The Washington herald., 1918-08-02
ALLIED FORCES
MORE UNIFIED
THAN EVER YET
Better Organization Among
Attackers Shown by
Dispatches.
ENEMY HARD PRESSED
Germans Hurting the Best
Troops Into'C Combat
Gives Satisfaction.

Advices yesterday continued to bear
out the predictions OF the allied mill
tary attaches here that the German
army has been confronted by forces
far better organized and unified than
any army sent into battle by the
allies since the war opened.
Although in many respects the dis
patches received through diplomatic
sources yesterday were lacking in
complete analysis OF the battlefront
situation. they made clear the fact
that many urits and commanders are
achieving records which will not so6n
fac.
Interesting Conference Held.
One OF the most interesting confer
ences of the week was held yesterday
afternoon a. the War Department
with British. French and American
officers present. The American offi-
GERS had seen service at the front and
one of the British officers had held a
command in the territory over which
the fighting is now in progress.
One CT the most interesting slim
maries of the fighting of the last
twenty-four hours was given by Lieut..
Col E. heQuin, OF the French War
Mission. Lieut.. Col. Requin served
under Gen. Joffre on the Marne and
gave interesting anecdotes of the
policies which the eminent French
field marshal voiced in the desperate
days OF the first year of the war.
Col. Requin in discussing the re-
ported movements OF the Contendins
forces said. There is great satisfac-
ton in the news that the Germans are
hurting their best troops into the fire
of the allied fighters. 1t is well that
the progress of the allies is in such
strength and SO well organized that
the German leaders find II necessary
| to counter attack with their best men
and in force. 1t shows that Germany
! is wounded badly: that she is des-
perately using every resource to gain
the time in which to lead some OF
her battered divisions to a place for
rest.
Gen. Eoch is SO maneuveriug hn-
forces that he is naming the place
where the Germans must counter
oNAoSh IhCN dES bON Ailt
I field Of battle. but they are wearing
out their best men in assaults for
which they cannot make the prepara-
ton and cannot have the support
which they would expect TO have were
they choosing the battle arena.
THE strong attack by the French
today south Of scissors is evidence
that the allies have still much in re-
serve and that they will exploit the
victory gained. 1t becomes clearer
day by day that the Germans must
fall back to a line upon one Of the
riN ers. 1t is not clear whether they
will choose to stand on the Ardre and
Vesle or upon the latter river, nor
is it clear which bank of the river
they will select 1t is certain. how
ever. that they are losing in men and
munitions as they have never lost
before in a similar period of time.
This is the time when the COM
manders and the regiments are max
ing names for themselves. There is
Of course no interference with the
! commands. There may be after
wards; none can tell. 1 remember
that on the Marine, when We were
led by Marshal Joffre. he insisted
that he would determine by every
means at his disposal the exact cal
iber Of every leader serving under
him.
Marshal Joffre counted an army
no stronger than its weakest leader.
How he did change the commanders
at the battle of the Marne, He said
afterwards, I could never have driv-
en- the Germans back IL / had not
changed the leaders of many of the
units "a,
There is no interference with the
men in command Of the armies in
France today. They have absolute
control and they are no longer fore
ed to await the advice of the people
at home before making changes
which they esteem VIII aid the serv-
ice.
I'VE may now well believe that the
allies are mainly concerned in the
Marne salient with the problem OF
bringing up the artillery and estab-
fishing their food and ammunition
supply services as well as clearing ou,
all routes so that fresh troops can
readily replace those who have been
in battle for days.
"where the next rush will Lc staged
we can not know, for we have not
the location Of the units which Foch
has disposed. The cheering fact is
however, that the Germans are now
the defenders and that the allies In
the field they now hold face no pos
sfbility. Of being forced to give uI
hard yon Ground."