Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-08-09
THE NEW OFFENSIVE

In the new offensive in immediate charge Of General
H7aig on the Picardy front. General Foch continues the
application of the pincer process which has yielded such
excellent results north Of the Marine. For some time it
has been evident that the Germans must retire from the
north bank of the Vesle, and it has been considered prob
able that the Aisne had been selected as the ultimate
line OF defense. The present line forms almost a right
angle, with Montdidier in the angle, and with one side
extending northward through Albert and the other east
ward past scissors and Rheims. The German retirement
has been conducted with skill, but the vast quantities of
material captured by the Allies indicates that the retreat
was under pressure, and was carried out in haste. And
Foch has chosen the present moment, when the enemy
was attempting to establish himself in his new position,
to strike him from another angle. -
The situation now is that while the Germans must
maintain a large force facing south. to meet the on
offensive menaces him on the flank and, if it is pushed
far, it will interfere with the German communications
to such an extent as to render the line of the Aisne I'M
tenable.
1t is not to be supposed that the Germans have been
insensible to the danger, or that they have not prepared
to meet it. Just how effectively they have been able to
prepare will be indicated by the first few days fighting.
The new offensive, coupled with that on the Marine salt
ent, which may be said to have been completed, will ne
intensely interesting, not alone because Of it's possibilities
in territory occupied and men killed and captured, but
dS Oil VI IiS CALC1A u "H4Su e eCc
have depleted the man power of Germany, and Of the de-
gree to which recent accessions have enabled the Allies
to undertake offensive action at will, choosing their own
time and place for doing so. X
The army. which has been engaged in the Marine sal
lent, and which SO narrowly escaped annihilation, is
known as the army of the crown prince, he being its
titular commander. That army was unequal to the task
~of holding back the Allies until the retreat could be ef-
fected, and several divisions were detached from the
army OF the Crown Prince Rupprecht to the north and
sent to the aid of the German crown prince to the south.
sent from England andithe constant arrivals from Amer
lea, unless the Allies blunder, the time will come when
all the German reserves will be engaged and there will
remain no force to be drawn upon to withstand the shock
of a new attack in a newly selected district. II the pres
ence of the Bavarian divisions is still needed on what may
now be called the Aisne front in order to keep the Allies
from breaking through, other reserves must be/ drawn
from other quarters to Withstand the assault in Picardy.
If the Picardy front can be strengthened sufficiently
without weakening other sectors beyond the danger point
we may consider the situation still fairly satisfactory from
the German standpoint, at least to the extent of his abil-
iy to hold back the Allies, IL not to advance against them,
weakened in order to defend this latest point Of attack.
that will be a demonstration that the initiative and the
preponderance Of power have been passed definitely to
the side Of the Allies.
If this latter should prove to be the case we NAV ex-
pect to witness another great retreat, and probably the
evacuation OF the whole Of the new salient which is Gre
ated by the recent troop movements.