Newspapers / Asheville Citizen (Asheville, N.C.) / March 30, 1918, edition 1 / Page 1
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THE WEATHER: Fhj Saturday) Sunday cloudy prob ably showers, moderate) temperatures THE ASHEVILLE CITIZEN CITIZEN WANT ADS BRING RESULTS VOL. XXXIV, NO. 156. ASHEVILLE, N. G, SATURDAY MORNING, MARCH 30, 1918. PRICE FIVE CENTS CO 0 V ssst WM v PRACTICALLY T H AS SLOW ED DO W M 0 ST0PP1MG POIMT GERMAN TIDAL WAVE STILL BREAKING AGAINST ROCKS OF THE BRITISH DEFENSE Progress Checked on All But One Sector of the Western Front, and Germans Are Barely Creeping Forward at That Point, While the French Troops Are Continuing Their Cut Into German Lines. Have You Met Him? ALLIES WORLD WAITING FOR COUNTER OFFENSIVE GENERAL FOCH IS GIVEN' SUPREME Jr. 1 .rt4&r&fMff- Allied Forces In the West Placed Under Single Command of General Foch, Who Has Large Reserves Ready Any Hour May Witness Allied Movement. COMMAND IN WEST WjllJDirect Action , of all The Allied Forces Against Germans MEANS UNIFICATION OF ALL THE ARMIES Brilliant French Strategist Has Already Made Notable Record After eight days, during which it has swept forward over the rolling lulls of Pfcardy, at tiines like a tidal wave, the German offensive has slowed down. Instead of a sweeping advance, its progress has been checked at all but one sector of the front, and there it has been merely creeping for the last two days this fact even admitted by the German war office, which usually concedes nothing. British Still Hold. From Arleux, north of Arras, to Albert, on the Somme, the British lines have been holding stubbornly and nave thrust back the (iermans at a number of points. From Albert south to Montdider, there has been a slow movement to the west, but the hills west of Montdidier are still being held by the French. No ground has been made against the French along the southern side of the salient driven into the allied lines, while it is asserted that the French counter-attack from Lassigny to Noyon is still going on. The extreme depth of the German wedge now is about thirty-seven miles. Waiting for Counter Blow. Meanwhile, the allied world is awaiting for the en tente forces to strike back at the Germans. When this blow, if it comes, will fall, or where, is as yet sealed in the minds of the men directing the prog ress of military affairs for the allies, but seemingly it must come soon, if it is to be effective. The German advance is now converging on Amiens, the railroad cen ter of Northern France, which is known to be the ganglion (mm xufhioh nin tht main fnTYiTmiTiipnf:inriH nf the "Rritish ..-anny in Northern France. The railroad from Paris to Amiens was cut by the liermans at Montdidier, but this would not be vital if Amiens itself is held by the allies. Thrust Stopped. The German thrust in front of Arras, while, ac- I fording to Berlin, it netted thousands of prisoners, has LSpparently come to a stop before Orange Hill, Telegraph Fulfill and the Labyrinth, strongholds held by the British sector. Repeated mass attacks by the Uermans on these points have resulted in terrible losses to them, without, hiwrvciy breaking the line and causing more than a - yt v'hteninir of the front before Arras. i A German official statement declares, that since, the' ft the forty-nnii of his d offensive began 70,000 prisoners and 1,100 guns have been . taken. It is interesting to note that after seven days' fiehtin" at Verdun, the Germans claimed they had cap tured 10,00 men. Taking into consideration the compara tive magnitude of the two struggles, the erman claims for captures may be considered accurate. Fresh Troops Arriving. , f - The French reports are silent as to the progress made on the line from Lassigny to Noyon, except to say that the attack is still continuing and that fresh French troops are arriving in his region. ,. Nothing has developed to show that this is more than a purely local engagement fought for the purpose of pre venting the Germans from reaching the . Oise river and WASHINGTON. March 29. Official Information has reached Washington that General Foch, the French chief of staff, has been appointed to su preme command of all the allied and American forces in France. This means unification of all the armies opposing the Germans, a step which the American and French mili tary men long have urged and which apparently has been brought about by the gigantic thrust of the enemy In France. President Advised. It was learned tonight that the president had been officially advised of the action when he sent a cable gram to General Foch today con gratulating him "on his new author ity' There was no explanation at the white house of what the president meant, and it is understood that there will be no official comment here until after an announcement comes from France. First Hint. ' i The first hint of the historic devel opment came- In press cable dispatches telling how General Pershing had placed the American expeditionary forces at the disposal of the French commander. This was confirmed to night In a message from General Pershing to the war department. General Pershing's message made public by the acting chief of staff, fol lows: "Have made all our resources avail able and our divisions will be used if and when needed. French are in fine spirit and both armies seem confl dent." rtfNGS flfE LG0KW 'tfwW PiTTi 6ftt-sues L WORST OF 7HE GERMAN DRIVE ALMOST OVER AND CHANCE FOR VICTORY FOR THE HUNS HAS APPARENTLY PASSED Great Offensive, Storied With View of Crushing Britain's Military Power, Has Diminished Into a Gigantic Raid, Wtth the Apparent Obect of Taking and Sacking Amiens, If Possible, In Revenge For Failure to Crush the fillies. OF BASQUE ORIGIN. General Ferdinand Foch Is of Basque-origin. He was fcorn at Tarbee in 1151 but was raised at Mett. Rather than become a German after the an nexation of Alsace-Lorraine, Foch preferred to return to France and help to prepare France for the strug gle wit h Germany which he believed ultimately would take place.' . He entered the polytechnic school with the Numiber seventy-two. He left rank that was not considered as justifying hopes of a great future- Foch began by mastering the strate gy of the war of 170 in Us minutest details, v Knowing the mentality of the Germans) he counted upon their repeating in future conflicts the man euvers that had succeeded. To parry the blow, Foch said re peatedly France must have a staff working 4n the-same direct too, prac ticing the same doctrines under a vigorous and audacious chief. The stars of a general were given Foch In 10? and the command of the superior war school, where he left his mark a professor. Preferring a more active command, he resigned m ills and commanded successfully vhs eighth and Twentieth army corps. Given Command. The war found Foch at Nancy and he was selected to command a new army. ' This army was not ready In time to take part tn the battle of Chartered. mv FRANK H. 8IMOND8.) NEW YORK, March 29. The worst Is almost over. Barring accidents uie rhiiu-n of a auDreme German victory seems to have passed completely and the offensive, which began as an effort to crush the military power oi .amain, is diminishing to the level of a gigan tic raid against Amiens with the two fold object of separating the British and French armies and destroying ths British communications witn nayre and Rouen, their principal bases on the south. While the main German drive has not been checked, it has been con tained between the Ancre and Somme rivers on the north and the Avre on ths south. Actually the German wedge is narrowing every moment and if the present allied effort to hold the Germans between these two rivers continues, the German advance may end in a blind alley just east of Amiens. For the past two days ths Germans have been thrusting between the British and French armies and to wards Amiens while the British and French, holding the crossings of the Ancre, the Somme and the Avre, have been shepherding the Germane to ward the west They have not been able to check the full force of the German thrust by frontal counter-attack as yet, although they have slow ed it down, but they have canalised It, as it were. The possibility' that the extreme point of the German wedge may reach Amiens survives. The chance that the Germans will be able temporarily to occupy Amiens and destroy this line old capitol of Plcardy. as well as all ths British military material stored there and temporarily Isolate all the British and French forces, remains, but even were this necessary now, it would bs but a passing detail, for un less the German can widen his front he will soon have to retire to avoid beta caurht between the two mill stones of British and French armies. It was .the realisation of this dan ger that led the Germans to begin on Thursday their desperate attacks upon ths British line about Arras. They sought to break ths northern or Brit ish hinge of the allied front just as their dash at Montdidier was a blow th. anntharn or French hinge, north and south, they failed to make any but local gaina . - la pursuit of the limited local ob jective, which Is Amiens, the Germans began on Thursday to make desper ate efforts just south ot the Bom roe. to clear the eldRomsn road running west frem Bt. Quentln to Amiens. This road is their most direct route to Amiens.' now some twelve muse ats- tance from Warfusse-Abeneourt. which' they reached on Friday. At the same time they pushed southwest Into Montdidier in order to keep open the Noyea Roy e-Am lens highway which they reached on rriday. At the same time they pushed southwest Montdidier In order to keep open fCe alia 14 ew .Page Two.) Into tfce, Noyea Boye-Amleae highway, question WUk tkser oaly goad, to Amiens, weaia i The danger that one or more Brit Ish armies could be destroyed, and that a treat British disaster result. ended on Thursday when the British had Dulled themselves together from ths Boarpe to the Homme, from Arras to Albert and were standing nrm. ine arrival of French armies on either banks of the Olse between the bend near Latere and Noyon ana along the Noyon hills westward, had already closed the road to Paris. Thus ths whole problem was simplified. Now the lesser crisis which Involves the safety of Amiens will be reached in relatively few hours and the Ger man advance between the Somme and ths Avre Is the one remaining menace. Somewhere the next ten miles on the rapidly narrowing front between the Avre and the Somme, the German wedge must be checked or the city will be In peril. But, on the other hand, If the Germans cannot widen the' wedge, by crossing one of ths streams, their own position will be extremely dangerous. If Amiens is to bs saved, the nat ural method of halting the German advance would be by a flank attack or by the converging flank attack. The push north on the Lasslgny-Noyon line by the French on Thursday had many signs of being the long expect ed counter-offensive, but it died out after achieving only local successes, that Is, after it had eased off the pressure upon the French line west of Montdidier, which had Junt been lost. Nevertheless, if there is going to be a counter-offensive from the south and the French have not used up their mobile reserves in filling the gap created by the collapse of the southern end of the British front, if is to be expected between Noyon and Montdidier and will threaten ths flank and communications of the Germans In the narrow wedge, which Is push ing toward Amiens. In the same way if there is to be a British counter- offensive, look for it between Albert and the bend of the Ancrs on the other side of the German wedge. Limit tn Few Hours. In any event we are almost at the solution of- our last strategic prob lem. Unless some new and. unfore seen factor eaters Into the calcula tions In ths next few hours, probably by ounday at Amiens, will have been savsdor lost and the tier mans will have reached the limit of their push. The colossal offensive which aimed at destroying ths military power of Brit ain will be sxpresslng its disappoint ment In ths sacking of Amiens or Its rags in bombarding ths noble eld ca thedral from the outskirts of ths town above ths confluence of ' the, Somme and ths Avre. ' The first phase of the battle of Plcardly- was lost by the British Fri day.. March 22. After that day there was noJ question of holding the old British line-or even of checking the German advance within moderate limits. . For nearly a week the single tory into a genuine triumph as he had at the Dunaceca against the Russian and at the Izonso against the Italian. Hlndenburg and iLudendorf in ths second phase were aiming to dispose of the armies of Halg as those of Plmltrieff has been disposed of, or to sweep forward in the gap they had opened between the British and French armies and repeat the cap ture of the Venetian victory.' The second phase was by no means as successful for ths Germans as the first, as at' Verdun the beaten forces held out against the coming of re serves. As thy retreated they gradual ly regained cohesion, and thus the third phase became, not a bid for ths mili tary decision, which should end the war. but the struggls for a strategical possession of that Important town, and for the glory and profit that tak ing might confer. Britain Bearing Burden. In sum, then, measured by all the evidence now available on this, the ninth day of the battle, the third German bid for a decision In the west has failed as completely as did the first at the Marne and the second at Verdun. At the Marne France saved the world, at Verdun, France stood Arm and checked the German until Britain was ready, now it is Britain, still bravely supported by France, which is bearing the burden, that ws of America may get ready. As for Pershing's offer to put the American army into the Plcardy fur nace, Halg made the same proposal to Joffre when the Verdun battle was at Its first crisis, but Joffre declined, and pne may suspect Foch will de cline, for ss Britain's time had not arrived in February, lilt, ours has not yet come in March 1918. . One word as to Foch, now named as commander of - the whole allied forces on the west. No general In this war has been so fortunate or faced such terrible crises with the twen tieth army corps, ter the French defeat at Morhange In August. 114 LEADING HOTELS WILL WIPEWHEAT OFF THEIR MENUS U. 8y Conservation System Will Start With Reduc tion of Rich Men's Food '. SACRIFICE NEEDED , . TO SUPPLY ALLIES Hotel Proprietors Agree to Stand by Herbert Hoover's Program ' WASHINGTON. March 29. Wheat and wheat products were Wiped off the menus of several hundred of ths country's leading hotels today In re spenae to a request of the food ad ministration that "every Independent, very well-to-do person In the Unit $JBte.tC hOuldL'". Pled, o'mple't abstinence from wheat until the next harvest.-V 1 "V. r 'v , v . Hotel managers who had, come f rom ; every state In the union to . heaf ( ., conservation regulations explained were told ' by Food Administrator ' Hoover that a census of supplies te- vested that the harvest had been less than estimated, that shipping dlfllcul- 1 ties made' It Imperative to feed the allies from here Instead of from the ; Argentine and that It la impossible ( to ship corn, owing to loss from germi nation. ., ' j - Must Begin At Top. ' Mr. Hoover said the .enunciation , of luxurious foods must begin at the top of the social scale, not only to set an example,-but because the In dustrial population is dependent to a large extent on bakers bread, which must have a considerable proportion of wheat to be durable. Therefore he asked the hotels which have as patrons people ot wealth to refuse to serve any wneat wnatever until tns . new crop eomes In, using other , cereals and potatoes Instead. t "We stand at the most critical period of our national history since the battle of Gettysburg," Mr.- Hoover declared.- "We may have to cut cur wheat consumption more than one half, but the sacrince must come rrom those who have the most, not from those who have the least. "Our wheat acreage this year will , bs greater than ever before and if the Lord is good to us In the matter of wheat, our difficulties will be at end (Continued on Page Two.) SENATE PASSES MEASURE INTO lEjRMY SERVICE Bill Now Goes to House' for Action Amend ment Defeated NEW REGULATIONS WASHINGTON. March 2. Th resolution extending ths selective draft to men reaching the age of twenty-one years since June i. 1117 the first registration day waa panned tonight by the ssnats after a futile attempt had been made to add tn it a nrnvlaion for trainlna youths he saved Nancy af-1 from nineteen to twenty-one years old. It la estimated that about 700.000 In the first days of : men will be added to ths registration September It was his army which de llvered the decisive thrust at the Marne In the ever memorable engage ment about LaFere Champenolse. Six weeks later he was in supreme com mand of ths allied armies between the sea and the Scarpa and directing the British, Frsnch and Belgian opera tions In the glorious stand which saved Calais and ajided the German often sivs in the west If there la to be an allied counter-offensive now the man who won the. Marne by his counter thrust at ths moment when defeat seemed assured, is the man for commander-in-chief. . "My right Is -retreating, my centre is broken, my left is routed I shall attack." . There were Foch's words at ths decisive moment sf the Marne. As It stands today the allied prospscts on the Somme are far less desperate than this year by resolution, which is one of ths pieces of legislation on which the war department Is waiting before announcing complete plane for ths next draft. It now goes to the house. The proposal to require, training ot boys over nineteen and under regis tration age waa in the form of an amendment by Senator New of In- dlana. which the senate rejected, 81 -r to 2. after a debate of several daya A number of senators who favored universal military- training as a peaes " time policy voted against the amend- ment. As sdopted the resolution provides that all male cltlxens of the United States residing In this country. . at-. taining their majority since June I last.- shall be subject to regiatratlon. under regulations prescribed by 'the- president; shall present tnemseives 7 their outlook at the Marne orjhe for registration on a day proclaimed. n was whether tha German Tser. and Foch snatched .victory Yit by the president and thereafter haf"' be aVlt te tura his Initial wis- of defeat on both these occasions. be liable to military service- :
Asheville Citizen (Asheville, N.C.)
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March 30, 1918, edition 1
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