Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1918-08-08

in disorder across the Piave, losing ESQ.,
900 men. innumerable guns, and having
suffered In a few brief days a defeat as
destructive to their plans for this year
as Verdun had proven for the Germans
in 1915.
And now. last of all. checked on the
Disc and at the Compiegne salient, we
have seen L~udendorff in recent days
launch his fifth offensive, a colossal at
tack from the Marine to the Argonne.
later restricted to a local operation to
break in the Rheims salient and clear
his flank and rear. against the day when
ne should resume his drive for Paris.
The results of his venture are being
written on the map at the present hour.
Its failure was immediate and. save in
one sector. complete. Its failure in all
sectors was complete when Foch
launched his aver memorable counter
attack, in which for the first time
played a leading part.
America has at last arrived. the de-
spairing call of March had been an
swered in July, when more than 200, 900
American troops participated in the de-
ciSive thrust, and American troops in
France numbered above 10000
1t seems now, as 1 write these lines
today. just fou months after Luden-
dorff's first blow in Picardy. that the
worst is over, the consequences of the
Russian collapse nave been l%iquidated.
II we may not yet wisely fix the time
when victory will in the larger sense
be won, we have come to the hour when
the danger of defeat is passing. prob
ably has passed. The second battle OF
the Marine has already had conse-
quences recalling the first. as did the
French. strategy: after -four months and
at the close of tremendous eNertions
the are retiring on Il. broad
front from the Marine: the Paris front
is disappearing, n on their heels
American as we'll as French soldiers are
pressing. while the Hood of American
troops continues to flow oward France.
As in 1914.
The German problem in 1918 was his
problem in 1914. Four years ago British
unreadiness and Russian slowness i'm
mobilization gave him six weeks in
which to dispose of France. employing
the full weight of his military estab-
llshment against France. He used the
six weeks. he won many battles and
Hrev near to Paris, but the close of the
seriod saw him in retreat, his time eN-
kauSted. his blow parried: the Russian
Menace In the east, no longer to be
neglected entirely. destine to make ever
growing demands apo him until he
wSs forced to go east and seek what he
found-victory and the destruction OF
Russia.
~ 9idtCu, 1910, NlIe KAISER : new con-
mander could count not upon sin weeks
but on something like six months IN
which to bring home the victory. Rus
sia's collapse gave hi,r back the adj
vantages of The first weeks of the war.
But again he had to win in the time
fixed, for by the end of six months
Americas aid would begin to become
effective, n if he failed il the cam
paign of 1918 to put one Of his great
foes out he would automatically lose
the initiative, the offensive. the chance
for victory in the next campaign, when
the American hosts had arrived.
And now, in late July. we sec Ger
man armies again retiring from The
Marine after a severe defeat. the extent
OF which is still ~unrevealed. No dis
aster may come now. as none came in
1914. The German may presently
gather up his strength and strike
against the British. as he struck in
October. 1914. Defeated at the Marine,
he may. for a eco time. seek COM
pensation in a new effort to open the
road to Calais. But the road to Calais
ends at the Channel, and it was not
by taking Calais but by beating down
French or British armies, one at least.
both il possible, that the kaiser in his
grandiose campaign of the present
year was to achieve a victorious peace.