The sun., 1918-11-09
FOCH'S FINGERS
POCKET ENEMY
Gap Only 80 Miles Wide Open
for ExtricatiOn of tho
Armies. r.
LUDENDORFF FORESAw 1T
He Set Peace Wheels in Motion
on Realization Of Hopeless
ness Of Retreat.
~ HERBERT sIDEBoTHAM.
One of the Foremost Military Critics

Ono Of the Foremost Military Critics
OF Europe.
spsoai Cable Despatch to THE Sun from iAe
London Times Serrics.
Copyright. 1918; all rights reserved.
LONDON, Nov. S.-The magnitude of
the victory on the last Week end be-
comes every day more apparent. For
nine months the enemy has been re-
treating on the line of the Meuse. but
now he has reached the last stage OF
his journey. The surest sign of victory
Is that his last stage has been more
rapidly gone through than the first.
A month ago It seemed possible that
the Germans in France might be COM
pletely enveloped from east to west.
Then Ludendorff threw up the sponge.
Later this danger receded. Ludendorff,
who had set the peace negotiations In
motion. drew back because he then
thought the German armies could be
extricated without disaster. It was too
late for the first memorandum inviting
negotiations. He had been too persua-
slve and when he changed his mind he
persuaded no one and he resigned.
Now the prospect for the German
ermies has darkened again, and, whereas
n week ago most people would have
prophesied that the Germans would es-
cape without irretrievable disaster, now
ruin again stares them in the face.
When the enemy invaded Belgium II
was partly in order to get command Of
the railway communications In Belgium
and France. What we are witnessing
now Is the destruction of the railway
system OF communications which
tempted the enemy into Belgium.
But Two Routes san Open.
There are FIVE main lines of railway
communication. The first is through
Lille. the second through Valenciennes.
the third through Maubeuge. the fourth
down the valley OF the Meuse and the
ffth through Metz. Lille and Valen-
ciennes have gone and MaGoeuge is
threatened. The Meuse railway Is still
open. but over the Metz railway there
Is no cross communication between II
and the other railway systems The net
result OF the recent operations Is that of
all the railway lines only the one down
tho valley OF the Mouse below Mezieres
10 working properly. Two have been
host, one through the Mouse Valley is
threatened and the other, the Metz rail-
way. is working In connection with a
wings of the German armies now have
been separated.
The mouth OF the pocket Is narrowing
from Avesnes east to Mezieres. where
the Meuse railway enters the cover of
the Ardennes forest. The distance is
about sixty miles and through this mar
row passage the whole of the German
armies now in France have to squeeze.
In other words, the waist OF the German
Nl 49, Y
been compressed to one-third It's former
dimensions, That gives an idea OF the
agony in which the German army Is now
passing. Nor Is the worst compression
over. The enemy for good reasons has
held out on the line of the Aisne as long
as he could. That line now has been
lost for the whole length. thanks to the
recent activity OF the French and the
recovery OF the American army from its
transport difficulties.
Bottle Neck Is Narrowing.
The real squeeze Of the German armies
10 only just beginning Worse still, the
bottle neck through which It Is passing
10 narrowing, and the congestion Instead
OF decreasing will tighten. It may even
be doubted whether the Mouse line will
be tenable
One great argument for pressing the
enemy's retreat Is that It might proven,
the enemy from rallying The main OBJ.
ject Of a retreat is to gain time and Il
time is denied the last stage Is wors,
than the first.
To form a new line and pull defeated
troops together after long and disas
trous retreat is under most favorabl,
circumstances extremely difficult. fifth,
retreat Is hard pressed and there is 9
suspicion OF Decentralization among tn,
troops Il In frankly impossible. All tn,
Indications are that II the war were I,
continue the Mouse line Is too near thu
scene OF the German army's disasters I,
he a rallying point
The military situation is most desper
ate for the enemy. He Is in danger O
having a largo part OF his army cut OF
and finding the pocket OF his retrea
from the Aisne closed. Even II h
reaches the Mouse line It WIFI be in
state which will not permit its rallyin,
upon IL. In addition. Just when h
wants every man to protect himself h