Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-08-20
FOCH PAVING WAY
TO ANN|H|LATE HUN
Commander Has Given Germans
a Crushing Surprise, Says
Military Expert.

Washington. ID. c., Aug. 20-ln
writing of the war noted military expert
thus summarizes the situation as 1T stands
today:
"For several days the French have been
conducting operations III n more or less
extended scale west OF Soissons, between
the Oisc and the Aisnc rivers Ii was
quite generally prophcsed that such
move could bc made as soon as the German
defense along the Nesle stiitencd to the
point where IT appeared Improbable that
furt her advances would be made. | he
reasoning behind this prophecy was
accurate. but because it was the expected
and obvious thing to do at the moment
Foch did something else,-hc moved
against the Montdidcr salient
FoCH FIANKs GERMANS,
The reason why he attack was cx-
pcctcd to develop in the angle between
the two rivers was largely because n
success IN tins region would have "A two
fold effect II would flank the AIsne
and therefore force hasty retreat from
the NcsIp and even across the AIsne, and
il would also flank the German positions
along the hig bend of the OlSe and force
an evacuation of the territory designated
as little Switzerland An attack from
the west was also considered. hut because
The distance to be travcrsed was so much
greater than if the attack came IN the east
the conccnsus of opinion was that the
territory east of the Oisc. would receive
first attention.
The Germans evidently figured the
same way and prepared for an attack IN
their defense lie, therefore, struck
somewhere else and in an obviously I'M
expected quarter
STRUCK WHERE HE CoULD DAMAGE FOE.
'.It has become bromdic but is none the
less true. that we must be guided IN our
estimate Of any situation not by how
much territory can be rctaken but by
the prospects Of doing damage to the
maximum number OF men. To have
used his strength IN the East, Foch could
possibly have forced the abandonment
Of a greater amount Of territory than he
has done This IS conceivable # not
necessarily true But at no place along
the line could he have done 50 much harm
to Germany s military force as IN just the
place nj which he struck lie Is now
preparing 70 do the same thing in differ
Cnt way.
.Bctwccn the French lines south of
I.assignv and the apex Of the angle be-
tween the Iise and the Aisne canal, there
are great many Germans holding the
line against the French attacks The
present fighting is levellcd essentially
against them, and the possibilities Of
| doing them considerable harm are ex-
cecdngly bright A double pinccrs move
ment is now well under way In the west,
south Of Roye. the French are pressing the
situation desperately towards the east,
driving the Germans back, step by step,
upon the Olsc rivcr, between Noyons and
Rbccourt In the territory east of this
line between the Olse and the Aisne,
the Germans are beng driven northward
towards the northern bank of the Oise
and into the angle between the river and
the Oisc-AIsnc canal.
HUNS MUST RETREAT.
Success on either front is fatal to the
! other, as in any event the country south
| Of Novon must be evacuated. If the
| Germans hold on . day too long, the num-
! ber OF prisoners would be great. In any
| event. however, whether or not the Ger
mans are able to make good their retreat
from this trap, they must leave their
battle line in very awkward shape.