Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-08-10
SATURDAY EVENING. AUGUST 10. 1918.
EVENTS OF THE WEEK

EVENTS OF THE WEEK
The week closes with another Allied offensive in
progress in Picardy. and on Friday night, at the close
of the second day of the new offensive. the British troops
under General Haig had driven a wedge some thirteen
miles into the enemys positions. had captured more than
1900 prisoners, and has taken some 200 guns, with i'm
mense quantities of other material, while the German. re-
treat eastward was in full progress, and there was no
indication of anything in the nature Of effective resist
ance. The front on which this attack was launched ex-
tends for about "a miles, beginning a little south Of AL
bert, and running almost to Montdidier, where the mum
battle line turns eastward toward Scissors.
The new offensive is, of course, a part Of the general
battle plan. and 1t links up perfectly with the operation
in which the Allies won such a signal victory between
the Marine and the vesle. Byt the middle of the week
the strategic. movement by which Foch had forced the
Germans out of the Marine salient had been completed.
The fighting was not over, nor has it ceased yet. But
the great thanking movement had ended; the line between
scissors and Rheims had been Strengthened out; and the
work had taken on the character of a frontal attack gen.
orally along the line Of the vesle, swhere the Germans
had made a stand, preparatory, as is generally believed,
to the orderly retirement of their force to the line Of
the Aisne.
1t was while this retreat was going on, while the Wig
orous pounding by French, Americans and British from
the south necessitated the activity Of a very strong rear
guard along the vesle to protect the retirement of the
main army with its great wagon trains Of supplies and
munitions, that the Germans were again struck a terrific
blow on their right flank. In this drive the tactics used
py Gen. Byng in his famous drive toward Cambria were
yepeated on a much larger scale, and with similarly graft
Tying results. One point of difference was that while Byng
used no artillery preparation the British artillery on this
occasion bombarded the enemy's positions for a few
minutes. Then there was the same quick action with
light tanks clearing the way for the infantry, and cava1ry
Joining in the pursuit of the hastily retreating enemy.
The drive has already progressed far enough to en-
danger the German army which occupies the newly Gre
ated pocket. And, If the Germans are unable to check
the Allies and maintain themselves in their decidedly m
convenient position, they must retire soon from the en-
tire new salient or suffer a greater disaster than they have
yet sustained on the west front. The crown princes
Aisne. It is moving north, and it's movements are hamp-
cred both by the activity of the Allies, on foot and on
horseback, who keep pressing on from the south, and ny
the Allies air forces, which interfere with the movement
OF their great trains over the country roads. Immediate
~ to the west is another army which. to escape being
trapped, must move eastward, with an active and power
full force in hot pursuit. 1t is easy to see that with two
dIHa1es TetredInS on COnverg1ng lines, every road
will be congested with moving troops and wagons, and
to avoid disastrous confusion will require generalshin> of
the highest order. -
The ability Of General Foch is admitted by both
friend and enemy It was not to try him out, but to give
the Allies the full benefit Of his known qualities that. he
was placed in supreme command Of the Allied armies in
France. Until lately he has bided his time and husband
ed his resources. But when the German right flank was
exposed on the line between Scissors and the Marine.
Foch struck a blow which drove the enemy back with
tremendous loss from territory from which he had hoped
to launch his final attack on Paris. And, when the OBJ
3ect sought at that time had been attained, without Wait
ing to give the enemy time to rest and reform, Foch
struck again, and the cumulative effect Of his rapid ac-
ton is likely to shake the whole German line.
The new offensive. following so closely on the heels
OF the former one. and giving promise Of even greater
success, is certain to be accepted as a demonstration Of
the wisdom OF the. Allies In placing their entire force un-
der the command Of a single mind. The central powers
have from the outset had an enormous advantage in ,ne
unity oktheir military command. Whatever may have
3 been the disguises adopted, and whatever consideration
may have been given to the sensibiiities OF her A11,es
Germany has dominated the entire. situation, and every
campaign has been planned in Berlin. The Allies nav.
lAbored under a.condiuon In which several generals had
spual authority, and while these men undertook to CO.
III operate, every movement was necessarily the result OF
81 pomproniss. There was felt the need for a single com.
rAsnd.x 90 that sch movement should be. not a conpro-
u rise betwsen ~condiesins opiHlcrs. but the result 81 the
Is sArefuiiy thonsht out pians of q single able man. There
~ d~inhcuItsiss in M wsy. y 49, certain that Il the
4 pian q a~prollntins one rnan ssneraiissin,oS III the Anisd
# seress wsrs publicly discussed 4 would IS met With IS.
NX~s]SeA1ons, anA d~iaA1trous delay would be pracucAily 81.
iahatn The supreme - council decided o. snd sxscured
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