Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-07-22

FOCH DRIVE CATCHES
GERMANS MAPPING
Capture of Prisoners and 400 Guns Reveals Hoc Utterly
Cro,cn Prince Vas Unprepared for Allied
Counter.BlO,U

OF unparalleled difficulty is the eNacua-
tion Of the Dardanelles.
No soldier before the war would have
thought II possible TO retire unobserNed
and without molestation from the
enemy In an intrenched position couple
OF hundred yards away, but the fac' is
that AT night the only indication of the
enemy's presence is an occasional rihe
shot. a burst of machine-gun hre.
These retirements by night require
very careful staff work. but all staffs
have now had experience of what Is
needed, and provided adequate arrange
ments are made. there is no great DIM
Guilty in carrying such an operation
through.
on the western battlefront between
the Aisne and the Marine the Allies con-
t'nue to make most satisfactory prog
ress The Germans have been driven
back from the ground which they had
won between Nierzy and Chouy. and the
front now runs almost due north ana
south from the outskirts of scissors to
Chateau-Thierry.
This advance combined with the re-
tirement of the Germans across the
Marne. left the enemy in a very awk-
ward salient at Chateau-Thierry, and 1t
Is not surprising to learn that the French
have entered the town II would be alb
surd 10 regard the retreat of the Ger
mans across the Marne as a disaster. for.
as have said. lights and a few picked
men with some machine guns can keep
up the illusion that the trenches opposite
are fully manned. and quite sufficient re-
sistanCp can be put up to prevent an in
vestigation by patrols until It comes
their turn to fall back
The enemy is now left with only a
- hn-
tween the Marne and Rheims and the
village of Prunay. to the east. to show
as return for his efforts while he
has lost more than double as much on
the western battlefront.
Battle Not Yet over
The troubles of his troops on the north
bank Of the Marne are by no means
over. and the steady progress of the
Fra American counter offensive east.
ward must make il more and more diff
fCult to keep them supplied, SO that II
would not be surprising TO find our allies
continuing to make progress east OF
Chateau-Therry along the north bank
of the Marne
Fighting along the whole front. from
Rheims down to the Marine, and UP tc
Soissons, Is still reported to be very
heaNN, ana the nattle is Dy no means
over. but it is still going very well for
us.
The appearance of British troops or
the front side Of Rheims is a surprise
for we were only recently told that the
Franco British forces had been sorted
out after their intermiXture in the June
battles.
This Interviewing of the Allied force!
Is often inevitable in battle. but it com
picates supply and administration Yer,
considerably. 1t is not very easy t
make good tactical combinations he
tween comparatively small bodies of diff
| fcrent armies, each with its character
! istic method of fighting. On the from
on either side of Rheims we now know
there are British, French. American ant
Italian, and combination of This kim
does not make for great strength. Blu
at the moment it is probably unavoid
able.
1t is historically interesting to remem
ber that the places which the Franco
American advance is now reaChin
ParCy, Tigny, st. Recuy, OulChy, Neuill
and Courchamps We're passed by GU
troops in 1914 in their pursuit of Vo
Kluck on the Aisne after the first battl
of the Marine.