Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-08-17
Getting Ready For Another Advance
~ Wa the New 9 the 1: RaykGsnl

The present check OF the allied ar
mics in Picardy and In Champagne
does not call for disappointment among
the nations fighting for democracy
Marshal Foch. the allied commander,
in lining up his forces for another
advance is confronted with several OBJ
stacles which first must be removed
before another general movement can
succeed. He must force the Germans
from Roye, which he may succeed in
doing today and as he has done at
Lassigny,- and then from Chaulnes, far
Their north. This accomplished, gen.
eral withdrawal Of the German lines
on general line from Arras to Rheims
must follow as natural sequence. It
Is not too much to expect that the
Germans may be forced to retreat to
the line held prior to the big offensive
inaugurated March 21-the old Hin
denburg line. Hindenburg may elect
to stand back Of the Somme river,
which once before gave his defeated
armies refuge, but considering the
battle line as whole this river would
afford protection to only portion Of
his armies.
The importance Of the three cities
mentioned lies in the fact that they
afford the only high ground between
Hindenburg line, except a limited
astretch Of rough country along the up
per reaches Of the Somme. The Hun
will be compelled to fight in the open.
a condition he does not relish, or with
draw to the more favorable line est
ablished after the first battle Of the
Somme
= In the second phase Of the allied Of
fensive, following the driving of the
Germans from the Marne to the vesle
river the allies have retal1en approx
nlately one-third OF the territory oc-
cupied by Hindenburg in his win the
war" blow undertaken in March. The
smaller Of the two maps on this page
shows the old Hindenburg line, the line
in front OF Amiens from which the
Germans We're driven in the past week,
and the white line indicates the pres
Sent battle front. The second and large
Z maps shows the territory regained by
the Americans and Trench In the Sec
ond battle of the Marine. which was
turned into a defeat for he/armies OF
the Prussian crown prince The white
line near the vesle river Indicates the
point to which the Germans were
forced to retreat This advance
pushed the enemy back to within a
few miles Of the old line established
behind the Aisne. Since the second
phase OF Foch's Offensive he has not
made serious effort to carry his VIC
tory at this point further, probably
depending on the offensive in Picardy
to progress to the point that linden
burg would be forced to retreat to the
Aisne because of the danger to his
TANKS by the forward movement in
Picardy. This situation has not devel-
oped. however. and depends upon the
success Of his present undertaking
: farther north. At the present time
Germany IL on the defensive and from
present indications will be forced to
fight on the defensive from this time
pm. It ID believed his losses have been
80 enormous since July 1S that he will
be unable to take the offensive, with
the enormous accretions to the Ameri-
can forces rapidly swinging the bal
ance OF man power to the allies.
General Foch is now laying his plans
for a final decision and ultimate VIE
tory. He is maneuvering to maintain
mobile action and eliminate the inde-
cisive but exhausting tactic OF trench.
warfare. Tanl1ssand armed motor cars
have, it is believed, put an end rat
like defensive methods Of the Huns.
With sufficient men to retain the in
itiative. surprise attacks may keep the
enemy strategast guessing, and we may
look for anything but dull times and
inactivity from now until the final de-
cision.
Strategically the new battle NAV
prove even more important than the
offensive undertaken TO compel the
Germans to withdraw from TIE Marine.
Marshal Foch succeeded beyond his
original expectations when he flattened
out the Rheims scissors salient, He
now hopes to drive the enemy back SO
far from the Montdidier- Noyon line
that 1t will be the part of wisdom to
retire not only from the Vesle. but.
under pressure, from the Aisne. II
Peronne and, ultimately, st. Quentin
can be captured. another German
thrust south Of Cambrai will have to
be forever postponed. In the number
OF prisoners taken the present battle
IS proportionately much more disast-
rous to the enemy than the counterof-
fensive In the Rheims Soe-ons salient.
In q few days Marshal Hs,.s, mas taken
$4,000 prisoners. General Mangin can
tured $4,000 IN as many weeks in
smashing the salient further south.
Another day will tell the story of
whether the enemy can hold his lines
II he fails he will face great disaster.
In any event, his casualties, as well as
his losses In prisoners will reach high
figures.