South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-08-15


Amiens 10 81. Quentin Further 10
The south Gen. Debeny's FIRST French
army crossed the Avre and made ma
feriaI but less considerable gains.
For a period OF a. least As hours
there was a wide gap in the German
mes into which the victorious Ca
uadians and Australians poured.
Exactly the same thing happened
southwest of scissors on the 10th OF
July when Gen Mangin suddenly
broke the German line and ad-
eanced 10 the hills above Thierry.
But there was this difference. Luden-
dorf was able within - hours 10
check the Mangin blow. il was not
ntil 48 hours had passed that Raw
nsons attack came 10 a pause.
Situation Unchanged.
The situation OF Ludendorn on the
morning OF Saturday last was the
same which ne had faced on the
morning OF July 10 in the Marine
battle He had first and immedi-
ateIy 10 reconstitute a broken line by
ding a gap. He had secondly to
draw back all his troops on the i'm
periued front until they presented
p front 10 the enemy This involved
the immediate evacuation Of Mont
older and three weeks before a
prompt withdrawal from Chateau
Thierry had been required.
BY Sunday the first duty had been
met There was no longer a gap in
the German lines. and reserves and
fresh artillery had taken root along
the old Somme line all the way from
me Somme 70 the Disc The first
rush OF the allied offensive was over.
The situation was I'm hand exactly as
b. had been i'm hand on the 18th of
July when Margin had been stop
ped before SCISSORS. and on the goth,
when after the evacuation OF Cha
teau Thierry all danger OF envelop-
ment and a resulting Sedan was at
an end.
Decision Reached July 10.
re have the testimony OF the OFF,
ciaI German reports 10 prove that
on the 18th Of July Ludendor1
reached his decision TO evacuate the
whole OF the Marine salient as far
rs the Vesle. and that thenceforth
ne movement within the salient
conformed 10 Ludendorffs arrange
uents for a deliberate withdrawal.
We saw then an orderly retreat COW
cred BY the usual rear guard action.
Now, in the Somme operation. we
have reached that second phase in
which II Ludendorff has resolved TO
retire the line OF the upper Somme,
look for a gradual, orderly and sys-
t6matic retirement under cover Of
strong rear-guard operations.
The Great Problem.
What we do not Vet know IS
whether Ludendorn decided last
Sunday 70 retire or TO stand. The
problem IS one which cannot be an
swerec at a distance. because we do
not know the condition Of the lines
ON which he is at present standing,
nor the degree OF exhaustion Of his
reserves He is not Immediately
threatened. S ne was at the Marine
hv pressure on both TANKS He is
not stiu in salient as ne was for
many DAYS after July 10 at the
Marine His line runs fairly straight
now and rests soldly upon high
ground above the Disc and between
the Somme and the Avre
Difficulties Behind Him.
His difficulties are i'm the nature
~ the country behind him. But
hese difficulties are even more Sc
rious man those which threatened
him from the TANKS at the Marine
Where Ludendorff now stands he
has behind him az a distance OF
siN or eight miles. the deep and
difficult valley OF the upper Somme.
through which the river flows in a
series OF almost impassa BILE marshes.
The few causeways and bridges be
tween Peronne and Ham are un-
guery and have been greatly dam
ged by allied ayiators.
To stand on such a front and risk
later attack would seem TO be 20
invite disaster and 20 invite IL with
-ut an adequate Justification. for the
lid Somme line offers no particular
adSantaEe as a defensive position.
only question OF military pres
gge can weigh with Lvdendorff
now as against the solid reasons OF
military expediency which demand
further retirement Again. linden
burg In his great retreat n the
spring OF 1917. transformed an the
country for 20 miles In the rear OF
Iudendorffs position into am aoso-
ute desert
Villages Raced.
villages were RACED every tree
was cut There is absolutely no
cover Of any kind. and an army
-uddenly thrown into this area
would md no position on which 90
ALLY and maintain itself unrl 80
cached the Hirdenburs line l-
WAS for this purpose that linden
.lc devastated Picardy and DE sub
sequently prohted when Hutier ATE
acked Cough last spring and
threw his army back from tne
~cneIGt 10 the Avre and The Ancre.
\ Natural Conclusion.
Every consideration tha- one can
now perceive would seem to point
-ovard "a withdrawal Of l.sdendorn
rc the Peronne-N oyon lire Within "a
Huef period of time exactly as DE