Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial. (Wilmington, Del.) 1878-1928, 1918-07-25
HUN POSITION BETTER;
ETREAT SLOWS DOWN
How Many Reserves Were Sent
to Crown Prince the Unknown
Determining Factor.

Washington. July 35-A noted mill
tary expert summarizes the war situation
and outlook rs follows
1t is beginning to look as if the Ger
man defence in the Marine salient had
reached point where it may be said 10
neutralize the allied offensive. Reports
from this theatre are not altogether sat
iSfyinC tas o the extent to which they
give detail. They also are conflicting as
10 vital matters. The latest indication
is that the Germans have ceased their
rctrograde movement and arc disposed
10 hold on 10 what they have left until
they can retire under more favorable
auspices.
RESERVES TO DECIDE.
This. after ALL Is not altogether IllogI-
cal. II will be remembered that several
DAYS ago it was reported that German
documents had been captured which IN
dlcatcd that the crown prince, com
mand.ng the Germans IN the salient, had
sent "a Prince Rupprccht for help. If
/ this hclp did not arrive further retire
mcnt was foregone conclusion. But u
sufficient did arrive 10 make such a
| thing possible the Germans might very
we'll elect TO hold on until tho allied
/ pressure should let UP and then TO re-
TIM without molcstatIon.
IF this were done. the losses IN men
| and material would he negligible. Nj
Of the artillery could he moved back.
the ammunition dumps sent over the
railroads and highways, SO that We
would have verv much the same sort
Of empty bag IN our possession that was
acquired when the Germans rctrcatcd
from the Noyons salient IN 1917
RETREAT WOULD BE DANGEROUS.
"A retreat is, under the most favorable
circumstances, a difficult thing 70 ac-
complish 4 retreat In the face OF an
active offensive enemy ls almost lmpos-
sible without suffering most heavily
There is no way of withdrawing troops
while they are under attack without
running the danger Of q panic In such
q ase the retreat would be turned into
a rout.
In the present case, if the Germans
began to draw in the sides of the salient
thev would automatically permit the
French to advance and would endanger
All OF the forces which are at present
holding the base If, on the other hand
( they should withdraw al the base, leav-
ing to the troops holding the sides TO
beat off the Allies. vital lines OF supply
would be cut, necessary bases would be
taken. and the holding forces would IN
all likelihood be forced 10 surrender In
large numbers both from lack Of food
and from lack of ammunitions. If the
sides and the b;re should move TO the
rear In unison, point would he reached
where the salient had grown so small
that everything IN It would be destroyed
! by artillery fire.
HUN osITIoN NOT WEAK.
'In the present case there Is nothing
tacticallv weak in the German position
SO long as it remains in Its present con-
dition. Fere-en-Tardenols Is, while
under mid-range artillery FIRE, still some
distance from the French lines and IS
no more out Of action than are the roads
leading from Aniens The salient is so
wide that only very heavy artillery can
reach its centre, so that It cannot be
said with full truth that the guns of the
Allies can sweep the territory that Is
inclosed. The great disadvantage Of
any salient arises from tins feature, the
ability of the guns to infiict reverse
fire on either side. IhlE feature Is al
together absent from the present situa-
The great danger lies in the possibh-
/ ity of a further allied advance which
/ will threaten or bring under close range
some vital point upon which the Ger
mans depend
! DEFENDS on Pooh 5 STRENGTH
Whether Foch can drive his forces into
/ the German lines to a depth that this will
/ be possible no one can say As long as
ne keeps the pressure at the present high
! mitch il would seem that he thinks So at
any rate But that is the key TO the con
| tinuance Of the offensive II IS almost
certain that If it is made clear to the allied
commander that the Germans are not
going to retire he will suspend the
/ offensive lie is rot checked vet His
/ attacks are still gaining ground, but the
gains are small and are naturally ex-
pensive Ia fact, in the fighting which
is now raging II may reasonably be ex-
pected that his losses are at least equal
to those which he is able 10 nfiict on
the Germans But he must do more
than TINS, Of course, and Will not con
tinue on the offensive when IL is real
lied that this state of affairs will prob
ably continue
BoCHE COUNTERS INCREASING.
! at 5 noticeable that the German coun-
/ ter-attacks are becoming more frequent
/ and are in many cases putting the French
/ 10 II to hold the ground which they
/ have gained This is an indication
/ that the offensive and defenive are ap-
preaching an equality OF strength. What
/ lies behind it all of course We do not
! know nor 90 the official reports give Us
an inkIing Foch, has, We may be Ger
/ tain accurate information on which ne
can place full reliance and is acting in
| strict accordance Herewith, But from
r ~ IN, a