New-York tribune., 1918-08-31
Wars Greatest Week
By Frank II. Simonds
Copyright, 1913, The Tribune Associate
lThe AI..4. Iyo..I.

II pcIlou Ol anxiety WHICH eNLeuueu
from March 2l to July IS, it is
not too much to say that the past seven
days have been for us and our allies, and
on the spectacular side, the best week of
the whole war. To be sure, the fact of
victory was established on August by
Rawlinson's offensive along the Somme,
just as the fact of salvation from the
graver perils was disclosed by Mangin's
triumphant thrust on July 8.
But neither the one blow nor the other
Immediately revealed it's consequences.
The German retirement to the Vesle was
deliberate, and after precipitate dash
out of the Montdider salient Ludendorff
was able to make a long halt at the old
Somme lines. Strategically, on the tech
nlcal military side, the results were al
ready enormous, but they were not re-
vealed on the map, and it is to the map
that the mass of people look for the
nearing of military events.
Toward the close of last week. how
ever, there came a change in the situa-
ton. The German could no longer escape
the consequences of his great defeat. He
had to retreat to escape disaster, and his
retreat had necessarily to be accom-
plished under heavy pressure. He could
not evade the watchful Foch; he had to
pay price for retirement, price meas
ured on the British front by 10000 pris-
oners and 25O guns in seven days and
by $4,000 prisoners and many more
guns in the full period from August to
August 80.
The start of the retreat was rendered
Inevitable when Byng began his thrust
outward toward Bapaume last week. al
though that thrust was not immediately
successful in gaining Bapaume. Away
off to the south the French followed the
British example by taking Roye With
Roye gone and Bapaume reached. the
whole German ediice was crumbing. To
take Bapaume and Roye the British and
French fought frorn July to the end
of the year in 1916 and they did not get
either. But once Roye had gone,
Chaulnes, Nesle all the old French bat
tleted south Of the Somme and the Brit
lsh objectives north in that terrible sum
mer and autumn of 1916 were doomed
feli like ripe apples to the French and
British
And now, at last the map shows the
consequences. The seed was the success
OF August 8; the harvest is the retreat
now swinging backward and bound to
continue, whatever the temporary halts.
until the old Hlindenburg line is reached.
We have liquidated all the gains of Lu-
dendorff in his great offensives of the
spring. We have disposed of one more
German chance to win the war, the
chance supplied by the collapse of Rus
sla The German had six weeks to win
the war in the Marne campaign of 1914
before Russia could intervene effectively.
and he lost. He had four months in the
Verdun episode Of 1916, and he lost; he
had from March u to July 18. this year
before America could get it's first divi-
sions into shape and give Foch the nee
essary strategic reserve And again he
lost
Some time within the next few davs
probably by the end Of the next week. the
German will be back at the Hindenburc
line; ne will have before him that system
or lntrenchments he has been preparing
IN all the time since he was defeated bv
KaWllnson he will have from the Scarpe
20 the Disc that bulwark which is the
desert Hlndenburg created in 1917 q
desert without roads, railways. villages
or even shade trees.
Then will come the third great crisis
OF the campaign. Then will come the
test as to whether Foch can PROMPTLY
carry on his victory to the next and
greater step, to the point where the ex-
pulslon of the German from France he
comes possible in the present year. All
else is now Of minor consequence before
this great possibility. The supreme test
between Foch and Ludendorff for this
year must come within the next FORTNIGHT
and the test may settle the war decisivelv
Tor II the Germans have promptly to oni,
the Hlndenburg barrier they will reach the
Belgian frontier in ribbons Another
long retreat Immediately after the pres
cnt would be too demoralizng to permit
the German machine to retain its oroan-
lzation. The consequence would be SUI
preme military disaster, and it is a con-
sequence now possible for the first time
in this war on the Allied side.
1t is emphatically not a time for ev
travagant expectations. On the whole
the German retreat is developing with
reasonable success. Boehn is paying a
very high price indeed for gettjnc
Hutlers army out of the mess. but he is
getting 1t out. The capture of guns and
material since the August 8 advance was
held up has not been excessive. The re-
treat is by no means as successful nc