The Washington herald., 1917-11-22
Haiig.


the powerful Hag thrust into the heart of the German
line in France and Flanders 1t is famboyant to pro-
claim the Hndenburg line as broken it has been badly
bent in the middle, and may perhaps have been rup
tured through the sheer frontal and lateral
that huge force of troops, pouring into gap fully
thirty miles in BREADTH is able to exert
Let refrain from superlatves until the cables
tell the exact extent of the victory that Marshal
Haig has won.
Conventional military strategy has declared re-
peaedy that the type of tactics employed by the British
commander yesterday is impossible and ridiculous An
assault on the German lines without heavy artillery
preparation? Monstrous, say the critics. Yet Mar
shal Haig used artillery, tried the out-and-out
frontal attack ped human flesh against and
Steel and won the most amazing triumph of the year.
II he had assembled his big guns and used days to
demosh the German defenses, the Teptons would have
had ample warning marshal heavy reserves at the
points which to be attacked. By keeping his
tllery out of the way by maintaining control of the
air as to give the Germans possible chance of
learning his troop dispositions, Hag made just
remarkable a surprise attack Washington's mid
night development of Trenton, StonewaIl Jacksons
coup sprung the Inflated Pope the second battle
of Manassas.
What is the explanation? Has Hindenburg actually
thinned his lines the Western front so far
to allow attack of this to win almost hands
down? Does he actually think that concrete pill boxes
barbed wire entanglements, machine guns lily manned
sufficient at any point along the Western 'front.'
despite the growing upon it? Doubtless his
logic ran along two tracks: First, that winter had
arrived, and that the British would conhne their re-
manning operations to Flanders; second, that an at
tack along the Douai-St Quentin line would be pre-
ceded by artillery display which would give him time
to reenforce his divisions along that In both
of these postulates he wrong Haig outguessed
and outgeneraled him. Hindenburg gambled once too
often with the studous, conservative strategist con-
fronting him
Whether the so-called Hindenburg line is punctured
not, it is evident that the sweeping of the
British presages general German retirement from
Flanders to Laon. II hardly be otherwise, I'M
less counter attacks drive Hag from the ground he
has won, which appears be virtually impossible
salient thlrty-two miles in width cannot be enfladed
by guns the flank 1t is than toehold so to
speak; there is ample within it for troop dis
positions without terrible FIRE raining down on either
side from enemy guns 1t is arrowhead which, to
be withdrawn, rips and tears the surrounding flesh
to pieces. 1t will be driven deeper and deeper and
when Douai falls the whole system of German COM
municatons in Northern France and Flanders will be
demoralized.
The first result of the Hag thrust will be easing
up of the pressure Italy, for there will be extensive
German troop Withdrawals from the Carnic and Julian
Alps to the Western front. The second will be res
toraton of allied morale, somewhat shaken by the dis
asters that have befallen the Italians The political
reaction may be strong as to relax entirely the
public pressure for the centralized military control for
which Lloyd George and the American government
pressing. It may make Sir Douglas Haig strong in
Britain that he defy Lloyd George and the present
cabinet with impunity.
1t is gratifying to Americans to know that Gen.
Pershing eyewitness to the victory. Their
only regret is that American troops did not participate
in il.