The Oklahoma City times. [volume] (Oklahoma City, Okla.) 1908-1984, 1918-09-10
BEGINNING OF DECISIVE
BATTLE OR RETREAT
PROBABLE THIS week
Continued From Page ~

on the threshold OF far greater posi-
bilitlcs The Germans must accept a
defensive battle under adverse condi-
tons or continue their retreat n they
accept battle. they NAV be beaten com
plctely and we may have the decisive
military success OF the war. bu, II thcy
retreat. declining battle as Ioiire re
tired IRON me Alsnc to the Marne in
1914 then the gain will be merely terri.
torial and the decisive engagement will
be postponed, probably until next year.
Still in First Stages.
We shall do we'll 10 recognize thai
on the military side we are only a, the
end OF the first stage OF a great opera
ton. The German has made a success
iul retirement from a vicious situation
His retreat has been expensive but nc
more expensive than that OF Iofirc
from the frontier TO the Marne. We
don't know whether he has attained the
main object Of his retreat. which was
TO regain freedom Of action. but We he.
lieye that he has not Judging from The
circumstances OF his retreat
II we are wrong. and Ludendorii has
. regained freedom OF action. he will
now cndeayor by local counter often.
sres made a, points Of his own choo,
ing to regain the initiative and compel
foch 10 obtain his own plans to pro.
tect his armies from these counter Of
fensiycs.
May Do as Joffre Did.
This is what Foch did at the Mafne
two months ago and Il was even more
successful On the other hand, ii he
has not regained freedom OF action
and II, is difficult to believe that he has
Ludendorfi will continue his retreat ~
the Belgian frontier as Joiire pro.
longed his retirement from the Aisn,
10 the valley Of the Marne in 1914
Z This will result in the surrender OF
Z much French territory; il will involve
< losses OF prisoners and guns. but il
will adjourn a decision until lnden.
dorff feels that he has better chance
to fight.
Maps Are Confusing.
We are not 10 he confused bv refer
c.ice TO the maps, territorial gains art
Z relatively unimportant, because the sac.
riiice by the Germans OF the regior
i between the findenburg line and III,
Belgian frontier will not gravely weak
en- German capacity for resistance or
the military or the economic side. Al
, that counts this side OF the Rhine i
\ the German military power plus tn
4 morale OF the enemy The way to VIII
the war without great military vic
tory is 10 destroy the German mctalt
! before decisive battle is fought, bu
failing this We have got to have tn,
victory and up TO the present hou
I.udendofff retains the liberty Of ac
tion necessary to enable him TO rctrea
and postpone decisive battle II h,
Z chooses.
This Week vital
This week she,ild trii the story. Tin
two supreme opnmanders--Foch AM
ludeudorii-have reached a new crisi
IN their stupendous duel. II Foch ha
been successful In the larges, sense
2 ludendorit can only fight on the Hin
denburg line at the risk Of a colossa
disaster and in that case he win re
I. treat II Ludendorif has been anythin
I like as fortunate as was Joffre IN lSl4
he can now pass in the offensive III
latter seems incredible but il is a
least possible. In airy event Ills Is IN
critical week Of 1913 In Il may com
the opening OF the decisive battle OF III
; war or the beginning of new Ger
man retreat designed TO enable Luien
dorif to prepare a later counter -oifen
siye such as Joifre prepared at th
Marine, The one thing that is who'll
unlikely is that there will be complet
return to static conditions, change
tactic conditions. the tanks and th