The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-08-11
F0E'SPLAN FOR
DRIVE ENDED BY
LYSRETREAT'
Leading Military Critic Sees
Germans Turning to For
NAL Defensive.
PRAISES TANKS WORK
Forecasts One Man Type Next
Calls Montdidier Rail-
road Big Gain.
PRAISES TANKS WORK
ny H. sIDEBOTHAM.

zone Of the foremost military critics
IN Europe.)
Special Cable Dsspofch TO TIE Sun from fhe
London Times.
Copyright. 1913; all rights reserred
LONDON, Aug. 10.-A sound military
principle is to exploit a victory, but
to it's utmost profitable return. not
to its utmost gross return, which may
be very different thing. 1t is as an
important part Of generalship to
know when to leave of as to know
when to begin. One OF our faults in
the past has been that We have at
tempted to squeeze our victories too
dry-notably at Passchendaele, al
though our mistake in this regard
was happily righted there.
There Is no sign as yet that this
limit OF productivity has been reached
in the present offensive. Indeed the
contrary was true on Friday. although
the progress made that day was not
quite up to Thursdays standard, when
1900 prisoners and still uncounted
number OF guns were captured. The
situation on the whole, however. was
satisfactory. The British centre In
the Lys Valley was carried forward
another four miles.
Montdidier Railroad Valuable.
On the right the French. who had
such a hard struggle Thursday to force
kA
the east bank by the capture OF Ar
villers. where they Joined up with the
Canadian troops now in the town.
There was one setback Friday on
the north bank Of the Somme, where
the Germans seem to have recovered
Chipilly. captured from them on Thurs
day. The Allies still retain Morlan-
court, however.
The continued development OF the al
lied offensive Is not easy to forecast
Clearly the most important single posi-
tion now held by the Germans in this
region is the railway junction at
Chaulnes. upon the possession of which
depends their retention OF Montd!dier and
Roye. Late dispatches have reported
the capture of Montdidier by the
French)
A double railway line runs through
Montdidier. and 1t would mean a great
gain In our railway communications.
Already Amiens must have returned
to its old importance as n railway centre.
Yet It Is precisely toward Chaulnes. the
Importance OF which the Germans Of
course know very we'll. that the allied
progress has been the greatest The two
ends OF the German line north OF the
Somme toward Montdidier are still hold
ing, and one is reminded of Gen. Lu-
dendorffs theory Of an elastic defensive
line stretching between two rigid points
The outlook is most promising, but as
yet the Identification Of the German
lines Is not sufficiently wide for us to be
certain OF the final result. Their with
drawal from the Lys salient confirms the
suspicion that the Germans are abandon
ing all plans for a formal offensive in
the west. But 1t must be remembered
that here they are not on favorable
ground and that they probably never
would have occupied II had not unex-
pected successes in the early stages Of
their attack inspired them with the
hope Of capturing all the high ground in
that section.
The tactics OF the battle have been OF
exceptional interest The correspondents
make mention OF the light tanks which
evidently have considerable speed, for
they have gone far ahead Of the infantry
and seem to have had no difficulty in
keeping pace with the cavalry, in which
the British army still retains its faith
IL the ground be reasonably dry.