Evening star., 1917-03-25

perhaps a thousand square miles OF
French territory, and il removes the
threat to Paris which German posses
sion of the Noyoa salient always had.
1t shortens the line somewhat, thus re-
leasing German and allied troops, but
not any large number of them. On the
new line the Germans can construct de-
fenses quite as strong as on the old,
which they have done. and the COM
munications behind the new position
quite as good rs they were behind
the Old.
If the great offensive of the allies
was designed to take place on the front
that has now been evacuated, 1t viii
have to be postponed for month or
two at the least, until the British and
French can bring up new roads and
railways to the newer firing line, and
thus the Germans will gain consid-
cradle period OF time. If their object is
to prolong the delay before the de-
cisive struggle begins.
A Successful Getaway.
Only one grave danger confronts the
Germans. and far there is every
sign that they have avoided it. re'
treat is one of the most difficult OF all
military operations, and this is true
not alone because of the dangers incl
dent to going back, but also to the pos
sible loss of morale of the retreatlng
troops and the consequent difficulty IN
rallying them to stand on new posi-
ton. When ! was in the British lines
there were several generals who eX-
pressed to me their doubt as to whether
the Germans could get away, but dhe
real doubt was as to their abliity 10
stand on the new position II they shoulo
retire The getaway has been sue
cessful beyond anything any critic
could have expected; we are soon to see
whether the halt and stand VIII De
equally successful. Gwen the speed
and success of the retreat, it should be.
Summing up, then, the situation as
it exists we are seeing a retreat from
the lines taken in September and oc-
tober, 1914 We are seeing retreat
which is consequence primarily OF
the battle of the Marine. where the
Germans missed their chance for de-
cision, and a direct consequence OF the
battle of the Somme. where the bfh-
ish and the French dented the German
line between Arras and Noyon so ueep-
ly that it became necessary to retire TO
a new front between these points. We
may see a further extension of that
retreat, so that the line runs north and
south from Laon. east of scissors. TO
some point west of Lille
Such retreat is purely strategicai
Apart from the evacuation of the Lens
coal district it would give the French
no land of value and the Germans can
stand on as good a position as they
had before All along the point has
been made by the allies that the pos
session of territory itself means moth
ing, and on their own statement 1t is
fair to recognize that the territory now
abandoned by the Germans has little
military value.
Second Question.
Passing now on to the second ques-
ton, What will follow from a retreat
to the frontier?" one may say this:
First of all, such a retreat is unlikely
because it would mean the abandon
ment of great deal of territory which
has a material value-large cities. the
entire railroad system of northern
France, the coal region of Lens; and it
would deprive the Germans of the ad-
vantage they possess in holding
against ultimate settlement a large and
valuable section of northern France.
If such retreat takes place we shall
be bound to conclude that the Germans
are very short of men and that they
have made the retreat primarily to re-
duce their line and thus to release men.
Their front would be shortened by not
less than eighty miles by such re-
tirement, and this would release per-
haps half million men. If such a re-
treat is to take place we may expect
the Germans sooner or later to make /
stand on line starting about Lille, GO
Ing southeast through NdIeHcltHHeS- III
front of Maubeuse. to Hirson. and
thence to MeZieres. on the Meuse. and ]
along the Meuse to the present position
before Nerdun. Generally speaking, |
such a position would be based upon
the old French covering forts at the |
Belgian fronti.. the positions from
which the French and British ad- !
vanced to their defeats in August. 1914.
These defeats of Mons and Charleroi !
were so heavy that the allies were COM J
PEELED to abandon their frontier cover |
ing positions. which were deeply out !
fanked by the rapid advance Of kiuck- (
1t is, roughly speaking, about twenty !
miles from Bapaume, where the Ger !
man retreat began, to Cam brai, which /
is in the Hlndenburg line. 1t is another |,
tw e1ity miles from Cambria to the from |
tier. 1t is twenty miles from Ribacourt. /
before which the French stood when |
the German retreat began from the
Noyon salient to La F'ere, which is in |
the Hindenburg line. But it is thirty
miles at least to the frontier from La
Fere. Thus. If the Germans are going
to continue their retreat beyond the
line. it will take at least /
another week before they settle down
on their new front.
Two Weeks to Decide.