New-York tribune., 1918-10-10
The Laon Salient
BY Frank II. Simonds
Copyright. 1918. New FORK Tribune Inc.>

Copyright. 1918. New FORK Tribune Inc.'
NNCE more q situation is steadily
q y developing on the Western front
which must lead shortly to an
other wide-swinging German retreat,
this time retreat which will modify
the whole familiar appearance of the
front in Belgium and France. For four
years now we have had q German wedge
or salient thrust out toward Paris, with
it's nose resting upon the hills southwest
and southeast of Laon and it's sides but
tressed by German defence lines stretch
ing north through St. Quentin and
south to the hills above Rheims.
The time has about come when the
German must leave this salient. He
has already lost st. Quentin and the
hills above Rheims. The British and
Americans between ST. Quentin and
Cambrai, the French and Americans
between Rheims and the Argonne are
steadily advancing, and as they advance
is becoming too deep as compared with
it's width, growing more and more to
resemble that Marne salient which in
vited the Foch blow of July Is. AS
consequence Ludendorff must soon re-
tire out of the long-enduring "Paris
'front.' of the Germans, to which they
retrcated after the First Battle Of the
Marne and to which they have held
ever since.
1t would be q mistake to conclude
that the Germans within this Laon sa-
lient arc as yet in any grave danger
They are not, because their western and
most exposed flank is covered by the
long, deep trough Of the Disc, which has
been flooded from La Fere northward
In the same way the other side of the
salient is covered by the successive
lines of the Suippes, which has now
been reached by the French, of the Re-
tourne and finally and most thoroughly
protected by the upper Aisne, between
Chateau Porcien and the Argonne.
Assured that their fanks will not
suddenly crumble, because Of these
natural defences, the Germans are hold
ing on as long as possible in the Laon
salient, for political as We'll as for mill
tary reasons. 1t is even conceivable
that if bad weather should set in during
the next few days and make sill further
campaigning impossible the Germans
might hold on in the Laon salient until
spring, as they did in the Noyon salient
in 1916-I7, and thus materially fortify
their peace offensive, based upon the as
sertion that no decision in the field is
possible.
Such a possibility, however, may
practically be discarded. The pressure
Of Rawlinson on the west and Berthelot
and Gouraud on the south has. in the
last few days, reached an intensity
which must be the prelude to German
retirement. At any moment now we
may see q sudden and swift German re-
treat, like that in the last moments of
the fighting in the Marine salient, about
August !, when, having prolonged
their stay to the latest possible mo-
ment, the Germans made a run for it
with their last detachments, and did not
halt until they had passed the Vesle
River
Exactly the same sort of retreat to a
line stretching from the Scheldt north
OF Cambria to the Aisne at the big bend
about Chateau Porcen and west of
Rethel must now be looked for, and
when it comes the Germans will leave
behind them most of their conuuests in
France.
The very heavy fighting on both sides
and st. Quentin has been the result of
this necessity to defend the sides OF the
salient until the troops and material in
side were Withdrawn. The advances Of
Haig, Pershing and Petain have been
slow and costly, involving some of the
most deadly fighting Of the war, because
a swift success on either side Of the sa-
lient would have insured a German dis
aster of the first magnitude But it
seems now that the possibility of such
disaster has passed and the maximum
of profit which we are to get is the
most considerable advance resulting
from any one operation on our side and
on the Western front since the days of
the First Marine.
Exactly where the German is to halt
remains problematical, and it may we'll
be that he is waiting for the weather to
decide the question. Political reasons
with him outweigh military He is COM
PEELED to make just as little surrender