New-York tribune., 1918-08-02

q immediate future, such as re-
main possible after every similar
conflict has reached it's real term, the
Second Battle of the Marine has ended
1t was practically over last Sunday, when
the Germans began to take root in the
hills north of the Ourcq and south of
the valley Of the Cerise about scissors
and Of the Ardre west of Rheims.
Boehn's army has found at least tenn
porary halting place on this front, as
did Kluck's little further to the north
after the retreat from the Marne four
years ago.
The belated German descriptions of
the battle, which are now beginning to
flow in, supply US with all that we lacked
of definite information concerning the
earliest phase of the battle and confirm
the original conjectures that the stroke
Of Foch south and west of scissors cor
responded completely with that of Joffre
north of Meaux in the First Battle Of
the Marne. The frankness of the Ger
man narratives now contrasts strikingly
with the entire lack of all description or
explanation following the great defeat
which blocked their initial dash for
Paris.
The Second Battle Of the Marne was
fought upon a narrower front than the
first. The main action, after the third
day, was confined to the Marne salient,
and we have the accurate and truthful
statement of the Germans, whose verac-
ity on such occasions is little short of
amazing, that before the counter thrust
of Foch was launched their own often
sive had been checked and their own
commanders had issued orders which
amounted to abandoning struggle
which gave promise of no real profit.
The element Of surprise, which had been
decisive, in their attacks in Picardy,
Flanders and above the Aisne, in March,
April and May, was totally lacking, and
since it was lacking the advance was
stopped in it's tracks.
The largest number Of divisions which
have been reported as fighting in the de-
feated army is seventy one, and there
have been other estimates smaller. but
not materially smaller. Three-uuarters
of a million men is perhaps fair ap-
praisal of the fighting strength of the
Germans at the Marine, at least a quar-
ter less than were used in the First Bat
tie of the Marne, and comparing with
eighty divisions used in the Battle of
Plcardy, IN March. Of their forces en-
gagged the Germans have lost between a
quarter and a third, from 100000 to
250,0O0, upward of 500 guns and mass
of war material, which has not vet been
tabulated, but is known to be enormous
In the fourteen days of the Foch counter
offensive the Germans have retired some
thing like an average of ten miles on a
front of fifty, with a maximum of fif-
teen, and have thus evacuated more
ground than they have surrendered on
the morrow of any battle in the West
save the First Marne, and from third
to half as much as was involved in the
famous Hindenburg retreat of March
and April, 1917.
The amount of ground, however. is
slight compared with the military value
OF the evacuated district. Bv his ear
lier victories Ludendorff had opened the
Disc and Marne valleys for a great
double thrust upon the French capital
and he had heavily beaten the British
army and for period of months put II
out of the reckoning for anv decisive
effort. He could hope, end did hone
unimpeded by the British, to DISPOSE of
the French, and the younger Moltke had
hoped to dispose of Joffre without Rus
sian interference in the August and Sen
tembe- days of 1914
BY his counter stroke Foch has re-
gained control of the whole of the Marine
Valley and effectually barred it to anv
German advance, save as consequence
OF some new success like that of the
Alsne in the last days of May. The Ger
man is, therefore, about where he was
in May, in the first days of May, save
that he still stands south of the A;era