Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-07-30
VICTORY ON MARINE
MOST VITAL TO ALLIES
Had the German Offensive Sue
ceeded Enemy Of Kaiser Would
Have Been in Critical
Condition.

Washington, D. c. July 3O-A noted
military expert thus summarizes the
war situation up to last night:
There is still no reason to doubt that
the German retreat is proceeding with
relative safety The same general lines
as those given last night are being fol-
lowed. the tlanks holding tight to their
positions while the centre falls back
The fighting yesterday was apparentely
heavier and more continued than 1T had
been for the previous two days. This
Is the natural course of events. AS the
Germans fall back getting nearer and
nearer to their ultimate line of defence,
the number of men per mile OF line is
increased, giving the Germans greater
force than when this line was some
what attenuated by the long front of
the salient. For thi. reason the rate of
advance was lowered with the stiffening
OF the defence
VICTORY VITAL TO ALLIES.
'"Thc fact that the Germans have made
good their retreat does not mean that
the Allles have not won an important
victory as the result of their counter
offensive. In fact, quite the reverse rs
true This victory exists in two phases.
The first of the total and complete de
feat of the German offensive. This is
in itself no minor matter The Ger
mans must. because Of time limitations
place full reliance on the success of
each move Where not ono alone, but
three separate ofTensivcs the attack
on Rheims. that down the Mata Valley,
and tins latter one on the Marne have
all signallv failed. the Germans have
fun cause for worry
AIIIEs FACED sERIoUs SITUATION.
This latter offensive is the most i'm
portant Of the three as II was launched
on much greater scale The Allies
would have been IN q serious predIca-
mcnt had il not failed II is one thing
for military students to mnimize the
value of territory IN relation TO the out
come Of the war IL IL another tor the
public, for the army behind the army
TO absorb this point Of view and credit
Il with the importance II merits For
civilian morale as well as for most inn
portant military reasons then, the de
feat Of the German offensive was most
important event.
CAS- for the offensive after the counter
blow had succeeded the outcome ls
bringing its own Justification he
Allies have captured a great numbar OF
prisoners IT should number nearly 40
900 before the Germans again settle
down a large number OF guns, and have
forced the destruction Of large masses
Of material which it had taken the Ger
mans a month to accumulate.
HARD BTDow ron BoCHE.
''This IN itself is q serious blow. But
more serious still is the blow which has
been delivered to the German plans for the
remainder Of the year. The Germans were
undoubtedly working on a giant scheme
based on the occupation Of French
territory and the success Of the German
army in driving back the allied lines
toward the sen and toward the nerve
entries Of France.
"A part Of this scheme seems to have
been another offensive movement
against the British lines which have
been for so long relatively quiet Such
an offensive may, indeed, still be launch
ed, hut we NAV be certain that If 1t Is it
will be minus the great driving power tha {
il would have had had the Germans not,
been checked by Fochs move Had the
German move been successful, undoubted-
" help would have been sent IN some
measure TO the French from the British
front And the moment the British
weakened their lines the Germans would
have had an excellent opportunity to
strike.
SITUATION NOW REVERSED.
"TThe situation is now materially
changed if not entirely reversed The
British hav, not had TO weaken their
front at all One or two divisions may
have been sent to The line west of Rheims,
but that no material change has been
made IN the dispositions Of the British
army is practically certain
THE Germans, on the other hand, have
had TO draw on Prince Rupprecht's
army to some extent Relatively it has
been weakened far more than the Brt-
ish Army Therefore instead Of the
German offensive altering the situation
on the British front IN favor of them
selves, they have gwen the British an
additional advantage
The entire German plan has been en-
tirelv upset and must be rebuilt In
the meantime the Germans have moth
ing like the force with which to rebuild
it as before the at tack. Their own Of
fcnslve was an expensive matter IN
human material Particularly so was
their effort along the Mane. They
have also lost heavily as n result of the
subsequent offensive Foch in the mean
time, through the arrival of American
troops, Is stronger than before he began.
HUN ARMIES NOT SAFE YET.
GAS to yesterdays advance, it is par
ticularly notable in one important sec
tor that from the Aisne to the Ourcq
Cugny and the Butte of Chalmont, just
TO the northeast, have been taken, CIV
ing the French clear field of opera
ton along the entire Ourcq Valley. The
passage of the Our ca should now be IN
1'lffes have reached the village Of Bu-
Fancy Taken together the indication is
that the German fianks are weakening in
spite Of the increasing numbers of the
defence. This may yet cause trouble, as
the Germans are not quite out of the
woods, but have several miles TO go be
fore they rc ach safety"
LESS WATER p PUMPED.