The Washington herald., 1918-06-10
From the Champagne to Picardy.

Boo scene
tsst spriug--so Fic4rdy, in the Noyon-M -Montdidier
ssctor-where be hIckled the British Fifth army IN
March and was Lalted by Foch on the eleventh day
after he nd went perilousy close to the edge OF
Aniens.
Paris is the lure the enemy cannot resist. He IS
like a dragon-fly futtering near light which dag
zles and blinds tinn-ahd sooner or later will con-
sumo him. 1t is not written in the Book of Fate
that he will take Paris. Twice the Marne has
proven his deadline. He finds the line soft in spots
His new style of attack called inhltration proves
sensationally successful for brief season; but its
antidote aad- It's defense are already developed.
Always he falls short With every mile he ad
vances upon Paris the defense stiffens in geomet-
rical ratio.
Doubtless he is attacking between Noyon and
Montddier in accordance with program worked
out before the attack in the Champagne. The lat
ter offensive, doubtless was designed to draw off
reserves from the line to the north, thus preparing
for the thrust which is being launched, according
to the dispatches from the front last night. How
SER Ludendorff did not succeed IN his purpose for
Foch is far too cunning to weaken vital sector
as that along the Somme and Oise to stop such a
spectacular but futile advance that which the
Boche made in the Champagne.
However, it is premature to forecast the result
of this new and. doubtless, eliminating blow at
Paris. One thing is certain: the enemy must not
be permitted to break through the front lines and
lodge sharp salient in the flank of the allied
armies this time: He must find sharp and effective
resistance from the start. Whatever ground is
yielded him must be paid for in human 1ives far
exceeding its actual value In the first bulletins
there is evidence that the preliminary bombardment
is being countered effectively by the allied artillery
Every shell from German guns is being met by ono
from those of the French.
The battle now developing should effective
American participation from the start. 1t will be
remembered that our troops thrown into the
Pcardy struggle before and that shortly after the
great offensive opened the policy of brigading Amer
lean units in with the British and French was in
augurated. 1t is safe to assume that the prepon-
derant part of the American legions in France TO-
day are directly behind, if not on, the line which
Ludendor has chosen for what will be his heaviest
thrust-unless this is, indeed, mask for
greater thrust for the Channel ports.
There is no disposition in Washington certainly
not among military men, to underestimate the true
gravity of the that remains for Foch to
master. The German has a decided superiority in
man power; he has made obsolete all the canons of
trench warfare which seemed fairly we'll fixed
military law four months ago; his new type OF
attack in which gas is used with such deadly effect
iveness, is always dangerous although not insou-
ble his desperate determination force decision
is likely to grow stronger the summer wears on,
fdtneT tndn HeaheE- l ne dlneS themselves see In
the rapidly increasing American war power their
single hope of salvation from sweeping Prussisn
victory, and it must be remembered that the Amer
lean power is hardly more than out OF the in
FAINT class yet
There is a suggestion in various quarters that
the Channel ports may be abandoned in the face of
renewed enemy pressure, to make the allied
line shorter, and consequently easier to defend
This probably be done if it be proven absolutely
and incontroverti61y necessary; certainly any Ger
man threat of rupturing the AngloFrench line, and
OF pocketing the British armies in the north of
France must be guarded against at any cost. Bet
ter to surrender the Channel ports than to permit
the point of juncture between the British and
French armies to be broken-for that would mean
the destruction of the two forces, one after the
other. When the Boche strikes in Flanders again
is will be at once whether he is strong enough
to make the surrender of the Channel ports advis-
able. If these given up the British will have
much more difficult task of transportation; but
which, after all, is child's play compared to
to the that America is forced to meet