New-York tribune., 1918-07-18
Rheims in Danger
By Frank II. Simonds

tween the plain of the "dusty' Cham
pagne, east of the Moronvilliers Heights.
and the Chateau Thierry sector, where
the Americans are now standing.
1t is we'll to recognize that such a
German success would have no decisive
value of any sort. 1t would merely
remove from their flank and rear
French position seriously handicapping
any German drive toward Paris in the
future. Of itself the Rheims salient is
not of vital Importance. Rheims is a
luin. There is nothing of military value
within the salient, and shortening and
Strengthening the line will take the
French out of a very dangerous and
difficult position. But, on the other
hand, the Germans will be in a far bet
ter situation hereafter when they re-
sumo their main thrust, which is mani
testify directed at Paris.
Going backward now to the original
German attack-that of March 21-it
will be seen that the Germans advanced
many miles toward Paris down the Disc.
In their May attack they made an equal
ly considerable advance toward Paris
between the Aisne and the Marne. But
neither advance, considerable as it was.
gave them real opportunity to at
tack Paris on wide front so long as
the French held the two salients-that
ABOUT Complegne and that about Rheims
Until the French were driven out of
Compiegne and out of Rheims the Ger
mans could not attack on a continuous
front between the Disc and the Marne
the narrowest possible front on which
they could develop their great masses
of infantry and exploit such advantage
as they might have in numbers and in
artillery.
Accordingly, we saw in the preceding
German operation about Compiegne an
effort to dislodge the French from one
OF the two obstacles. This failed al
most completely. We are now seeing
the Germans attempting the same sort
OF operation against the second obstacle,
the Rheims salient, and we are seeing
them making sensible, if slow and in
flnltely costly, progress toward the at
tainment of this end.
Up to the present moment there is
nothing to suggest that the present Ger
man attack ranks with the first often
slve IN Plcardy. 1t is rather like the
German operations that have followed
that--a local attack to acquire ground
useful for the larger purpose and for
the next great thrust.
IN sum, we are seeing the development
OF another local operation comparable
with those local operations about Yer
dun which followed the first great drive
IN the last days Of February and were
intended to clear the way for a final
assault upon Verdun, which did not
come because the Germans were COM
PEELED to take their forces to the Somme
to meet the Anglo French offensive there
AS the Germans sought now on one
bank and now on the other of the Meuse
now about Dead Mans Hill and now
ABOUT Fort de Vaux, to clear the wav
Tor the advance of their centre. the
Germans are now attempting by at
tacks first upon Compiegne and then
upon Rheims to clear the way for a
later and far greater drive directe1
straight at Paris and made with that
assurance as to their flank and rear
which they can have only when Com
plegne and Rheims have both been
captured
1t is too early to predict the fall of
Rheims. 1t is entirely possible that we
shall see another counter offensive do
hvered against the Germans between
Epernay and the present western face
OF the Rheims salient comparable with
that decisive thrust of Mangin which
stopped the German drive on Compiepna
But, on the other hand, Foch NAV fol-
10" the tactics of Petain at Verdun and
continue to sacrifice territory to gain
time 1T this be his policy still. AZ il
has been in the past, we must look for
the fal OF Rheims within relatively
orlef tlmes recognizing clearly that +
represents material gain for the Ger
man but does not carry any decisive or
considerable injury to the Allies.
more and more plainly we begin to
see that the supreme purpose of the
German is to deliver his final battle
1or world power or downfall on the
plans between the Disc and the Marne.
where kluck was checked and thrown
back almost four years ago. The period
OF anxious waiting is not over but we
are still gaining time and numbers.
while the German is consuming time and
losing numbers in his desperate efforts