Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-07-29
THE BEGINNING OF the Fam

Fere-en- Tardencis, an important
point has fallen irlto the hands of the
ained armies and the salient is so much
more fattened by It's fall. The Franco
Americans still advance and the cap
ture OF SCISSORS becomes more nrob-
able. The entente armies retain the
initiative and the Germans are SIN
falling back. The news Is rood news.
But those who tuild hopes OF sudden
ending of the war on the present VIC
tory. which Is not merely a success hut
q victory, are building upon hope and
conjecture rather than an any present
solid prospect Of an immediate peace.
1t Is natural to overestimate a success,
and magnify victory into a ro,,t
50 1ar there is no rout but q defeat
for the German arms Itndy Of the
situation on the map will not assure
any but the most optimistic that the
crown princes army is to be cut off
and captured as whole In the en-
veloping movement. There is too much
room behind and the rear guard actions
which are sacrificing divisions to hold
back the allied advance will probably
hold it long enough to permit the with
drawal of the major part Of the Ger
man army to O stronger position. That
the salient will be flattened out and
the German army thrown back and a
considerable number of hts troops cap.
tured is well within expectation but
that the crown princes army is to be
corralled and captured is not to be
expected or hored for seriously under
present conditions. It ie to be expected
that the allied advance will slow up.
The men are tired and the enemy nas
had time to concentrate new troops
against the forward movement but it
is also to be expected that the allies
will go on and take Sessions in time
and complete the Strengthening out of
the salient thrust into the entente lines
by the great German drive. That
General Foch will attempt to repeat
the great Ludendorff drive from this
side OF the lines is not to be expected
or desired. He can afford to wait for
the Americans who are on the wnv tn
be in at the death Of Germany.
But the position Of the armies Il re-
versed. Germany has suffered a great
defeat. In fact it Is moro crushing
defeat for Germany than a mighty
victory for us. Germany started for
Paris and the ports. She announced to
the world that she could not be
stopped. ordered German dinners in
Paris and pushed the dropping spirit
OF the German people to high pitch
with the promise Of victory. She did
sweep forward to the Marne at fearful
cost. And then she was whipped and
beaten again as she had been whipped
and beaten before and is being dashed
back again to the dens Eindenbure
dug as retreat Of safety for a Do.
feated army. The army Which was to
swarm over Paris and into the channel
ports has turned tail and is desperate
ly striving to save itself. It will be un-
able for months to take anything but
| the strictly defensive Its morale is
shattered. 1T has been whipped on
ground of its own selection and the
hopes that raised the spirit of weary
Germany at home have turned to
ashes. The war lords can not explain
to the German people. They promised
Paris and tho port1 and have turned
tad and are seeking safety. They
promised starving Austria the loot of
the fertile italian aowlands and we're
driven back across the Piave, beaten.
From Vienna TO Berlin the shadow of
humiliation and defeat rests upon the
central powers. The assurance that
America could not bring men to
Europe failed The Islander that Amer
leans would not fight after they got
there has been bitterly exposed. The
submarine has failed. And now the
picked armies uuder command OF the