The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-09-19
Gen. Ardenne, Who Decried U.
$. Army, explains" st.
Mihfel Withdrawal.
ADMITS DRIVE A SUCCESS
FOch's Plan Is to Win Back
Belgium Mines and Indus
tries, He Declares.
Special Cabx Despatch to TIE sux.

Copyright. 1918: on rights reserved.
THE HAGUE, Sept. 1s.-Gen. Armand
Won Ardenne. one of the leading German
military critics, predicts a further Ger
man retirement. Gen. Won Ardenne, who,
writing in tho Berlin Taoeblatt, said the
Americans might undergo their first Sc
rious examination in defensive warfare
under Berthelot. now writes an article
for the Dusseldorfer Nachrichten on the
battle of St. Mihiel. He says that the
German army command observed a fort
night ago between the Mouse and the
Moselle suspicious French army move
ments. especially on the Periphery River.
at the bend near st. Mihiel. which led
to the conclusion that speedy attack
would ocur at this point.
'"The enemy" he says. did not sue
coed in effecting a surprise. Since the
end OF August German airmen had been
observing the massing OF heavy artil-
lery. tanks and bridge material and
in the last days large numbers OF in
fantry on the east and south bank OF
the river bend. The enemy had erected
workshops some kilometers from the
bank, where individual bridge parts
could be so prepared as to be able 10
be put together without hammer blows
All this led to the conclusion that
speedy attack was imminent.
THE German army command could
not contemplate advancing to meet it in
the river bend near st. Mihiel. because
a defence and resistance tverteidigung
und gegenwehr) might have been at
tackled concentrically.
strategicaI value Lost.
Moreover, the occupation Of ST.
Mihiel and the ground before it long
since had lost strategical value. ST
Mihiel was washed out by the tidal
wave of the German invasion in 1914
In the ebb which followed the German
occupation it remained behind. like
water in coastal sand banks The po-
sition seemed to gain Importance indeed
when by a brilliant deed of arms by a
Bavarian battalion the Fort Cam des
Romans, dominating St Mihiel, was
storrhed and Individual supporting
points, especially Tie Combres heights.
were won.
THE value OF this possession. how
ever, only lasted so long as the German
army command still strove TO take YER
dun
Gen. Ardenne repeats the official
apology that the evacuation OF st. Mihiel
was contemplated for years and that a
new position to the rear was begun
which closed the bend, as with the
string OF a bow. This string can be
pictured as stretched roughly between
Fresnes. in the Lorraine hills. north OF
the Combres heights and Pagny. on the
Moselle.
Gen. .Ardenne says that Marshal Foch
could not have failed to note the move
ments. for he FASTENED the attack as
much as possible because he wished to
attack the German infantry divisions,
which still remained at the river bend
near St. Mihiel, and to envelop and de-
stroy them. "Foch." he says. too often
has seen the successful results OF con-
centric attack by the Germans not TO
attempt consistently to apply it him
self
Praises Austrian Forces.
After briefly describing the course of
the battle Gen. Ardenne says:
Austrian divisions brilliantly par
ticipated in safeguarding the German
withdrawal. Especially were the Bos-
MAN regiments noted. This was the first
time that mixed Austro- Hungarian
troops cooperated with their German
brothers In arms on the battlefield. Hith-
erto only Austrian tanks with 80 3
centmeter mortars appeared on the bat
tie front The common struggle was a
visible sign OF the fidelity OF the alli-
ance OF both imperial Powers which the
Entente vainly endeavors to undermine.
The American frontal attack had rather
great success. gaining ground and con-
siderable prisoners and guns.
THE whole course OF the war shows
the French command has not ceased to
wish to thrust through the eastern
shank of the army. n position which was
adopted after the first battle OF the
Marine; the battle order thereby being
to get back OF the shank reaching north