The Washington herald., 1918-04-02
Reinsurance.

Let us not lapse into the cheapest OF our ma
tonal moods-overconhdence and easy optimism.
Let not hold the enemy too lightly. Let US wait
and see what the morrow brings forth-and then
the day after tomorrow.
Nevertheless the unbrokcn flow Of good news
from the front yesterday must give London and
Paris much the same kind OF feeling that Wash
ington felt after the third day Gettysburg 1t is
the most glorious feeling in the world-to be
morally certain that you have met the enemy at his
worst, and that you have trumped his best card!
The Hindenburg- -Ludendorf machine is floun-
dering in the mud OF Picardy, and in the slow but
steady attrition of its Bcrserker-ke energy 1t is
now striking wildly and in vain. Both the British
and the French hitting telling blows against it,
burying deadly little rapicrs in its huge, gaping
fanks worrying it with the singing stabs of coun
ter offensives all the way from Arras to Noyon.
That is what read into the dispatches OF
this morning The Boche is at bay. He is breath
ing hard. The situation has passed out OF his
troll; he can longer force the pace and make the
fight, compelling his enemy to meet him according
to his own prcdgesed plans. That great privilege
has now passed to Ferdinand Foch.
We have no inkng yet to where he will
deploy his Army OF Maneuvcr for his big blow;
we do not know whether he will allow the
enemy to commit himself more fully to his present
rather untenabe position, will strike without
further dalliancc. Certainly it would seem on the
surface OF things il his great hour at hand.
The German is held, baffled spent and tired his
artillery is numbering along in the muddy roads
somewhere TO the west Of him, not yet cmplaccd
to rc-eniorCc the infantry in its present desperate
thrust at Amicns; his divisions have not been
welded into a single line; his thinned,
almost to the danger point.
Foch may strike at once, or he may choose the
Fabian policy. Clearly have real informa-
ton relating to the Army OF Maneuver which
now holds the key to the situation. 1t may not
be in the proper position to strike. An Eng
sh expert declares that it is unwise to place too
much reliance this army until it has
actually proved its efficiency in the battle He
points out that the British public for three years
has enjoyed the most highly coored romanccs
about this self-same Army Of Maneuver, and yet
at the battle OF the Somme, at Arras, at Cam
brai, it was more conspicuous by its absence than
by its presence. The mobile reserves of the British
and French armies is subject upon which Paris
and London have maintained absolute silence for
more than three years. 1t may be that it is only
now being welded into efficient unit, with strik
ing power sufficient to deal the blow that Foch is
preparing 1t is significant that 100000 American
soldiers arc going to be a component part OF its
makeup.
Nevertheless there is such an army, and it has
not yet been called into play. 1t is inconceivable
that Foch will find dozens of divisions OF fresh
troops throw into the fray at the critical juno
ture. He may be thinking far ahead-even OF July
and October, pcrhaps-if he believes that the true
magnitude OF the German thrust is yet to be dis
closed. There is need OF throwing them into the
combat ii the troops already in line under
Haig and Pctain are sufficient to hold the ArrasEa
Ferc offensive. They be held until Hindenburg
shows his battle plan in its entirety.
Perhaps before Hndenburg and Ludendorf write
"hnis" this years colossal struggle America will
be at the front more than million strong. If we
send over S. per cent of the troops now in the
cantonmcnts before August 1 will have accom-
plishcd a miracle OF transport-and have army
on the scene which will be "in at the death"