New-York tribune., 1918-08-15


marshes. The few causeways and
bridges between Peronne and Ham are
under the indirect fire of Allied artillery
and have been greatly damaged by Allied
aviators. To stand on such a front and
risk a later attack would seem to be to
invite disaster and to invite it without
any adequate Justification for the old
Somme line offers no particular advan-
tage as a defensive position. Only a
question Of military prestige can weigh
with Ludendorf now as against the solid
reasons of military expediency, which
demand further retirement.
Again, Hindenburg, in his great re-
treat in the spring of 1917, transformed
all the country for twenty miles in the
rear of Ludendorff's present position into
an absolute desert. Villages were razed,
every tree was cut, there is absolutely no
cover of any kind, and an army sudden
ly thrown into this area would find no
position on which to rally and maintain
itself until it reached the Hindenburg
line. 1t was for this purpose that Hin
denburg devastated Picardy, and he
subsequently profited when Hutier at
tackled Cough last spring and threw his
army back from the Scheldt to the Avre
and the Ancre.
Every consideration, then, that one
can now perceive would seem to point
toward a withdrawal of Ludendorff to
the Peronne- -Noyon line within brief
of !. ~
from the Ourcq to the Vesle in the later
phase of the Marine fighting. But such
retreat would be gradual and orderly
withdrawal, having a fixed limit and
postponed long enough to enable the Ger
mans to prepare a thoroughly adequate
defensive position behind the Somme,
which is itself considerable military
obstacle. The flanks would rest upon
the high ground east of Albert, the scene
of the great Somme battle of the British.
and upon the even more considerable
elevation above the Disc between Chauny
and Noyon.
IN word, such war of movement as
was possible has come to an end. A
rupture of the German lines, followed by
a pursuit of a dozen miles has brouoht
the British to a new German position.
before which both British and French
forces have been temporarily checked
and must hereafter fight, if at all, in the
old way. What remains to be determined
Is whether Ludendorff has decided to
stand on the old Somme line or to 90 back
to the new position already indicated.
Meantime, there is a mournful famil
iarity about the present line from Arras to
klbecourt. Anglo-French armies are fac
ing German armies on the lines on which
ooth stood from October, 1914, to july.
1916. Between July /. 1916. and tho
present date nearly two millions of
casualties have been the price of Allied
advance and German recoi, Of German
advance and Allied recoil, and finally of
thls new turn, which has brought a sec
ono German retirement After nearly
tour years there is not, between the
Scarpe and the Disc, change of three
miles anywhere in the opposing posi-
tions.
but 1t is source of enduring optimism
TO realize that within the distance of the
twenty miles which separate the Hin
denburg line from the present front all
the consequences of the Russian collapse
have been iquidated And as result
OF a gigantic effort to win the war bv
one campaign Ludendorff has conquered
only the Picardy desert which Hinden-
burg created, and is now facing the prob
lem of whether he can maintain himself
on lines that will leave him in possession
OF the desert, without military value, but
useful to bolster up weakening morale
of the Germa- people.
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