Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-06-21

The statement of the Prussian War Minister
General Won Stein, that the Allied reserves have
been exhausted and that decisive victory for the
kaiser's forces is at hand is of those fanciful
sops which the lords wont to fling the
German populace when it grows especially hun
CRY and forlorn. Far from having spent his re-
serves, General Foch has husbanded them with the
utmost frugality. This is evident in the fact that
not once since the German offensive began nearly
three months ago has he launched an extensive
counter attack. At all times except the highly
crucial moments he has chosen to give ground and
sap the enemy's blood rather than draw heavily
upon the stores of man power which he is saving
for supreme hour yet to strike
If he were not looking far and confidently
ahead he would never have stuck to this strategy
under the enemys persistent and furious blows A
less patient less discerning commander probably
would have launched great counter offensive
weeks ago; and a, times many observers amongst
the Allies have wondered at his restraint Thus
when the British were so hard pressed in Elan
ders there nervous questioning to why
Foch did not pour in a contingent of reserves
strike Overwhelmingly some other sector
But the outcome justified his method; the British
held with comparatively small reinforcements,
and the enemys drive last spent itself in futile
sacrifice. 1t is yet to be SEEN of course, whether
this method be safely continued as long as the
German offensive lasts. There may develop sit
uation that will demand the unsparing use of the
Allied reserves. But so far the German tide has
been stemmed, wherever it imperative that
it be stemmed, with the least possible expend-
ture of power.
AS the campaign has not yet fully unfolded it
would be hazardous to venture predictions as to
where the enemy will stand and just what his con-
dition will be when the hour for the Allied coun-
ter stroke arrives. But know that yet he
has attained none of his major detectives; he is
strategically the Channel ports, no near
err dividing the French and British armies, no
nearer the supreme decision for which he has
striven so desperately. We know moreover that
his losses have been enormous. Repeatedly In
Flanders and Picardy and along the Marine and the
Aisne his ranks have been moved and raked by Al
lied fire until entire battalions wero well-n1gh de-
stroyed and entire divisions disorganized. This
is not to imply that his striking power is yet near
ing it's end; he has many fresh divisions to pour
in and his will is mistaken. But the important
fact is that the tides of blood he has spent thus
far have been unavaing and that he faces
confident foe whose maximum strength Is yet 10
be exerted
Instead of the Allied reserves having been ex-
hausted as General Won Stein AYERS to revive the
spirits and loosen the purse strings of rather
detected Rechstag, it is the German reserves tnat
are trending to exhaustion with all the important
ohiectives of the drive unachieved and dlscourag-
inglv remote Further, while the remnant OF re-
serves that Germany now has are her last, those
of the Allies are backed by Americas swiftly gain
ering millions.