Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-07-31
HUN GUNS AND STORES
IN PERIL, EXPERT SAYS
This is End General Foch Was
Evidently Aiming at,
Critic Concludes.

Washington. July 81 The situation on
the western war front was thus summar-
zed last night by a noted military com
mentator;
There Is very strong indication that
the German retreat got somewhat out
of hand. The general plan Of the re-
treat seems to he that which is being
followed. But, like many other military
conceptions II Is one thing to plan and
another to carry ont.
The enthusiasm Of the French. who,
when they found the Germans giving
way before them. pressed the advantage.
when they should have merely held
where they were, did much to prevent
a vcritahlc disaster from striking the
German Army IN the first battle of the
Marnc, and To this extent harmed the
splendid plan which had been conceived
for that battle II is extremely difficult
under such circumstances as then pre-
vailed to control the action Of all the
various unit OF huge army But If il Is
difficult when m army IS on the offensive,
II is much more SO when the army IS IN
retreat
GERMAN PLANS GONE WRONG.
"That is what the Germans have been
contCndlng against and apparently thcir
scheme has to some extent gone wrong
Between the ourcq and the NcSlc River
there is IN almost lnconccivahlC mass
Of military material All that the Ger
mans had collected for their offcnse
against the Marine is practically locked
up in this area Il is hcIng moved back
aS fast as the meagrc transportation
facilities permit
But these facilities consist az but few
roads and two single-track railroads, 3
part Of both Of which are under shcllfire,
and all under aIrplane observation and
subject to bombing The efficacy Of the
latter feature under present conditions
can he appreciated from the fact that at
an altitude of from 1000 TO $4,000 feet
the accuracy OF the bombing plane rs al
most if not quite equal 10 that Of the
heavy artillery at that range in wards.
LINES OF COMMUNICATION BLO CKED.
These communications consist Of 3
fairly good road from Fere to Braisne
on the Nesle, the railroad from Fere
10 Bazoches, a mediocre road from
Coulongcs to Fismes, and a single track
road to FisInes by way Of the Ardre
Valley. Over these lines all Of the Ger
man guns and supplies must move
AS we approach the end of these roads
We naturally would find a tremendous
congestion, everything jammed. strug-
Cling to find IT'S way thr ough before the
rearguard Is forced 10 break ground and
give way to the rea r.
The Germans apparently had planned
10 stop at the Ourco in order 10 give
time for this mass of material TO be
moved But the Allies were pressing so
closely that the rearguard was unable
TO hold them back Possibly also, the
rea rguard took positions too close to the
main body. so that, while il was intend
ed that the rearguard and that only
should have been engaged, the main
body was unintentionally but none the
less necessarily involved
''At anv rate. whatever the cause NAV
have been, what seems TO have happened
is that, contrary 20 the German wishes or
expectations, the main body found them
selves with the rearguard either driven
in or disposed of. and the mass of ma
terials close under the allied guns and in
consequent danger
AMERICANS UPSET BOCHE RETREAT PLANS.
"The probable German plan was, as
has been stated. TO make a stand on the
Ourco But the American troops pressed
the fighting. followed the Germans close
lv across the river and before the pIu-
suit could be checked were firmly es-
tablished on the northern bank. This
move took. in reverse, the German posi-
tions on the Butte Of Chafrnont, just
northeast Of Cugny The Germans then
were forced to withdraw, TO escape cap
ture and ihe French took possession, I'M
mediately advancing their line beyond
Grand RozOy as a result
"fhe position on the Butte OF Chafmont
was the key to the whole situation from
Fere westward Particularly was this
true Of the north bank Of the Ourcq,
which the American forces held. From
this height the German dispositions were
clearly visible In order 10 restore the
situation and TO gain time, thees erTnans
counterattacked The weather favored
them, a heavy fog preventing the Allies
from utilizing the advantages which they
had obtained,
GERMANS NEED TIME.
apparently some slight advantage was
gained. But the fight is still progress
ing furiously and does not seem to be
favOrIng one side or the other at pres
ent This does not mean Of course.
that FocE' is troops are failing in their
efforts 10 force continuation Of the re-
treat 1t is highly unreasonable TO sup
pose that the Germans will halt on their
present line, while Just few miles be-
yond is the very much stronger line Of
the Vesle But the Germans do need
time They need it badly in order to
save their materials and guns and 10
get it they have to fight for it.
''In a sense. We have come to the cru
cial period Of the Allies ofense Not
that the capture Of a great number Of
prisoners is at stake.
This has never been the issue, and it has
has never appeared that there was the
slightest chance Of the Crown Princes
army s,nrendering But the fairest op-
portunity for the destruction of German
guns and war supplies is at hand, and this
is what Foch is driving for al the moment y