The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-08-22
|SIDEBOTHAM SEES
TRENCH WAR SOON
Foe Seeks to Retreat in Peace,
but Has to Meet Repeated
Attacks.
OPEN WARFARE NEAR END
German Plans Hinge on Reten-
ton of LaOn and La Fere
Group of Hills.
ny II. sIDEBOTHAM.

by II. SlDEBOTHAM.
One Of the foremost military critics in
Europe.
Special Gable Despaica 10 THE suS from the
London Times Service.
Copyright. 1918; all rights reserred.
LONDON, Aug. 21.-Gen. Mangin con- /
tinued yesterday his attacks between the
Alsne and the Disc and improved his po-
sitions. The apparently Insignificant at
| tack on Saturday at Autreches has ex-
pa nded each successive day. and as 1t
expanded its rate of progress has been
1 accelerated.
On Tuesday II reached as much as
| three miles at Cuts, OIL the Noyon road,
but the fact that the fighting was hard
est there. where the penetration was
greatest, strengthens the view that the
Germans are preparing to fall back and
that these operations are to be interpre-
ted not so much as a formal offensive,
but rather the systematic worrying of
the enemy during his preparations for
, retreat.
Terrain Helps Defenders.
The country between the Disc and the
| Aisne is broken and difficult. lending it.
| self to defence. Although not much has
been told US OF the nature Of the tactics
| employed in the attack. they are not
reckless and extravagant. as the Ger
man reports would have us believe, but
| are more like the operations OF siege.
| in which preliminary bombard!nent once
more has assumed its old Importance and
| strategic surprise is not the first con-
! sideration.
| 1t does not follow, however. that be-
! cause the Germans had made up their
| minds probably to evacuate the positions
| they are holding in the angle between
the Disc and the Aisne their actions were
| merely rearsuard engagements on the
| contrary. they were contested with ex-
IRENE obstlnacy and that. apart from the
| value of the ground gained, is justifca-
| tion for the steady pressure that the
French are keeping up
! Exactly the same sort Of pressure Is
being exercised on the British front in
the Lys salient. There, too. the Ger
mans evideAly are preparing to
straighten out their line. but their retire
| ment so far has been confined to the
southern end of the salient. Their fu-
ture line evidently is destined to run
| through Estaires. but they are Ear too
| sensitive about possession Of the heights
| south of Ypres ever voluntarily to evac-
1
bic to them. but KENNEL may go as
possession which never justified the
| trouble taken to acquire IT,
| What is the explanation of the slow
| ness Of the German retirement II, as
seems likely. they have made up their
/ minds to economic man power by
| st STRENGTHENING out their line and to Gre
| ate some sort Of force for operations
| elsewhere by abandoning their territor-
ial acquisitions of this spring and sum-
| mer9
| Dare Not Retire Quickly.
The answer is that with the Allies so
| vigilant and active the Germans dare
| not retire quickly. Instead OF being able
to retire twenty or thirty miles, as they
did at the beginning OF last wear almost
| without the Allies ever being in touch
| with them. they are now at every point
| OF their lines threatened with an at
| tack. their slightest movements are de-
tected ami when they seek to retire the
threat OF attack materinlzes and they
lose heavily in prisoners.
| In other words. the Germans are re-
| firing slowly because they do not dare to
do anything else. They have. moreover.
| TO think Of the state OF feeling in Ger
! many. and lastly they have 10 gain
time for the preparation OF new posi-
tons.
The period OF open warfare Is draw
ing to a close and new period OF trench
warfare and fixed positions is about to
set in. 1t is the great problem OF gen
eralshp 20 maintain exactly the right
mean between making formal attacks Oh
a great scale. which might use up our
reserves and exhaus: us, and allowing
the enemy TO execute his retirements in
his own time.
The obvious nervousness Of the Ger.
mans about the situation on other parts
of their French front shows that they
now have n very wholesome respect for
the generalship of Marshal EoCh and
fear that he may have some stratesical
surprise preparing for them. Their
Commandments of diverse poin's on the
front betray their nervousness: their
fussy raids evidently are in the nature
Of reconnaissance 10 discover how much
OF their plans have been revealed
Great National strcnsth.
Whatever the German plans may be-
it is obvious that they must all hinge on
the continued retention OF Laon and la
Fere. the positions which have just been
constituted separate command under
Gen. Won Boehn. This ganglien of hills
Is Of great natural strength and may be
, impregnable TO direct attack, but OF all
. the threats made against the security Of
the German defensive positions in tho
III.