New-York tribune., 1918-07-27

the contrary, the German evacua-
ton of the Marine salient seems
to be following a normal and logical
course and to be an exceedingly we'll
conducted retirement, following local
defeat which rendered a wide sector of
the front if not untenable at least dan
gerous and expensive to hold, to degree
out of all proportion to any present or
eventual profit.
The possibility of the capture of a
considerable German army does not seem
to have existed at any time after the
first Franco-American rush was stopped
on the outskirts of Scissors. Neither
about scissors nor about Rheims--the
vital points-have the French and their
allies made any material progress in the
last six days. In other words, they have
not succeeded in closing or materially
narrowing the neck of the bottle, and as
a result the German retreat, although i'm
peded by artillery fire, has been con-
Quoted successfully and is still going for
ward successfully.
1t has always been conceivable and it
remains conceivable that the Germans
will endeavor to hold a narrow salient
south of the Ourcq River and facing the
Marne north of Dormans. The purpose
Of such holding would be to continue to
dominate the Paris-Nancy Railroad, with
a consequent crippling Of French COM
munications. Such a salient might be
compared with the St. Mihiel salient
further east, where the Germans, in
very long and narrow salient, dominate
both the Verdun- Toul Railroad and the
Paris-Nancy Railroad, preventing the
use by the French Of the former and
compelling them to use circuitous branch
lines between Bar-le-Duc and Toul on
the latter.
A Marne salient extending from Sois-
sons southwark through Fere-en-Tarde-
nois to the Marne opposite Dormans and
northward from Chatillon to the envi-
rons of Rheims would hardly be more
difficult to hold than the old or the pres
ent Ypres salient, and it may be-al-
though this is wholly unlikely-that for
political reasons the Germans will try to
hang on for time on this line
But the thing which is important to
note is that the old value of the Marne
salient for Ludendorff has been extin-
guished The salient which he might
still preserve would be useless for any
future offensive operations because of it's
narrowness and the impossibility of using
any large number of troops in it for an
attack. The German had planned
double attack upon Paris, advancing out
of the Amiens salient, down the Disc
Valley, and out of the Marine salient,
down the Ourcq Valley. His present
battle was undertaken to widen the
Marne salient and clear it's southern
flank, just as the former offensive tow
ard Compiegne was taken to widen the
Disc salient. His Paris offensive has
thus been defnitively smashed, even
though he should hold fragment of the
ground won in the attack of May 27.
1t is mistake to accept present
rumors, which hold out the promise of
enormous captures and of colossal Ger
man battlefield disaster. There is moth
ing in the present news to indicate any,
thing of the sort. The German has suf-
fered strategic disaster, which has
probably wrecked his whole plan Of cam
paign for 1918. He has suffered moral
disaster hardly equalled since the first
Marine. He has also suffered a severe
local battlefield defeat, which has pro-
duced considerable retirement, still 60
ing forward.
But, as far as one can judge, the opera
tions that have been in progress in the
present week have been mere rearguard
actions Of the most approved form, con-
Quoted for the purpose Of enabling the
German to get out Of the Marne salient
with vast amount Of heavy artillery.