South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-08-05
SALIENT IS GONE,
FISHES BURNING
Wagons OF Retreatlng Ger.
man Columns Seen Toiling
Toward the AiSne.

/ LONDON. Aus. 5.-Telegraphing
ar O'Clock SUNDAY afternoon,
la correspondent al American head
quarters on the Aisne- Marne front
says
The salient is gone The allied
troops. French. British and Ameri-
cans. already are holding the south
bank OF the Vesle river fishes is
in flames
The wagons OF the retresting
German columns can be seen toiling
/ laboriously over the muddy upland
roads leading from the river toward
the Aisne. our cavalry patrols have
found nothing 10 report but rear
guard screens.
To have thus driven the enemy
back as he was driven back four
years ago is no mean achievement.
but we must not overestimate the
posi- bilities il may disclose
Retreat Calling.
THAT the energy has been forced
10 retire bitterly against his Will Is
quite obvious Nevertheless. am
prepared TO accept Gen. Ludendorff's
statement that the retirement was
decided on Is days ago after Gen.
Petains blow against the west side
OF the salient. and the Germans can
pride themselves on having remain
ed. TO use Ludendorff's phrase. mas
tcrs of the situation That is 10 say.
they have been able 10 avert the
doom they feared. which was the
collapse Of the sides OF the salient
and the consequent capture by the
allies of ali the troops within il; and
they have been able TO withdraw in
an orderly manner without serious
loss in men or guns, but at a consid-
cradle sacrifice Of ammunition
TO that extent they are masters
Of the situation-as the bankrupt
may be so described who Just es-
capped being sent to prison
The American communication
sunday describes the enemy as hav-
ing been driven in confusion beyond
the Nesle. and one is extremely glad
10 hear il. since so far as ! have
been able 10 witness or TO learn. in
the enemy's retirement signs OF con
fusion hitherto have been conspicu-
ously absent. Indeed, ] have never
followed any army's retirement
which left so little evidence or being
forced. except i'm this one matter Of
ammunition.
Encmy's Dead Unburicd.
The enemy's dead are certainly
Iunburied But who should have
buried them? He left men behind
hi mwith orders TO die. And died
they have They lie about in groups
q bout their guns. dozens here. doz-
ems there
These groups are close together
in vital positions and amount 10 a
total Of from two 10 three hundred
men. They give evidence Of fine
discipline and determination and not
OF that sort Of thing one is accus-
toned TO find behind defeated
armies
Counted Cost OF Retreat.
So far as can see the enemy
counted exactly the cost OF his re-
urement and paid not a man or a
gun above his margin. As a soldierlv
achievement it moved one TO admir-
alton and cheered as one must be by
the confession OF weakness which
the retirement implies. there is moth
ing i'm the retirement on which to
build exaggerated hopes OF the flu
ture BY far the most hopeful fea-
ture Of the whole business is the
difficulty Of explaining t. They are
much shorter Of men than we NAV
suppose.
Their advance on the west Of
Rheims was big artillery BLUM
which could only have been justified
hy the success Of the attack on the
east of 10. The attack failed. and
although Won Boehn tried for
couple of DAYS 10 cloak the failure.
the moment Gen. Petain struck from
the west the Germans had no option
with the force AT their disposal but
10 retire. And they are evidently
profoundly thankful that they have
made such good job OF IT,
\ SJratcgical Failure.
LudendOr6 calls the opera ton
istrategicsl success No. Il is not
that. 10 il a great strategicaI fail
ure, relieved by various tactical
successes. and Ii may not be too
soon To- say that the failure. even
retrieved as il has been. proba bly,
spells ruin 10 the German offensive
for this season AZ least against
Paris
TRUE they have an attack they
may deliver in Flanders almost any
moment thew please II crown
Prince Eupprechts reserves have
not been drawn upon too largely
in the German crown princes IN
tereSt. But October is likely 10 oe
THE earliest cate for any vital op-
erations here and October means
some half million more OF these ex-
cciieut Americans IN tho lire
Ludcndorn lost Opportunity.
THE extreme weakness Of Luden-
dords stratesical success was exhi-
hted Yesterday A great general
with a strategicaI success on his
hands had an opportunity yesterday
for big tstical blow, which sure
/ o.. would have feulDtod him bo1