Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-07-23
TER NGER PROCESS

rps Germans IRE experiencing the application ri the
plpeer process which was used ~ regularly by their Own
generals Pr the Russia front during tiqe weeks When the
sfand Ppke Nicholas WAS cplpddpcl4ipg BY famous retreat.
Ife Germans Of course, Az not tpyept the expedientt, 20
# has been 2 ffAAyortte With military men wbsp the copdi-
tiiops were fAyorabls ever since armies ceptepaea with
each other. The method ~ familiar. When, either Nv
The act 9f the enemy In diving forward, or by the dry.
he back 81 bis lines op beth sides of a given potpt, he
OCCUPIES 2 Wedge-shaped pqstttl0p, the logical course IL to
attack him, il possible, on beth sides pf the triangle,
crush IN ~ Aaass Tiers, and ptach Oft the troops Isft in
the pocket.
This method Was sHpleyed many times agaipst the
Russians. The operations were conducted on a large
scale, and II was the hoPe Of the Germans that they
would pc able to slrr9HAd and capture or destroy each
of the great armies contained If. the territory which was
being surrounded. The Plan failed. The Russians kept
UP IN each case q vigorous rear guard action while the
main body Of their troops were being extrtcatea from the
trap and in each case when the Germans closed in they
found that their prey had escapsd. But. the inevitable
result Of this system Of warfare, while 1T did not break
the Russian main line, was the capture Of immense num-
beers Of prisoners and of vast quantities Of war material.
The Germans are new, On Q considerable scale, be-
ms subjected to q similar process. They occupied a tri-
angle one corner Of which was near soissons and the
other Just north Of Rheims, with the apex a few miles
south Of the Marne. The main blow Of the Allies was
y ~ wv SNSSSN~ o'NS ~ NAH SNs]S*@S N*0S%NNo ~ SS&N$
being kept UP on the opposite SIDE in order tn keep the
enemy thoroughly employed. It was necessary ter the
Germans to hold their line against any great penetration,
and thus proteet their lines Of auPpN or to withdraw
from a position which imperllled all their troops within
the area threatened, They failed to hold their lines. The
French and Americans went forward in spite Of the best
that the Germans could do to stop them, and q German
retreat was inevitable.
The first step was to recross the Marine, which they
had crossed but a few days before, at the cost of many
thousands of men. Still they were not secure. ana. the
Indications are that q withdrawal frorn tha entire trt-
angle is in progress. Late dispatches tell Of the aystep-
attic destruction Of material. preparatory to abandonment
of the entire territory in dispute: It Is assumed that thu
Germans will he atle to Withdraw their main force from
the Marine salient The hole through which they ma,
retire is large enough to a big army. But
II the withdrawal is actually In progress the Germans viii
suffer more severely than they have done in man,
months.
We often speak Of an army fighting as It retires
That is often true when the mass Of the army Is consid,
cred. But the actual retirement Is performed by indt
vtdual soldiers marching away from the enemy. Will
their backs to him. In that position they cannot fight
They are otherwise occupied The fighting during a re-
treat Is done by troopa selected for that purpose. and !
is the business of those troops to remain on the job unit
the force whose retirement they are to protect have
reached their goal II the Germans abandon the Aarn'
salient, with such a fight as that put up by the French
and Americans in progress. they must leave many thou
lsands of their men to be killed Or captured, and they cal
take with them but a small part of the material which
they had with them They gill destrvy what they can
and the rest will become the spolls OF their adversaries
The Germans will long have cause to remember thet
adventure toward the Marine.