The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1918-09-04
MAKE ORGANIZED DEFENSE.


LONDON, Sept. 4.-The progress of
tremendous events on the battle front
in France is being followed with al
most hreathless eagerness by the
whole British nation. The most signi-
ficant feature of Tuesdays develop
ments was that the expected German
attempt to restore the position of the
broken Wotan line did not materialize.
The failure Of the enemy to make such
anattempt apparently is attributable
to the speed and energy with which
Field Marshal Haigs armies were able
to press the advance on the retiring
enemy. Informed observers, how
ever, continue to speculate on when
and where the enemy will pull himself
together.
Disastrous as the blow already has
been to German prestige the German
people is being endangered, experts
hire are not expressing anticipation OF
an early debacle and admit the proba-
hility of some defense being organized
behind the enemy lines in an attempt
to check the allied advance. Some
prisoners taken in the battle talk con-
great reserve army under General
Won Mackensen, who will turn the Ia
bles on the allied forces, but obviously
it is impossible here to throw any
light on such reports Whatever the
future may hold, the actual situation
is regarded as one of extraordinary
promise for the allies and containing
the possibility of the compulsory aban-
donment of the entire northern Ger
man front, including the Flanders
coast
While featuring the dramatic devel-
opments on the British front, COM
mentators do not neglect to empha-
size the great importance of the oper-
ations on the southern end of the bat
tie line where the French and Ameri-
cans are holding against large enemy
forces and making progress. French
official communiques deal almost la
conically with these operations but
their value as a contribution to Ger
many's defeat are not overlooked here
Recognition equally is given to the
incalculable bearing on the entire
situation of the presence of the rapid
ly growing American army.
Allies Full Of Hope.
The military critic of the Telegraph
in discussing the possibility of the
Germans organizing reserves for a
counter blow dismisses the subject
with the remark that "the counter
menace Of the American reserves will
bind the German reserves like SPELL"
Commenting on the same subject, the
Daily Nails critic says:
"In previous successes the task of
strong reserves prevented victories
being exploited to the uttermost On
this occasion, Marshal Foch has in
our American armies ample forces
available if he determined to press the
blow.
I'VE are witnessing the collapse of
the prestige of the Prussian military
machine. We have the whip-hand as
we never had it before in this war
and hold it with a constantly in
creasing reserve Of power, both in
men and material, against which the
enemy has nothing comparable
"The weight of the American army
has not yet been thrown into the
scale but 1t is there waiting to be re-
leased in positions which fill us with
the highest expectations and the en-
emy with the deepest concern"
The Express says: "The hearts of
the allies are properly elated and the
Germans are heavy with foreboding.
Retirements, repulse and losses and
with all of these the fear of the Amer
can army. young. fresh and eager for
battle and ready and waiting for the
word from Foch to strike, furnish
cause for anxiety"