New-York tribune., 1918-07-25

even though the new blow achieved no
more than local success, to turn his at
tention to the fresh danger and give over
such plans as he may be maturing for
a blow Of his own.
Either Foch or Ludendorff, it would
seem, must strike soon again. Foch has
the first chance by reason of his i'm
mediate success. Ludendorff, on the
other hand, has the greater need to re-
sumo the offensive to save the morale of
the German armies and even more that
of the German people, since it is plain
that on the present showing hope of de-
cisive success in this decisive year is
practically extinguished.
We are, then, at mighty interesting
and clearly crucial moment in the pres
ent campaign. And we should be care
full to guard against any exaggerated
notion of the extent of Foch's victory or
a correspondingly mistaken appraisal of
the present condition of the German
army. In point Of fact, after the first
moment Of surprise and confusion the
German military machine has met the
emergency with consummate skill and
with undininished energy and compe-
tence
On last Friday the Germans were con-
fronting situation which contained all
the possibilities Of great disaster. The
F'ranco-American advance to the edge of
Scissors, were it pushed few miles fur
ther without delay, might bring about
new and expanded Sedan. All the Ger
mans south Of the line between scissors
and Rheims were in deadly peril.
Almost a week later, however, we find
the Germans still holding scissors and
conducting an orderly and even deliber-
ate evacuation of the Marine salient.
Ihls indicates not alone good general
ship, but high morale in the mass of
the fighting troops and marvellously
flexible and efficient handling of re-
serves.
All this does not detract from the
greatness Of the Allied success nor from
the brilliance of the Foch stroke. It
only serves to reveal how strong the
1t is, idle and dangerous, to jump from
the fact of a great local victory to the
assumption of a general and definitive
triumph. A similar conclusion after the
First Battle Of the Marne led to gen.
eral disappointment and long continuing
popular bewilderment
Despite the stiffening of German re-
slstance north of the Marine, there is
little reason to doubt that German re-
treat Will go to the Vesle and result in
the extinction of the paris front"
But Ludendorff is now in position bv
paying price in casualties as a re-
suit OF retaining an awkward position
to postpone the actual evacuation until
he is able to strike elsewhere and dis
tract the attention Of the German neo-
pie from field Of past defeat to scena
of possible contemporary success And
TINS is the most familiar of all German
methods, employed over and over again
therefore, we must look for NOW
Ludendortf stroke elsewhere-sinca III,
condltlons between scissors and Rheims
almost prohibit a new venture tbaro. ~,
less Foch' with better chance, imi-
tates Joffre's strategy after the First
battle OF the Marine, as he has employed
II IN the second conflict, and makes the
frst move.
1t is with these circumstances in mind
that German and Allied critics agree in
the statement that we are at the crisis
OF the campaign of 1918. A tactical
success victory on local battlefield
mas temporarily bestowed the offensive