New-York tribune., 1918-09-17
Military Comment
By William l.. Mcpherson

Foch's stroke against Ludendorff's
exposed right flank in the Marine
salient was not generally grasped
at the beginning. Many commenta.
tors said that it represented only a
local counter attack--a purely de-
fenslve expedient to check German
progress below the Marne and
toward Epernay and Chalons
1t is pleasant to recall after two
months of amazing Allied progress
what was written in this column the
evening the news Of Foch's opera
ton came from the Soissons-
Chateau-Thierry front. Here it is:
Foch's attack marks a revolu-
tIonary change of policy. 1t is
the turning point in Allied STRAIT
egg for 1918. The great
significance of the Franco-Ameri-
can drive at the German right
flank in the Aisne- -Marne region
lies, therefore, in the fact that it
was new departure. 1t was not
a counter attack. 1t was a coun
ter offensive.
Since then the Allied counter
offensive has broadened out until it
has involved the Western front all
the way from Dixmude to Pont-a-
Mousson. At every point of con-
tact the Germans have been deci-
sively beaten. Nearly 100000 Ger
man prisoners have been captured
and about $500 guns. Ludendorff
now holds only few insignificant
strips of the territory which he
overran in his five grandiose often
slves. He is back nearly everywhere
to the Hindenburg line of March
II last. And even the Hindenburg
line, now shorn of it's reputed in
vulnerability, has been pierced on
several important sectors.
In two months of aggressive fight
lrg under Marshal Foch's inspiring
leadership the Allies have accom-
plished more toward a definite vic
tory over Germany on the battle-
field than they had been able to
accomplish in the preceding four
years.
Foch is still pushing his drive
for Laon, the necessary preliminary
to which is the development of the
St. Gobain bastion. Whatever is
being done on any other sector.
Mangin keeps plodding away at his
task of weakening the German posi-
tlons south Of Laon. Yesterday the
French took Mont des Singes (the
Mountain of Monkeys), an impor-
tant height about a mile northeast
of Vauxaillon. 1t is also only about
mile west of Pinon, village on
the southern edge of Pinon Forest.
General Mangin is working his
way to the south of Anizy-le- Cha
teau, which is one of the keys to
Laon, since it lies in a valley
through which one of the railroad
lines to Laon passes. He is also
steadily crowding Ludendorf back
east of Scissors. Yesterday he took
Vailly, on the Aisne, three miles east
of the junction of the Aisne and
the Vesle. The French also ad-
vanced nearly mile east of Sency,
half way between Allemant and
Vailly.
In this sector the Germans have
not retired one yard voluntarily.
They have counter attacked after
every defeat. But they have been
unable to hold ground Of vital i'm
portance to them in their attempt
to cling to the old Hindenburg posi-
tions.
In the last two or three days the
British have been closing in on St.
Quentin from the northwest. They
have reached Maissemy, two miles
east of Vermand and four miles
northwest Of St. Quentin. The
French have already enveloped that
city from the southwest and south.
Last March it was held by the Ger
mans, but only as an outpost. The
Allies are now in a position to take
it whenever they get ready to do So
A successful Franco Serbian of |
fensive is reported from the Salon
ica front. This is a front on which
it is usually too warm to fight in
summer time and too cold to fight
in winter time The fall is the ia
vorite operative season. Serbia was
overrun ia the fall Monastir was
retaken in the fall Maybe a fall
this year would show re-
suits worth while, for Bulgaria is
and is on bad terms
With Turkey Few Germans and
Austrians are left on this front.
The Allied army there needs little
'espite in the way Of campaigning
after so many months of inaction.