The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1918-08-06
ALLIES SHOWING PRuSSIAHIShn into ruin
Url.Sd Press
War Summary

I,4o4rn Gay OF the war; Goth day of
tho counter offensive.
Vesie-Aisnc froy1t--Gernan resist
ance continues along the Vesie-Aisne
front and the opposing artilleries are
engaged In terrific duel, apparently
Preparatory to another allied assault.
Allied detachmenta. eiinging to the
north bank Of the vesle, are success
FUZZY resisting enemy efforts to dis
Iodge them.
Picardy front-The French made
another advance north of Montdidier,
Occupying the west bank of the Avre
on the three mile front between 6rac-
ches and Morisei. A German raid
southeast of Mcntdid;er was repuiscd.
German artillery heavily sheIed the
Villers-eretonneux sector with gas.
Flanders front-Eritish troops re-
pulsed German raid northeast Of
MerrIs and made successful trip
into the Boche lines in the Nieppe
forest Hostile artillery was active
north Of sethune.
Scotland--British clothing manu-
facturers have taken a contract to
refit 100000 american soldiers.
France-RencwaI of the long range
bombardment of Paris today result
ed In some victims and material dam
age.
Germany-The Berlin vossisehe
Zeitung hints at the possibility of a
German retirement to the Meuse river
line.
Allied Strategy and Patience.
lBy j. w. T. Mason, United Press
War Expert.]
NEW YORK. Aug. General
Foch's high quality of patience is
enticements to the allies to overrun
south Of the Aisne. Won Hindenburg's
enticements to theallies to overrun
themselves and fall into carefully
prepared German pitfalls are having
no more success now than at any
times since the retreat Of the Marns
began.
.Fhe Gerfnans ARE IN strong defen-
siye positions north of the Vesle They
are holding their line desperately, for
the work of moving their guns across
the Aisne is slow and laborous pro-
cess. To drive the Germans back by
frontal attacks along the Vesle would
exact heavy death toll from the al.
lies, much in excess of what the Ger
mans themselves would suffer.
General Foch has repeatedly shown
he will not engage In these short sight.
ed tactics.
Artillery bombardments or threats
to encircle the Germans are the right
ly favored methods of attack under
present conditions. It is worth the
heavy cost of direct assaults on the
German positions to drive Won Hin
denburg beyond the Aisne more rapid
ly than he must go eventually.
The time for the allies major Of
fensive has not yet come and fewer
casualties the allies suffer in the
meantime the more certain will the
final result Of the offensive be. 1t
doesn't matter to General Foch wheth-
er Won Hindenburg is compelled to
shorten his line now or later. The in
evitable must happen. Won linden
burg, however, strongly desires Gener-
al Foch to try to force the inevitable
before its time. If Won Hindenburg can
inveigle General Foch into engaging in
destructive minor offensives before
Americas millions are fully prepared
there remains chance that in the end
the allies Will have. whitfield away
their new resources.
SO Won Hindenburs turns at bay
and invites the foremost units of Cen
eral Foch's troops to engage in pitched
battles. But the trap is without avail.
General Foch is familiar with all the
tricks of the old fox. Inexorable as
fate, the American troops are filing
into France. Time, therefore waits at
Foch's command, and the pause at the
vesle is an integral part Of the allies'
strategy.