New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-11-23
Second Stage Before Cambria


the British victory in the Battle Of Cam
brai. In these twenty-four hours the con-
test has passed into the second stage
There is no longer a report OF villages
captured and wide swinging advances
The day report chronicled only the capture
~ Fontaine Notre Dame, and this was
seant mile beyond the positions mentioned
rs taken in last nights cOmmunique. Un-
mistakably the British drive is slowing
down, and the German communique points
70 such a slackening very definitely. We
have now to consider the effect of the Brit
ish success, if it goes no further, and then
the effect II It can be pressed on to the
city Of Cambria itself.
Asit stands now, the British have driven
a wedge some five miles deep and SIX
miles wide straight into the so-called Hin
denbure line south Of Cambria. They
have brought the town itself under their
guns and they now dominate the intricate
system of railroads and highways centring
at this important town. They have thus
disorganized the whole transport system
of the Germans. They have brought under
their guns also several minor lines OF
railroads beyond Cambria. Between
Arras and Cambria they have created
deep and narrow salient about the town OF
oueant, which is the southernmost ex-
trernity of the so-called Drocourt-Queant
Switch" line, before which the British
advance was held up last spring.
If the British do not succeed in getting
to Cambria there may be no immediate
German retirement either between Lille
and st. Quentin or between Lille and
Rheims. Precisely as the French front
steadied itself and held before Verdun
after the first German rush was over on
the last day of February, 1916, the Ger
mans may hold before Cambria if the
British advance is now checked.
The first phase of an offensive is COM
pretended in the piercing of the enemy
front systems, the penetration through
the gap and the arrival at the support
and rearward lines. In the case Of Yer
dun this process lasted for four days and
ended when the Germans were stopped on
the Douaumont Plateau. In this advance
they covered four miles in less than four
DAYS. In the next six months they failed
to advance more than mile. The French
brought to Verdun picked troops and
counter attacked, thus checking the Ger
man advance. We may conclude that the
Germans have already rushed up reserve
troops and are now conducting a desper-
ate defence before Cambria. If the Brit
ish cannot get Cambria within the next
forty-eight hours, their chances Of getting
il very soon are relatively slight and the
hope Of dislocating the whole German
front and producing really great disor-
ganization, such as followed the German
thrust into Northern Italy, will probably
pass.
II, on the other hand, the British are
able 70 get into Cambria and cross the
Arras-Le Cateau railroad, which runs
through Cambria, then there is small like
lihood that the Germans will be able to
avoid a very wide swinging retreat. Just
as the advance last year 10 Bapaume
threatened the whole Noyon salient and
compelled an ultimate retirement 10 the
present German lines, the new advance
TO Cambrai would threaten all the Ger
man positions southwark in the Laon
salient, and with little delay the Germans
would probably have 70 20 out Of Laon,
retire from before Rheims and stand on
line following the French frontier very
eloEely from Lille 10 the Mouse.
The second phase of the offensive is
reaching ia crisis. We must watch for
the fate Of Cambria, since that will prob
ably decide the extent Of the British vic
tory. II Cambria falls, the second phase
will probably eliminate in the dislocation
Of the German front in a fashion which
may recall the recent German success in
Northern Italy II Cnrnhrai dn.a nj faI1