The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-09-11
GERMANS OBLIGED
TO MAKE ATTACK
Pressure Of Allied Armies
Gives Them No Alternative
Except Retreat.
FOCH's STRATEGY WINS
Fall of Either of Two Objec'
tivcs Will Compel Preclpi-
tate Retirement Beyond
Hindenburg Line.

Washington, sept. 10.--rhe per-
spective of the great western bat
tie front to the army stnT here
changes rapidly from day TO day,
but almost always the change xeri-
fes prediction.
The situation of the German
armies still demand that they
hazard n counter-0Tensiye, and
Just now the signs point TO an IN
dertnking OF that kind against the
swing of the British from the
northwest 10 cnvciop st. Quentin
in conjunction with another Brit
ish army closing in from the north
1t is pointed out today that there
mans against the French operating
against La F'ere and remotely against
Laon, and also salltes in blind fury
against the British wing north of St
quentin The main thrust. however.
tn regain prestige will be. it Is again
reelected against %fet4t taeFft via z
of the British army These wings are
In themselves complete armies. and re-
quire and have required the concentra-
ton of a great German a~lny IN front
of and north and south Of st. Quentin.
The same situation has demanded
that the Germans should assem- Bile
another great army for the defense Of
La Fere and TO contest the approach
of the French swinging now III daily
fights along the northwest side Of the
st. Gobain forest,
IL is estimated that the greatest part
of the German army on the western
front has been gathered into the two
armies mentioned. The best estimate
Of the whole present German strength
without any reinforcement from Aus
tria is 1880. o0e men. Facing them
from north to south along the whole
battle line there are IN the neighhor-
hood of 100000 British, French.
Americans and Italians.
The phase of the battle now raging
which exercises the attention Of the
staff is the fact that for the first time
in recent warfare the attacking party
is driving at two comparatively dis
tant points, each one OF which is de-
scribed as of major Importance. These
are ST. Quentin and La Fere. with
Laon in the background for later at
tention. Laon, however. virtually Is
under attack at the moment. This Pc
culiar development OF the CLOSING IN
of the French, British and Amer .cs n
armies is credited to Foch as some
thing not only as a proof Of creative
genius, but as apparently something
that will succeed inevitably.
II is further pointed out that the
relative positions OF La Fere, st. ,2uA1-
tin and indirectly Laon are so closely
connected with reference to Foch <
plan of attack that the fall Of either
one Of them will necessitate a sudden
retrograding of the whole German line
far beyond the Hindenhurg line
The stan. however, dtsregardinE tire
ebh and flow of the battle as the allies
and Americans advance with a dash
forward here and a check here and
there, keep their eyes on the move
ment Of the masses OF the French oEs
and west Of st. Gohain forest and
the masses of the British north and
south OF st. Quentin. They are expect
ing that all military history will 70
peat itself when the British attempt
to push in the German vanguard Of st.
Quentin,
The Germans are bound To come to
the attack and perhaps in force.