional ad ad- I German forces on the Aland I islands is reported I In Palestine tho the British have I pushed their lines eighteen miles north of Jerusalem I |