Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1918-06-10
THE COMING OFFENSIVE.


ing vast territories of no military
value whatever, while the Allies have
fought a defensive war, retreating
when the lives of soldiers could be
| profitably saved, many persons in
this section have deluded themselves
into a belief that the Great War can
be won with such tactics. To all of
these we would say the situation now
existing in Europe is too critical to
longer indulge in such baseless theory.
During the early days of the fight
ing when England's land forces were
wholly unprepared, Belgium's little
army overwhelmed and France only
half ready for the gigantic blows be-
ing delivered by the Teuton hordes,
then such tactics were the only course
left open to the valiant Allies. But
such course cannot be followed until
the end, unless we concede victory to
our savage opponents No less emf
nent an authority than General Foch
himself is responsible for the state
ment that Modern warfare, to arrive
at its end and to impose its will on
the enemy, recognizes only one means
destruction of the enemys organic
ed forces"
This, probably, is the German view
of the situation, for having disposed
of Russia, while chaos reigns in that
unfortunate country and anarchy is
supreme in those fertile regions, the
Teuton armies are being hurled re-
lentlessly against the defenders of fair
France, and wboats continue their
ruthless warfare upon thu Allies lines
Of communication between Europe and
America. Possessed of preponderance
in numbers, the Teuton now attempts
the destruction of the organized forces
of the Allies Already this attempt
has progressed several weeks, with
tremendous losses inflicted upon the
defending forces.
1t is worse than foolish to deny the
Importance of recent Hun successes in
the west, but one glance at the war
map of France will reveal to care
full observer the critical situation in
which the German army finds itself
in the vicinity of the Marine, where
their drive toward Paris has been
checked by the timely arrival of fresh
American troops The Hun has sue
ceeded in driving a wedge into the
Allied line extending from scissors On
the west, to Rheims, on the east, but
he has been unable to shake either the
French line at Rheims or the British
wall about scissors. True the latter
town has been in possession of the
Germans once or twice, and even now
is disputed territory, but the effort to
broaden the salient at these two vital
points has been Intellectual The flank
of the enemy, therefore, remains ex-
posed, and were the Allies to attack
in sufficient numbers at either Rheims
or scissors, or simultaneously at both
points, there would remain no alterna-
tive but to retreat from the Marine, or
lose the magnificent army now facing
the Americans at Chateau Thierry.
1t may not be the present intention
of General Foch to begin a counter
attack anywhere on the line, but it is
interesting to know that he is begin
ming to talk in terms of the offensive.
war undertakes and prepares the
destruction of the enemy's organized
forces" General Foch says, by bat
/ tie which brings about the overthrow
of the adversary, discrepancies his
command, destroys his discipline and
nullifies his units as far as their
fighting power is concerned. Our first
axiom must be that to completely
achieve its object. A battle must not
be purely defensive A purely defen-
sive battle, well conducted, does not
result in a victor and a vanquished.
Il is simply a game that must be be-
gun over again From this il is nh