New-York tribune., 1918-08-18


were now at the point of exhaustion, he
turned to the Marne and opened his fifth
offensive, which ended so disastrously for
him.
The two offensives against the British
had gained for Ludendorff exceedingly
valuable ground, provided he chose to use
this ground either for an advance against
the Channel ports or against Paris. but
1t was very dangerous ground to occupy
If he were suddenly forced to abandon
the offensive and return to a defensive
campaign. This situation was remarked
by all at the time, but it was not inn
mediately of more than passing impor-
tance, because the offensive still remained
with the German. Still, for several
months military men have been watch
ing the narrow pockets facing Amiens
and Calais and speculating as to what
might be their future.
All three pockets, that in Flanders,
that in Picardy and that between the
Marine and the Aisne, which has recent
ly been abolished, were equally vulner-
able to any flank attack; they were mar
row; the lines of communication in them
were near the sides and relatively
slight advance on either side, where the
pockets rejoined the main front, would
put all the ground in the salient under
Allied fire and expose the troops within
them to the danger of development and
capture, and in any event necessitate an
enforced retreat out of them.
Ludendorff's
Three Stepladders
The situation of LudendorR may be
illustrated by simple figure. If you
are attempting to climb in window
rickety stepladder will be of very great
assistance, and as long as your opponent,
who is trying to keep you out of the
house, is trying to stop you at the window
you need have little apprehension about
the ladder. But if the man in the house
to handle you at the window while he
comes outside and starts to pull down the
ladder, then it is time TO get off the
ladder; indeed, the time to get off is
before he reaches it, if possible.
Now, in sense, this is what hap
pened. Ludendorff has not one but
three stepladders in his three salients,
and just as long as he could hold his
enemy to fighting at the top of the
ladders and from the house the salients
did not worry him. But at the Marine
Foch managed to upset one ladder and the
result was immediate disaster. Then, be-
fore Ludendorff could bring himself to
abandon the second or Picardy salient,
Foch repeated the success. Meantime,
as we have seen in the rather bald Off
cial reports, Ludendorff has been climb
ing down off the third ladder; that is,
he has been drawing out of the Elan
ders salient.
To put the thing in military sense
and indicate how clearly military men
perceived the situation I will quote now
the comments made to me by Colonel
Paul Azan, of the French army, during
the German drive toward Amiens last
April. AS forecast of the future diff
the Amiens salient they have present
value. Colonel Azan said:
"The present German situation is by
no means free from grave dangers for
the enemy Attracted by the bait Of
Amiens and Of the railroad thence to
Paris, they are thrusting forward tow
ard this objective and have thus created
salient dangerous to themselves The
conquest of zone Of land, however
large, is of no advantage if the acquisi-
tion be too costly or if it places the troops
which occupy it in an unfavorable place.
"Both these conditions apply to the
situation of the Germans to-day. Not
only have they lost very heavily, but they
run the risk Of being exposed to cross
fire, and if counter offensive is launched
at the base Of their salient they are in
danger of having their first line troops
taken from behind and cut to pieces
Their troops are obliged to concentrate
in the salient if they intend to enlarge
it, SO that their effort to increase their
success will expose them to the gravest
disasters.
"When such salient cannot be en-
larged it is best to evacuate it, but
retreat is almost as dangerous as con-
tinuation of the attack. If the Anglo
French army watches its chance the
enemy cannot evacuate the salient with
out being attacked, and it is we'll known
that an attack during "A retreat may
bring on disaster.
Thus General Foch seems to hold the
prey in his hands. The situation as it
exists to-day april 81 was certainly
not forcseen. II is not The result of