Evening star., 1918-08-10
huns OBJECTIVE
STANDS REVEALED
Hoped to Close Road to Chan
mel Ports and Take
Paris.
ONE SUCCESS TEMPORARY
RI fhe Associated Pro-.

PARIS, Fr1o1y, AuBust >, evening
The Franco-British offensive in the
Aniens region inaugurated the fourth
phase of the 1918 operations which
began with the German drive against
the same sector in the closing days
Of March. The Champagne drive was
the third and the great peace onen-
size while that delivered against the
soissons-Rheim sector is classed as
thu second phase. It came after the
first blow which brought the enemy
into the Amiens region. temporarily
forcing the British back from long
occupied terrain.
/ Reviewing these four months of
battle the allies may feel content
The German objective now is clear.
His strategy has followed the obvious
f, course. In March his purpose was
| two-fold, first, to cut the northern rail
| communications to the channel ports.
and, second. to establish a western saw
In the Champagne-Soissons- Rheims
vicinity and close slowly on Paris
| His one success was toward Amiens
| Success Turned to Failure.
| The last forty-eight hours proved
that that was but temporary as time
counts in this war. Elsewhere the
enemy not only has failed, but he has
met with reverses.
In the Soissons-Rheims and Cham
payne operations the enemy sought
to intrude the eastern jaw of his
pincers and by dominating the Cham
payne heights to force himself in
L ~. .%rasx De- ~
! same time open direct southern
4 route to the capital. He met with a
resistance which in both physical and
moral aspects he APPARENTLY was not
prepared for. His quick recoil in the
! !Soissons-Rheims sector after the
| IFranco-American counter offensive
later splendidly supported by quickly
| moved British units is regarded by
onstrating not only the superior in
| telligence service Of the allies, but
the neemy's underestimation Of his
| opponents. At the same time the stub
born German retreating action in this
salient shows that his own army mo-
rale is far from being demoralized.
Strategy and valor Won.
French. American and British troops
who fought the enemy the past two
weeks over the bitterly contested
ground from the Marne to the vesle
give testimony not only TO his valor,
but also to his strategy. He had pre-
pared for victory but had not meg
iected the possibility of defeat and
compelled the allies to pay a COM
mensurate price for their gains.
Day by day dispatches have told
the story Of the hard fighting in this
hill and valley region, where belts Of
forest crown wheat fields and hill
lslopes to creeks and ravines. There
were roads, embankments and natural
defenses everywhere. making perfect
fought for. The salvage dumps ac-
tcumulating behind the allied lines
testify to the size Of the enemy ef-
fort and the greatness OF his hopes.
but, extensive as they are, they do not
amount to a fraction of that which
he destroyed during the slow move
backward toward the Aisne.
Russia's Downfall Felt.
In this fighting the allies felt the
first physical effect of the downfall
of Russia. Much OF the war material
which has fallen into allied hands
was that supplied to Russia by the
allies in happier days. Officers who
inspected the dead and questioned the
prisoners say that the German cloth
ing was Of good quality. that the
that the rations taken from the dead
and wounded as the allies advanced
were plentiful and nutritious.
/, The effect Of the Amiens success on
the Soissons-Rheims situation is yet
problematical. but the best belief is
that 1t will accelerate the enemys
withdrawal and possibly determine
him to make stand behind the
Aisne, where his heavy artillery al
ready is in place, instead of holding
the belt between the vesle and the
Aisne. with one river in front and
one behind
Paris Freed From Menace.
Whatever the German plans n Is
now established that the allied sue
cesses Of the last few days free Paris
from the enemy menace ana restore
the northern railways to the channel
ports In the opinion Of military men
the Germans may re-estaolish the bat
tie lines of last winter (the famous
Hindenburg line).
Aside from the direct military re-
suits the effect of the allied offensive
|, movements on the morale OF both the
French army and the civilian popula-
tion cannot be underestimated. An
Associated Press correspondent has
concluded a trip from the Vasges to
Soissons. He found a wonderful re-
action behind the lines The urban
and rural populations display q re-
newed spirit of oonfdence. Already
In the battle region the farmers are
returning to gather the harvest left
standing and the villagers are maxi
ing their way back to what remains Of
their homes. In the towns the stores
and inns are reopening and Paris
looks upon the mutterings OF big
Bertha" as the last spiteful effort OF
an exasperated enemy.