The Wilson times. [volume] (Wilson, N.C.) 1896-19??, 1918-06-11
ARMIES MUST
r TAKE OFFENSIVE
In Order to Win Says Foch.
Modern Warfare Contem.
plates Destruction
FFoRCEs OF THE ENEMY

London, June 10.-That battles
can be won in the end only by the
army which takes the offensive il
the significant declaration made by
General Foch, commander in chief
of the allies in an important article
contributed by him to a weekly
journal, The Field, in which he dis
cusses the problem of the soldier
and the way to victory.
Modern warfare to arrive at its
end and to impose its will on the en-
enemy's says General Foch recogniz-
cs only one means to destruct, win
of the enemy's organized forces.
"War undertakes and prepares
this destruction by battle which
brings about the overthrow of the
adversary, disorganizcs his COM
mand, destroys its discipline and
nullifies his units as far as their
fighting power is concerned.
"Our first axiom must be that
completely to achieve it's object, a
battle must not be purely defensive
battle, even we'll conducted, does not
result in a victor and a vanquished.
It is simply gate that must me be-
gun over again.
From this it is an obvious cor
ollary that an offensive, whether
started at the beginning of an action
or whether it follows the defensive
can only give results and in conse-
quence must always be adopted at
the finish.
ITO maintain our position is not
synonymous with being victorious
and even prepares for defeat. If
we remain where we are and do not
pass to the offensive to fix the direc-
tion of attack to guard against tn.
plans Of the enemy and prevent him
from Carrying out the same maneuv-
er, we must undertake to carry out
and sustain numerous combats, each
with determined aim.
But since there remains no doubt
that decisive attack is the very key
stone of battle, all other actions
which make up a battle must be en-
considered, organized, pro-
vided with forces in the measure in
which they will prepare, facilitate
and guarantee development of de-
cisive attack characterized by it's
mass, its surprise, its speed and for
which in consequence it is essential
that there shall be the maximum re-
serve force possible of troops of
reserve-that is to say
the prepared bludgeon-is organic
ed, and kept carefully intructed to
execute the single act of battle from
which results are expected namely
he decisive act.
Reserves must be husbanded
with the most extreme parsinl ony So
hat the bludgeon may be strong en-
)ugh to make the blow as violent as
possible. Let loose at the finish,
without any luking idea of saving
hem, with a we'll thought out plan
or winning the battle at point
chosen and determined, reserves are
brown in all together in an action
in violence and energy
vi other phases of battle, an action
With proper characteristics
surprise, mass and speed. All our
orces really participate tither byi
it or by carrying it out.
"In this our supreme aim, we
must not be deceived by appearance
s Although theory fails when ap-
'lied by feeble hands. and when ac-
essories obscure the main principle,
history and reason show us that in
'attle there is-a single argument
which is worth While.- namely decis-
We attack which IS alone capable of
the 1desifed fsstiit-the' ov-
hrow of the adversary" -