The Washington herald., 1918-06-02
Aiming at Foch.

Hindenburg IS aiming at interallied unity Oh
command His real goal is to disrupt the concen-
trston OF power and authority in Foch. How does
he aim to do this?
The present blow in the Rheims SCISSORS sector
which seems almost to have spent its force, had an
objective and beyond the thrust at Paris, the
outflanking OF the Nerdun and Lorraine armies
1t was to frighten the French into demanding the
return OF the reserves which aiding the British
TO defend the Channel ports 1t was to force Foch
to show himself FIRST OF all as Frenchman, rather
than as a detached and impartial commander of all
the forces fighting Germany.
There was twofold object in this, provided il
could be accomplished. The first to weaken
confidence in Foch. to renew the demand OF the
oldline British military party and the British public
in general that the unity Of command be done
away with; the second was to weaken the defense
OF the Channel ports so materially that gigantic
blow at them would succeed in its objective.
The present thrust is clearly the acid test for
Foch There is doubt that he will emerge un-
scathed. In the first place, perhaps the ablest
strategist in Europe, it is unthinkable that he
would ever permit sentimental reasons to sway
him from his program, to influence his disposi-
ton OF troops. Secondly he is able to make an
exact appraisal OF what the swift advance OF the
Germans is worth TO them in tactical values, as
opposed to the merely sentimental and spectacular
value OF such rapid acquisition OF terrain and
booty" as the Prussians boastngly call it.
There has been political pressure on Foch
apparently. The French have not cried for the re.
turn OF their reserves; they have not become
alarmed over the progress of the Boche, deep as
the cut must be over the loss of scissors and the
possible loss of Rheims They have maintained
Gallo calm, with unbroken confidence in the allied
armies. 1t is quite possible that, if Foch had been
subjected the same kind OF political pressure as
Niyelle in April, 1917, the allied unity of COM
mand at this hour might have been thing OF the
past, hopelessy smashed How long would Lon
don and Washington submit to having the gen.
eralissimo OF the allied armies subject to political
influence from Paris?
That danger, it can be safely asserted, is past
The French have been unperturbcd in the presence
Of the most spectacular and most swiftly moving
thrust that the enemy has made since he reached
the Marine four summers ago. Foch also has been
unmoved, uninfluenced in his program. minimum
OF reserves has been thrown into the Rheims-Sois-
sons sector. No front has been weakened to Dol.
the thin curtain that faced the onrush OF the
Boche along the Chemin- Danes, the Aisne and
the Vesle. Today, without the slightest disarrange
ment OF the allied program, the wedge the Ger
mans have driven in this sector has been whitfield
down to a point and the drive, if moi
stopped at least is stemmcd. The flanks arc hold
lowed by no advance westward. The headlong
plunge OF the Germans has been almost due south
Where he has attempted TO turn the point of his
rapier either east or west he has met with firm
sstance. His failure to penetrate the flanks is
apparent.
Perhaps this optimism, based on the hypothesis
that the worst OF the drive is over that its nuzzle
velocity has been largely spent and its force been
blunted and parried will prove to be entirely
warranted. Ludendorf may find the exploitation
of his big advance very profitable. 1t is clear
however that Foch has the situation in hand. He
has kept cool from the start. He hates waste mo-
ton. 1t is safe to assert that not single soldier
has been moved into the Rheims-Soissons sector
from the north whose presence not absolutely
necessary.
The dcadliest poison that could be devised fol
the allied cause today would be the shaking o
public confidence in the intera1hed unity of com
mand under Foch The stimulus of that concentra
tion OF authority upon American war preparation.
is too well known to require comment. For three
years and more the French British and Italian.
prated OF their cooperation and coordination o
military operations, and yet it required no subtle
mind to discover that it was an empty boast
President Wilson pressed for an actual unity o
command last September, but the British nterposet
objections which could not be broken down. Mo-
until the black storm broke last March could the
British insular pride and habit OF thought bt
brought within leash
At last, however. we have achieved that which
is to be our salvation in the turning point of the
war. Let us think OF Foch as an American no les.
than as Frenchman: for truly he belongs to al
OF US, and as he sinks swims, so do we all