Middletown transcript., 1918-05-04
GERMAN ARMIES
WILL. GIVE OUT
Gen. Foch's Defensive Plan
Seems Apparent.
SLAUGHTER OF THE TEUT0Ns
Expert Contends That The Territorial
Gains Germany Is Winning Are
Not Compromising For Her
Losses In Men.

Washington.-Von Hindenburg con
tinued his ceaseless slaughter of Ger
man manpower the past week by de
veloping double offensive toward
Amiens and Ypres.
No success of tactical importance
resulted from the Amiens operations,
but the capture of Mount KENNEL in
the northern area of operations has
emphasized the German thrust
against Ypres. The net result of the
weeks operations, however, has not
given to the Germans sufficient ter
ritory to justify their losses. The
capture of Amiens is as far off as
ever, and the fall of Ypres would not
have important strategic conse-
Quences for the Germans as long as
the British lines hold Immediately to
the west. The small sectors of terri
tory occasionally yielded by the Allies
are far more worrying to the nerves
than their Importance justified. 1t is
uncomfortable to read 0f the German
advances, but if these little victories
were not won, there would be no temp
tation to Won Hindenburg to continue
the merciless slaughter of his own
troops.
There are two possible ways by
which Won Hindenburg can win the
war in the west; first, by separating
the French and British armies and
annihilating one or the other of them;
second, by wearing down the morale
of the Allies. The first method has
been made practically impossible with
the appointment of General Focn to
the supreme command of the Allied
forces. To win by the second. method
is Won Hindenburg's purpose in in
cessantly hammering at the western
lines for petty gains. If attacks OF
this character continue long enough,
it sometimes happens that demoraliza-
ton sets in among armies on the de-
fensive.
No indication of such a condition
has been shown on the west front,
and by continuing to guard against it
the Allies can eventually bring the
game back into their own hands.
Foch is demonstrating more and
more his abilities as defensive lead
er. In the past weeks battles the re-
newal of spirited resistance by the
Allies after the fisheartening loss of
Mount KENNEL has been very en-
couraging. Foch can recover this
sector of ground by the employment
OF a sufficient number of reserves,
but it is questionable whether he
thinks the tactical gain would COM
pensate for the future lessening of his
reserve power
Foch is conducting his defensive
operations with the help of very few
reserves, as he must if German man
power is to be depleted first. It would
but equalize casualties if each area
won by the Germans at enormous
cost were to be retaken by the Allies
with the same casualties. When,
therefore, a position like Mount KEN
mel is lost Foch must decide whether
Its recovery is worth duplicating what
The Germans have spent upon it. In
almost every instance since the pres
ent localized assaults began Foch has
decided in the negative. Foch's judg-
ment must be trusted That he has a
highly developed plan is certain. 1t
may require number of months for
this plan to work out in detail, but as
long as the morale of the Allies
neither at the Somme no.
at Ypres the plan will eventually IN
told.