The Washington herald., 1918-07-22
The Extent Of the Victory.

: 1t is exactly one week ago today that Ludendorf
fashed his sword in the Champagne and along the
Marne. 1t is hardly FIVE days since Foch, after
parrying the ponderous blow with a surety and
ease which thrilled the world struck back in the
most sensational, and in many ways the most tell
ing, counterblow of the entire in the West.
We are still awaiting the magic word from the
battlefront which will tell US that the German
verse has become a route, stunning disaster: 1t
ought not to be long in coming. The Franco
American thrust on the elbow between Chateau
Thierry and Scissors is still sweeping forward, al
though the Teutons have rushed their into
the coz bat and have stiffened their resistance.
chatca Tfierry, the north of the Marne, and
the pivot of the German grip in that sector, has
fallen into French hands. scissors, if not already
taken, is the point of capture by the French
and American forces The railway line feeding the
German lines in the salient between Scissors and
Rheims is under allied fire.
Confidence can be held that before the French
and our men get through with this business, the
German forces will be squeezed and pinched so
tight that they will be driven back to the Asne, if
not to the Oise, and that the allies shortly will be
back where they were along the Chemin-des-D Danes,
before the Ludendorf blow of six weeks ago.
We need not be overconhdent. We need not
indulge N day dreams about the march on Berlin
Germans from France and Belgium, for there is
nothing in the situation far to warrant such
extravagant hopes.
What the fighting shows is that Foch is making
his first tentative offensive, and is meeting with
such amazing success that-he may determine upon
a general forward movement without delay But
this is unlikely. Gen. March is of the opinion that
the great offensive will come later in the season,
when American forces have reached a much larger
figure than they have at present. Perhaps it will
not come before October. The Germans, it must be
remembered, have committed themselves to
fare of movement, having boastfully declared that
ta= British and French civilian soldiers had been
trained exclusively in the technique of trench fight
ing, and knew nothing about real fighting in the
open. Foch has demonstrated that man for
man his forces vastly superior to the Boche,
and there is secret about the fact that the in
nate resourcefuness and spirit of the American
trooDs is already making itself felt, despite the
smallness of the force which we have so far sup
piled to the conflict
When all of our combatant troops in France are
fully trained, and ready to go into the front line
we will have genuine American sector in France
A French expert prophesies that the day when the
allies can permanently take the offensive, with the
certainty OF forcing the enemy back into his own
country, will come when the actual American fight
ing force, fully trained exclusive of reserve supply
probably will be the front before the winter
comes. But it is probable that the supreme allied
offensive will be postponed until next spring.
In the meantime let neither be worried or
hurried or Hurried by the Uboat raid off our coast
for this guerrilla warfare will be stamped out
when the American navy turns its full energies upon
the problem.