The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1918-07-22

The German Retreat

America was thrilled late last week when the
Franco-American forces initiated counter Of
fensive that bore every indication not only of
checking the fifth drive of the Most High this
year, but also of forcing general retreat in the
V-shaped sector with Chateau Thierry as an
apex.
Military critics and our officials in Washing
ton warned us to remain calm until developments
showed how far General Foch would be able to
carry on the movement. The successes of the
first few days were insufficient from a military
standpoint to warrant the assumption that the
Germans would be forced either to fight pitch
ed battle to retain the salient or to order gen.
eral retreat. Brilliant as were the initial sue
cesses, it was recalled that many drives had been
checked within few days after they had been
launched, and so military and governmental lead
ers were cautious about extravagant claims.
Developments Sunday showed that General
Fochs strategy in relieving Rheims by flank
attack directed against the line from scissors to
Chateau Thierry, caught the Germans by sur
prise, forcing them to evade the issue of decis-
i've battle by retreating northward from Chateau
Thierry and drawing back their lines across the
Marine river thereby relieving the menace
against Rheims and removing threat against
ing Rheims their flank would have been protect
ed and they would have made progress.
1t seems safe to say that the retreat in
this sector will be so great that all the gains
which the Germans made with the sacrifice of
many men earlier in the year nullified at a
blow and that the line will be restored to about
where it was before the great offensive of this
year. This, of course, is only a prediction
Events in the next forty eight hours will indi~
cate whether the retreat northward from the
Marine and Chateau Thierry is general one or
whether the Germans will elect to stand on line
south of their old line.
At all events, the news of the last week has
been the most heartening for the allied cause in
many months. 1t provs without doubt that
America has supplied the power badly
needed when the Germans took the offensive
this year. General Foch now has enough re-
serves to be able to strike back when the Ger
mans attack. In the other four offensive move
ments of the Most High, General Foch had to
retire. trying to inflict as much damage as he
possibly could but never being able to strike
back when opportunity came. The fifth attempt
of the Most High to smash his way to Paris came
to naught against the man power of the French
and Americans.
Our boys unequvocably and forever proved
to the German high command that they are not
ninnies and Weaklings but made out of the stuff
that enjoys nothing better than good hand to
hand fighting. In that sort of warfare America
excells. The traditions of the Civil war inspire
the boys over there, and when Fritz tried to make
cannon fodder out of them south of the Marine
and from scissors to Chateau Thierry they gave
him of the best trouncings he has received on
the western front NOthinp daunted ar intin,id
ated the American soldiers and officers. When
his Most High sent his crack Prussian regiments
into the fray, the Yankees broke them up as fast
as the high command could feed Huns to the
American machine guns. When it came to storm
ing entertainments and machine gun nests the
Yankees cleaned them out in quick order
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