Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-07-27
EVENTS WEEK

EVENTS OF A WEEK
The fifth great German offensive lasted three DAVIS.
lasted three times that long, with losses in men amount
Ing at this time to the size of a considerable army. losses
incalculable in stores, the certainty of further important
losses and the strong probability that an entire army
will be captured by the Allies.
Had the Allies chosen to rest at any time during the
past week the score would still have been heavily against
the Germans, for in the first few days they brought to
nothing the sixty mile offensive which the Germans had
planned to make one of thebig strokes of the war, and
toward which they had been accommodating men and ma
terial for weeks. AS it is, they have been driven entirely
across the Marine, have been compelled to yield position
after position of those which they took in their May adj
vance. and their retreat is still on.
AT this time the Germans have only a few square
miles of useless territory to show as the result of two
great offensives, and on the other side of the score are
the many thousands of dead and wounded, the multi
tude of prisoners whom they have lost, and vast guam
TUES or material of all kinds. Add to this the precarious
SITUATION In which the German army finds itself, with
the narrow salient which it occupies swept by the ar
tillery and the aircraft Of the Allies, and with eyerv one
of their lines of communication either directly under fire
or Immediately endangered, and we have a situation
which must cause anxiety in Berlin, despite the efforts
Of the authorities to convince the German people that
nothing disastrous has happened.
The week has been devoid Of sensation or has been
one continuous sensation, according to what the individ.
ual will consider sensational. The military operations of
the week along the Marine sector have simply been con-
limitations and repetitions Of those Of the first two or
three days. There has been no change in plan, and the
results Of each may have been followed by similar re-
suits on the next. On no day have the Allies failed to
make substantial gains, and on no day have the Ger
mans made even local gains which they were able to
hold.
In estimating the significance Of what has been ac-
complished, we may dismiss the recapture Of territory
as Of the least importance. The Germans will probably
be compelled to retire to the vesle. They may not be
able to shop short of the Aisne. But they we're at the
Aisne before, and whether they are at the Aisne or the
Marine, matters little, SO long as they are present as an
effective fighting force of tremendous power. The AL
lied counterstroke has relieved Rheims, a matter Of
some Importance from the sentimental standpoint. and
from the bearing which the capture of the city might
have on the conditions farther east, and, ultimately, on
the approaches to Paris.
The wearing down of the kaiser's forces by death,
wounds and capture, is important. An attack which
fails is a costly thing to the attacking party, and It is
known That the German losses in men during these
eight or nine days have been enormous, far greater than
those of the Allies. The German losses in material are
also important, but it is much more difficult for them
than for the Allies to replace such losses. The prospect
that exists Of the capture of a large section of the crown
princes army is also sufficient to warrant the putting
Of a great effort, even If no other purpose were in view.
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There are many things in the situation which are
important, and all of them are distinctly to the advant-
age OF the Allies. But when they are all considered, it
seems quite within the facts to say that not one Of them
contains the real meaning that there is In the fact that
at least General Foch has at his command sua1cient
troops with which he can feel warranted in undertaking
an offensive movement on a large scale, and with winch
he has been able to break up one Of the enemy.s most
ainbihous efforts and hurl him back, and this with the
american flow of troops to the front only Just under way
That is the encouraging thing in this situation, and the
cratic countries 50 that the proper finishing touches may
~ quickly as possible be putlon what has 30 auspieiously
been begun.
ssaT The arrival OF American troops In fighting numbers
~ not alone Responsible for the betterment OF conditions
Rershtngs quarter OF q million have done nne work.
Their pr1ssnce has relieved their ASSOCIATES Of tho Re.
,tponstbtiity Tor conducting the fight In 4 most Important
ssset0s. and sthe fact that these men were on the job, and
sshat othsrs wsrs pouring in. must have had 4 stimulat-
tnE influence on III the Allied troopa. but Tor anssrsr
a~tfApartant ihhuenes ~ must look farther south. Itaiy
~ nsursd stro1slya ln the situation, AZ Italy ones az.
seess4 pnsertApnnstsly "a mother campaign.
sAss Fsiet u ~ 80. Italy ~ asseciass4 xieh a..
esy IA sAtstrtA n ~ Trspis Ailiancs. ~ vsssurssd
n ap3NE NTH fhou III III preaent vaf. 1YaAA - 80. Z