Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-07-22
VARS CRISIS NAY RESULT
FROM THE AISNE BATTLE

ing from Chateau-Thierry. How far
north will they go is the question now?
Perhaps the German high command
does not know: perhaps General Foch
does. And the glorious part of It all
Is that It is being done by the Allied
army, which the Germans openly stated
was worn out.
Beckoned without Americans
They thought the Americans would
not be ready until next spring and at
the end of last March decided to make
drive after drive getting Paris and end
ing the war this fall. Their hordes
were to take the French capital and
force peace. They were going to do
what they failed to do in 1914.
But let me relate little scene !
saw Saturday Down the dusty road
southwark came hundred German.
| prisoners being escorted by Americans
As they passed a cocky little frefrh.
man. by the side of the road, stepped
close to the-iine and said, Mach Parls,
Nest ce pas"
The German command know now tha'
the French and English were not ex-
hausted and that the Americans were
raedy before the appointed date.
What week this has been in the
| worlds history, 4 week ago, while the
French were celebrating Bastille Day
the Germans, strong in. hope because
| Of two preceding drives. were MAKING
ready for another great effort. on Nom
day morning they launched an attack
/ from Chateau-Thierry to north OF ina
| Ions on a 1OO-klometer front. 1heE
crossed the Marine and moved snort
distance toward their obiectiNes
Then out of a clear sky, Thursday
morning came Fochs blow from scissors
to Chateau-Thierry. on Thursday and
Friday French and Americans fought
ahead and then yesterday they hit
Ludendorff a body blow south of the
Marine.
The week started with formidable
German offensive. The week ends with
a great Allied offensive. What Will the
next week bring? Certainly all clvli-
zation should he grateful for what mas
happened TO the Germans in the last
one but it Is too early yet for much
ringing of bells and too great rejoicing:
He has been outgeneraled and out
fought this week. it is true, hut he is
far from beaten He is fornidaole
enemy and will try to come back.
Americans. French, English-all the
Allies-now face the fury of the Ger
man high command with its great mill
tary machine That machine is big ana
perfect, but not the machine 1t used
to he.
The morale of the German army is
weakening from day to day the size
Of the German army is growing surely
less day by day.
The morale of the Allied armies is
getting better every day, and because
of America the size of the Allied armies
IS growing day by day. The defeat OF
Germany is a matter of time. How mucf
= In q
! rejoice. but America should not be over.
confident. But for what France has tt
; be thankful for. America has just
right to be thankful for, too.
, Americans Went FaHhest
South of Sossons, w.;ere the btteres'
fighting of the week took place, 1t was
> the Americans who had the good fortune
to push the line farthest ahead. North
; west of Chateau-Thierry. the closest
point of Paris. it fell to the Americans
to push the Germans back. East OF
Chateau-Thierry the Americans drove
the enemy back the same day he crossed
the Marnc. South of Dormans the
! Americans held the German advance ant
! helped drive the foe back Saturday
North of ChalOns. the grand objective o
the Crown Prince. the Americans stool
on the plains and the boche could no.
pass.
1t was the lot Of American soldiers
to he at vital points. and they made
good. IT is not to be supposed tina
t Americans were at those points through
accident. Perhaps Foch felt that tn
ultimate. complete victory depended oil
what the American fighting man coul'
> do, and perhaps he thought it best t.
know how. 1t seems but fair for Amer
a e..
the greatest Allied gain of this glorious
week is the assurance that the Ameri
can fighting man has no superior. Wha
!, tens of thousands of them have dom
in the last week hundreds of thousand
will do. The week has changed th'
nature of the war from an Allied de
fense to an Allied offensive. For th
first time in more than a year the Ger
mans are on the defensive.