The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1918-07-26
fOCH PUTS VALUE
ON LIVES Of men
Master Strategist Knew
What He Was Doing In
Hun Attack.
tBy Robert S. DOMAIN.


hausted by fatigue his head fell up
on his maps" Premier Ciemenceau
could have paid no greater tribute to
General Foch, the man upon whom
the fate of civilization depends in the
great battle now approaching its cul-
minating phase.
American officers who saw General
Foch at work during the great Ger
man rush toward the Marine and the
subsequent about face toward the line
of the Ourcq all testify to the great
affection which Foch's fellow officers
have for him.
But the affection which the French
general stan entertains for the allies
master strategist is nothing in COM
parison to that which the poilus have
for the veteran of 1870. With Foch
directing the operations the poilus
know that not one of their lives will
be expanded without anxious thought
beforehand.
Master Conservation.
For Foch is "a master conservator
of human life. When the Germans
were rushing across the Aisne Canal,
the River Aisne, were passing the
Vesie toward the Marine, he placed his
finger on his map and said, They will
go so far and no farther"
There are Socialists in the French
Chamber who believe that Foch
should have sent his reserves in three
days before he did. But Foch knew
what he was doing. Up to a certain
point the loss of ground meant little
in his scheme of strategy in campari-
son with human life.
With admirable finesse he trickled
his reserves at the strategic points,
infiicting the maximum of losses with
the minimum wastage of allied life.
Give ground. but save your SOL
,diers," is his motto. Other generals
of the Ulysses S. Grant type may sue
coed him. General Mangin, Of YER
dunn fame has been compared to
Grant, but while attending the time
when the American army is in line
and the defensive, gives way to an
allied offensive, General Foch is con-
,sidered to be the right man in the
right place.
Used COnsummate Skill.
No one except those who worked
with him in the anxious hours which
began on May 81 will ever know with
what consummate skill Foch met the
German onrush. With a thin screen
of troops and by the judicious en-
ployment of part of his reserves he
converted what at first looked like
rout into sterilization on exactly the
front which he had chosen. And
when the moment came for firm
stand allied reserves were there to
bring the assault to jolting halt.
There are some who say that Foch
invited the German rush forward into
a war of movement in which he is
past grand master. Time will tell.
The German press says the allies re-
serves are banked solidly from Mont
didier to Chateau Thierry. They ad-
nit that last frontal attack toward
.Compiegne from Noyon will be cost
" affair with the advantage accruing
to Foch, who can maneuver his re-
serves within the arc before Paris.
In defending Paris the allies at last
will have the advantage of lighting
on the inside of the arc.
Feints and big scale diversions may
come elsewhere as they did at Meth
.une after the Amiens push. Nerdun,
Rheims, the channel ports may be
threatened, but such pauses Will only
dissipate in minor operations the fast
dwindling German reserve. The only
appreciable result will be that Ger
many will have just so much more
ground to fight back over when the
great American offensive starts.