Evening journal., 1918-06-13
FRANCE Defeated.
REICHSTAC IS TOLD
Gen. Won Stein Declares
"Foch Reserve Army"
No Longer Exists
BRITISH UNABLE
TO AID, HE SAYS

| AMSTERDAM, June i3--"A great part
OF the French army has been beaten"
/ General Won Stein, the Prussian War
Minister, declared in a speech 10 the
Reichstag according 10 Berlin advlces.
"The so-oalled Foch reserve army no
longer exists" the minister asserted.
He added:
The success Of the Grown Princes
carefully prepared attacks against the
French and British on the Chemin-des-
Danes front on May 27 inflicted one OF
the gravest defeats the Entente has
suffered during the entire war"
General Won Stein made these state
ments in a review OF the military situa-
tion at the second reading OF the army
budget
Besides his losses in men," contln-
ued General Won Stein, "the enemy suf-
/ fered an enormous loss in war materials
and equipment. Immense stores OF am
munition which were heaped along the
lines OF communication behind The
/ front Of the defeated French army,
/ likewise fell into our hands Just as
! previously we captured enormous stores
| from The British army"
General Won Stein said the number
and strength OF the American troops up
30 the present were far below what re-
| ports spread by the Entente had led
Germany 10 expect.
General Won Stein said that American
troops had made their first appearance
on the battlefront at the moment when
the German sdvance had come 10 malt
on the Msrne
"They. too, like the French reserves.
he declared were thrown into the bat
tie In vain counter attacks and suffer
ed the same fate
Other American troops, the minister
said, are on quiet sections OF the front.
In alluding 10 The recent German
successes General Won stein said:
"'The ground for these successes was
prepared by the mighty blows deslth
the British army IN the battle OF Ar
mentieres and before Mont KENNEL.
only by throwing in Frence reserves
on the Somme and in Flanders was The
enemy able to patch up the torn Brit
ish front. The FRENCH divisions tied up
in support OF the British army were
naturally lacking on the Ohemin-des-
Danes, and the exhausted British d.
yis ons put in at the point could not
.org Withstand the weight OF tie Ger
man attack. With unexampled rapidity,
exceeding even that Of the advance on
the Italian front the previous autumn,
the attack was carried VIGOROUSLY
across the Aisne to the Marne.
ITO a slight extent the Entente has
also brought Italians 10 The western
front.
Filled with gratitude we regard our
incompatible army. For almost four
years Il has borne with undlminished
strength Of viii and confidence OF vic
tory all dangers. eXerti0ns and hard
ships. The same dash which in 1914
led us into the enemy country decided
the war In the east. It still lives To-
day. as does our spirit OF absolute su-
poriority over our enemies.
~We are ell the more conscious OF
the army's strength and our confidence
in IT'S leaders to continue 10 lead on TO
Ctory. The enemy is not yet pre-
pared for peace IL is still the day Of the
sword, but the sword remains sharp. |
We look forward to the issue Of the
struggle with complete confidence"
WASHINGTON, June i3.--Announce- |
ment by the Pr,issian war minister 70 |
the Reichstag that 'the eo-oalled Foca
reserve army no longer exists ie re-
garded by officials here as designed
encourage the German people.
Before the German attack was made /
the Supreme War Council at Versailles
had worked out a plan for limited
pooling Of a mobile force OF some s0o,
900 men. composed OF 100000 French.
100000 British, 100000 Americans and |
100000 Italians, which was to have |
been employed mainly 10 support Of
fensive operations on fronts selected by |
the Versailles council. The organiz3-
ton OF this army was never completed |
however the emergency created by the |
German offensive causing a wholly new |
pooling agreement under which General |
Foch became supreme commander.
The fact that although under unceas-
ing attack since March 2i, the Allied |
forces have not struck back in anything |
approaching a major operation is re-
garded as conclusive proof that the |
supreme commander Is striving 10 stem |
the German rush and exhaust its Of
fensive power without depicting his
own forces. II he is successful, and |
there is now every confidence both here |
and abroad that the battle Is half won,
officers believe Foch can turn the fables
IA -. a AL.