The Washington herald., 1918-08-11
The Objective.

Two weeks ago Cen Peyton c. March, Chief
of Staff of the American army, said that the "ob-
jective of the allied armies was the enemy army,
that they were committed to the task of destroy
ing it.
- Yesterday he commended Marshal Foch for
keeping up his pressure on the Boche. because he
was acting on the correct military principle that
when you have the enemy going" it is well to
keep him going"
He also said that now is the time for the
strongest effort" indicating that the present Of
ensive, instead of being merely preliminary to- the
projected greater one next spring, may come close
to determining the issues of the war.
-.s 1t is premature to forecast the result of the
present British drive in Picardy, which is meeting
with such sensational success Until the allies have
reeained much ground as they lost to the enemy
in March and April, we may restrain our hopes and
hold in leash the question which is in the back
ground Of all American minds now-"Is the Ger
sTnan army losing its punch?'
The sweeping victories being recorded
wreck traditions which wcre up to a few weeks
ago, firmly rooted everywhere. We find now that
"the warfare of movement" so far from favoring
-sithe enemy, is really in favor of forces.
We abler fighters in the open. The boast of
the German general staff last spring-that the
Civilian soldiers" of the allies would wilt in hand
to-hand hghting-has been crammed down their
,throats by the events of the past three weeks
won Hutier, who invented the style of Of
~fensive which responsible for the German vic
tories of last spring. to be trapped and de-
stroyed by its systernl
The extension of the thrust sixteen miles south
of Montdidcr yesterday lends significance to Gen.
March's words. Foch is prepared to give
battle to the enemy from the English Channel to
the Swiss border-for there is pitched fighting now
in Flanders. from Albert to Noyon, and between
Rheims and Scissors the Vesle This covers
than half of the entire line. At each point
-Foch is the offensive, and his continuous ham,
mer blows have been successful beyond all
-pcctations The result in the Marne-Aisne salient
might be attributed to the enemys foolhardiness,
and regarded as or less an accidental affair;
but the amazing thrust in Picardy shows clearly
that the allied armies now have the upper hand,
that the enemy is not nearly so strong as we
thought he was.
President Wilson has called 1913 "the culminat-
ing year" of the Well it may prove to be-
1t will show that Germany is beyond all question
defeated that all that remains is for the allies to
win it. 1t may show this fact clearly that even
the German people will realize it. In which case
the campaign of 1919 will bear the same relation
to the war as Grants campaign of the Wilderness
did to the civil war; it will be the final hard but
decisive, push All doubt as to the ultimate out
come may be removed from the mind of the world
before the present campaign Closes
This evidently is what Gen. March has in mind.
Foch's plans have been months in preparation, and
have been known to the American General Staff
He waited until he ready, and until he had
the forces which he knew the enemy could not
equal Then he struck, and he is still striking
He will keep on striking, giving the enemy rest
between now and winter. The enemy has not the
Starch" for another offensive of his own. Besides
Foch will keep him too busily occupied defending
himself to think of that