Evening star., 1918-08-12
FOURTH DAY OF OFFENSIVE
!. REVEALS LUDENDORFF'S AIN
Trying to Restore Front Between Somme
and Oise-Vastly Important to Germans
to Hold High Grounds About Flanks.

\ more marked we may expect to see
the whole drive come to a halt at the
| west bank of the Somme. south of
Peronne. and the lines. at least tenn
porarily. stabilize themselves on a
front of Peronne-Ham-C Chauny. or
even the high ground north and east
of Noyon.
| On the other hand. the obvious al
I He'd move now is to attempt to break
down the tanks or pivots of the Ger
man retreat. and more particularly
the northern pivot. II the Germans
! can be forced out Of the high ground
! about Bapaume. the famous ridge"
OF the old Somnhe days. then . new
| motion and there Will be no chance of
a German halt = even 4 Temporary
pause-west of the old Hindehburg
| line.
Another Illustration.
To take another illustration: After
Boehn had broken the French line
north OF the Aisne in May and began
attempt at once to throw. reserves in
front OF the Germans. On the con-
trary. he put them on the sides Of
the wedge the German was driving,
the German operative front until by
the time 1t had reached the Maine
lit became SO narrow that further
progress was impossible owing to all
lied cross.hre. and the Germans, sitter
| a BRIEF effort to widen the wedge BY
attacking between Scissors and Cha
teau Thiefry. paused to prepare for q
later offensive
Now Ludendorf is attempting to
shepherd Foch in a similar manner,
hoping that by the time the point of
+: the Anglo-French wedge approaches
Nesle and the upper Somme it will
nave been so, narrowed that further
progress will become ffipossible. At
Cambria last year the Germans hrst
when the British effort had spent IT,
self in the creation Of a dangerous
salient. attacked that salient and
brought on considerable counter sue
cess which robbed the British Of the
fruits Of a brilliant stroke.
We have not to fear another Cam.
brai. because the present allied move
i is q sustained offensive, not q mere
speculation without adequate reserves
to exploit success. as was the Cam
ward to German efforts, first, to mar
row the wedge, and eventually to try
! to break in any dangerous salient
which may be created. fof there is
bound to be q German reaction after
the recent blow has been aparried,
wherever that blow may stop.
1t is well to bear in mind, too, that
there are distinct differences As well
| as many points Of resemblance be-
tween Ssa The the present and the Marine blow.
huge army with vast military stores
to an operation out of q daneSrous
salient, and when Foch cotirl{er- -at-
| tackled they had a terrible problem to
extrieate their men and supplies. In
Ing forces. eleven divisions, instead Of
| twenty-five or thirty, are Involved. i.
and the artillery Is only that amount
nnecessary to hold a quiet sector. The
retire swiftly. and while he retires or.
ganize his counter stroke.
| Approaching Crisis.
IN sum. we are approaching the
crisis OF the preeent offensive. THE
pursuit Is tending to merge into an
sPe sRpreacn s,cc.ss to ~ fsw e. enemy positions
maintaining his fianks, II ne can be BE-
continued through Monday ana Tuss-
day, will 50 marrow the allied thrtaet-
Ing wedge that the lines viii rapidly
Ham -Noyon line, and We shall see lust
the same sort Of pause which f0iioyse al
the retirement OF the Germans be-
hind the vesle. the line on which
the second Marine.
| On the other hand. . new allied
success either north OF the Sor1fne
east Of Albert. or about Lassigny and
Noyon, might result in widening the
break in the German lines and com
pelling a rapid and disastrous retire
Iment Of the Germans behind the old
Hindenburg limo. What 10 important
i now is not the progress Of the point
Of the wedge which has reached
Chsulnes and is approaching Roye
out the success or failure Of the Ger.
inAne in maintaining their posttione
| On the hills north and west. Of the
Olse and north Of the Sonddne. A
break In either Of these positions
A,IO the greatest disaster OF the war.