Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-06-10
OFFENSIVE ALONE
WILL WIN BATTLE
Destruction of Enemy's Organ
lied Forces Main Object of
Warfare, Says Foch.
NO VICTORY IN DEFENSIVE
Army Must Attack at End of
Fight in Order to
Win.
NO VICTORY IN DEFENSIVE
tBy Associated Press. ]

LONDON June 9-That battles can
which takes the offensive is the sig
nificant declaration made by General
Foch commandcr-in-ch chief of the allies.
In an important article contributed by
him to the weekly journal. the Field.
in which he discusses the problem of
the soldier and the way to victory.
Modern warfare, to arrive ut it's end
and 10 impose its will on the enemy
one means-destruction OF the enemy's
organized forces.
War undertakes and prepares this
destruction by battle, which brings
about the overthrow of the adversary.
discipline and nulliies his units as far
ms their fighting power is concerned
BATTLE SHOULD NOT
DE WHOLLY DEFENSIVE:
Our first axiom must be that com
pletely to achieve it's object a battle
must not be purely defensive. A pure
'y defensive battle. even we'll con-
Quoted. does not result in victory.
Ut is simply game that must be be-
gun over again
From this 1t is an obvious corollary
that an offensive, whether started at
the beginning OF an action or whether
1t follows the defensive. can only give
results and. in consequences, must al
ways be adopted at the finish.
To maintain our position is not
synonymous with being victorious, and
even prepares for defeat. II we re-
main where We are and do not pass 10
the offensive. TO fix the direction Of
attack, To guard against the plans of
the enemy, and prevent him from car
rying out the same maneuvers. we must
undertake TO carry on and sustain M
merous combats, each with determined
aim.
DECISIVE ATTACK Is
KEYSTONE OF BATTLE
But since there remains no doubt
taut decisive attack is the very key
stone or battle, all other actions
which make up battle must be en-
visased. considered. organized. pro-
'ideo with forces In the measure in
which they will prepare. facilitate and
guarantee development OF decisive at
tack characterized by its mass, it's sur
PRISE. its speed and for which, in con-
sequence IL is essential that there shall
De the maximum reserve force possible
OF troops of maEeuver. The reserve
mat Is TO say the prepared bludseon-
IS organized. and kept carefully in
structed TO execute the single act of
battle from which results are expected.
namely, the decisive attack
Reserves musi he bDeh,pda5 ,,;,h
the most extreme parsimony SO that
the bludgeon may be strong enough to
make the blow as violent as possible.
Let loose It the finish. without any
lurking idea OF saving them with n
well-thought-out plan for winning tho
battle at a point chosen and deter
mined, reserves are thrown in alto
sether in an action surprising in vio-
lence and energy all other phases Of
oattle, an action with proper charac-
istics-surprise, mass and speed All
our forces really participate either by
preparing it or by carrying ii out
In this our supreme aim, we must
not be deceived by appearances Al
though theory fails when applied by
feeble hands and when accessories OBJ
scurc the main principle history and
reason show US that in battle there is
single argument which is worth
while. namely. decisive attack, which
Is alone capable of assuring the desired
result-the overthrow of the adyer
sary."