New-York tribune., 1918-07-28
Failure Came to
Each of Allies
i'm Year

AcNAA Va AA1l0S
i'm Year
Copyright, 191S-The Tribune A.
sociation The New York Tribune)
The results Of this venture are being
written on the map at the present hour.
Its failure was immediate and save in
one sector complete. It's failure in all
sectors was complete when Foch launched
his ever memorable counter attack. in
which for the first time American troops
IN large numbers played leading part
America had at last arrived; the despair
ing call of March had been answered in
July, when more than 100000 Amer.
can troops participated in the decisive
thrust and American troops in France
numbered above 100000.
S1eyes once said, when asked to
give an account of his adventures dur.
ing the time of the Terror, 81 lived"
toch might make similar answer. look
ing back over the difficult and critical
days from March FL to July 10. But
by this latter date he was able to face
his foe with comparatively equal num-
bers and with the assurance that at no
distant date and thenceforth throughout
the war he would have the decisive ad.
vantage.
1t seemed, it seems now, as I write
these lines on Sunday, July 81, just
four months after Ludendorff's first
blow in Picardy, that the worst is over.
the consequences Of the Russian collapse
have been liquidated. If we may not vet
wisely fix the time when victory will in
the larger sense be won we have come to
the hour when the danger of defeat is
passing, probably has passed.
America
Has Come
The German problem in 1918 was his
problem in 1914. Four years ago British
unreadiness and Russian slowness in
mobilization gave him six weeks in
which to dispose of France, employing
the full weight Of his military establish
ment against France. He used the six
weeks, he won many battles and drew
near to Paris; but the close of the period
saw him in retreat, his time exhausted,
his blow parried; the Russian menace
In the East, no longer to be neglected
entirely, destined to make ever-grow-
ing demands upon him until he was
forced to go East and seek what he
found - victory and the destruction Of
Russia.
In March, 1918, the Kaiser's new
commander could count not upon six
weeks but on something like six months
IN which to bring home the victory.
husslas collapse gave him back the ad-
vantages of the first weeks of the WAR
But again he had to win in the time
fixed, for by the end of six months
Americas aid would begin to become
effective and if he failed in the CAM
palgn Of 1918 to put one of his prea,
foes out he would automatically lose
the initiative, the offensive, the chance
Tor victory in the next campaign, when
the American hosts had arrived.
-N''N 'iO"' III ieaLS uly, we see German
armies again retiring from the Marne
after severe defeat the extent of which
is still unrevealed. No disaster NAV
come now, as none came in 1914. The
German may presently gather I'D his
strength and strike against the British.
as he struck in October, 1914 Defeated
at the Marne, he may for second time
seek compensation in new effort To
open the road to Calais But the road
to Calais ends at the Channel, and IL
was not by taking Calais but by beat
ing down French or British armies. ono
at least, both if possible, that the Kaiser
IN his grandiose campaign of the present
year was to achieve victorious peace.
1t seems to me, then, that the fourth
anniversary of the outbreak of the war
Will see the substantial failure of +ha
Germans campaign of 1918. He has
used up the time and the resources be
derived from the Russian collapse and
he has won only territory, BOOTY and
prisoners; early successes have been fol.
lowed by at least one smashing defeat
America, like Blucher. has come Ard
SO long and bitter year is HAVING ,
glorious ending.