Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1918-07-27
Saturday. July q, 1918.


Why doesn't he strike
These are some Of the questions
that have been impatiently asked.
everywhere in America, for several
d-eary. heartbreaking weeks. Some
fully trusted The distinguished French
soldier and strategist and advised
that all calmly await his decision
n. held ali the cards he knew Of
dangers which We could not see. he
weighed the effect Of his policy upon
the enemy command; he ga " his be-
loved Parts trembling before the
eager. cncomng hordes, but he
waited until their guns could be
1eard in Paris and calmly saw them
preparing for another terrific plunge.
He was ready for that; he knew
where they would do their utmost.
He knew that the flower of the Ger
man army had been placed under
command Of the crown prince (who
would remain beyond danger AMI
rush 10 the front for the triumphal
march into Paris.
And so, when the final" dash for
Paris began It failed to dash. II
found Franco American stone
vail in the way And then the
stonewall began 10 move northward
and al the same time from scissors
south 70 Chateau Thierry a counter
attack fairly blew the German right
nank out Of water
II is now fully apparent that the
German high command was taken by
surprise. They had mistaken Fochs
waiting policy for weakness, AMI
when their offensive rebounded they
cried 'treachery.' on the part Of
German deserter.. They had been
outreneraled. outwitted. fooled into
trap that promised wholesale dis
aster.
And the bosches. too. had been
fooled. for they had been led to be
lev. that the American army was a
myth ard that should they meet any
OF the few" American fighting men
over there the latter would instantly
run for the Atlantic crying mama"
II was typical German blunder.
based on egotism. and contempt OF
the French. The offensive was
urenched from Gen. Ludendorff s
hands before he awakened TO his own
pig headed folly. From that mo-
ment he has been fighting a defen-
sive warfare under the handicap OF
attempting 10 save a score Of his bes,
divisions and an unparalleled slumr
in the morale OF his forces and the
people AZ home.
In brief. Gen. Foch's waiting pol
lev had at last blown the bottom ou
Of the entire German plan Of cam
paign.
Now We have reached considera
ton OF the allied policy, whether Oh
not the German army suffers the dis
astrous loss OF many OF its best di-
visions. Will Foch continue the Of
fensive when the Germans have re-
tired beyond the Nesle or the Aisne
or will he perfect his line between
Rheims and scissors and watt?
II is useless 20 predict. for Foch is
raster ~ the game. has all the
cards. and isn't showing his hand
In The hand just played he held some
trlmps that Ludendorff never sus
pccted But we may guess. and on,
guess is as good as that OF any.
body who is not looking over Gen
Fochs shoulder. And our first cues.
would be that Gen. Foch will wait or
this sector. for he CAN wait and the
Germans cannot Time is running
ever more heavily against the Ger.
mans They had many more chance.
for victory in February than the,
had IN April. more In April than IL
May AMI more in May than in July.
Since March 81. three quarters O
million American fighters hav,
been added to the allied reserve
Every day that reserve is increasin,
In proportions that must appea,
alarming in the light Of the las
weeks events. TO the German high
command.
II Germany cannot go through I,
Paris or the channel now, she neve,
can.
And by mid October, when 1000.
900 Americans. with abundant equip
ment are behind Foch, what hop.
can Germany have OF holding the Of
tensive. or Of holding any positio,
they may desire. against them?
Hence. Gen. LudeadorY must strik
again as soon az he can form =,
army out Of his badly cut I'D an,
disoreanized forces. He cannot fish
time ana the allies, too. for benin
him. among the 1eople time "a worI