Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-08-29
FOCH'S TRAP READY;
HAS FOE ENCIRCLED
Allied Forces Have Even Gone
Inside Old Hindenburg Line;
Experts View Of War.

Washington, Aug. ~ a prominent
military expert gives the following sum
mary 81 the war situation
With the collapse of the German de-
fensiYe along tho line ~ The Aucre river
the British task ia this immediate sector
approached its end This Inc had 20 b.
driven back before any material progress
dared to be attempted elsewhere But
this was only a short stretch of line on .
very long front II vas only p short link
IN The long chain which the Allied High
Command IS forging about The main Ger
man positions The basic plan behind all
Of these movements is "a huge cnveIop-
rnent of two tanks widely separated
One il we'll ~ the north-just below
Arras. Tho other rests tat NoyOn
Tho French, as will be nDtcd later, have
accomplished all Of the preliminary steps
uf their part in this plan. The British are
we'll on their way ~ the achievement
u theirs. Bapaufne must 20 The British
line must be pushed even ~ the east ~
this important crossing And with every
yard Of British advance the German posi-
tion will become more and more disturbing
Germany IL not looking ahead with
any great pleasure % retirement. Her
leaders would Ike 10 remain where they
are until weather conditions are such that
! they could pull bark their lines without
/ the possibility Of quick pursuit They have
never since the-~ar hogan Jared a retro
! grade movement under The conditions
which now prevail, and they are not 8nx-
/ io,Is 10 try he experiment
The British on 'hc Dfhrr hand, have
I every intention Of forcing the movement
! Il d IS possible 70 do go II was N further
/ ance of this purpose that an attack was
! delivered yesterday 70 the north along the
4 valley ~ The Scarpe Just how far it can
I bc pushed AZ present doubtful
MILE BACK NJ HfVDETBrRG LrvE.
/ II is distinctly ~ be noted. however,
that in making this thrust which took
Z tho towns of NOnchv le Preuy and Wan
I court, the Canadiens have crossed the
( famous Hiudenburg line and have passed
I an least mile bev0nd IL This is dis
I tinctly notable feat from which consider
\ able results NAV eventually follow II u
1 the frat time since ihe Allied ofFenslves
I started that the original line from which
/ they began their retreat has been reached.
] The news of this enRa cement u scantv az
I the first news of a British offensive always
7 n But considerable progress hss been
I nade in . direction which IS most en-
! barrassing to the German command.
I ~ the same time the British IN the
I south nave advanced their line beyond
! Montauban. a movement which II % con-
4 tiniics will divide the long front on which
/ the british are operating into two small
! enveloping operations, one north and one
south of the Somme.
/ aOn the French front the fighting has
I diee. down to o point of relative quiet.
I Except for vigorous artIllery action and
some infantry fighting west % the Olse
4 bend and in thc vicinity of Rove the last
/ two davs have brought nothing OF interest.
IS . matter 81 fact % would appear
/ hat the end Of the French offensive along
( he Disc front mas been reached. There -
yerv little hklihood that Foch will try 70
drive against the river. The barrier Is too
strong tn risk snch an engagement. The
I losses would be very heavy and II IS NOT
aitogct her clear at present how they would
/ be justified.
TANKS rLAY GREAT ROLE.
Again il must be remembered that
! much Of the Allied success mas been due 10
ncsg tactics in which the tanks played
untc 7n important rnie. Tanks cannot
cross the Oise without sutltaDle brdges,
and such bridges are difficult ID construct
under artillery fire.
w hiie the German armies have been
nleccs they are not IN pane or 10 a rput-
They are aull fighting desperately and
are still capable 90 effective resistance.
II is therefore probable that along the
C1sc NJ least. FOch viii be content for the
present with what he has already taken.
GERMANS MUST RETIRE.
Between the Olse and the Alsne- how
ever, we may still witness some heavy
fighting Between these rivers there Ls =
plateau shaped ike the letter y he
stem runs from the SOIssOns-Laon Rail-
road. between FauxalIon ana Neuvllle %
Iuvignv. where the fork begins. one
branch runs northwest and the other
southwest from Juvimy, ne dividing
line being q small ravlne. The French are
gradually, by very small steps, pushing
along both branches OF this plateau ami
arc approaching the stem. When the end
Is reached the German line 10 the east
must be rcadjusted.
FocH 5 PLANS CARRIED OUr.
Except on this plateau, then, We need
not look for material French operations.
Foch object seems 10 have been pretty
Thoroughly accomplished. however. About
! the southern end Of the line he has thro "n
loop which Will ever be q threat OF a
dangerous aanking DoTe. On the north
the same thing Is IN progress.
The actual Sprnpng a the trap
which is to complete the development n
the line may weN wait until little later.
The most difficult part OK the problem, as
far as Foch Is concerned, still lies ahead.
The terrain is all heavily against him,
the natural obstacles much more IN
portant He Will need his strength Tor talS
mart Of his test