Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-08-30
FOch Harrying Germans
as They Are Forced Back
Foe Unable to Hit Back Because of Constant
Pressure-May Stand on Hindenburg
Line for Winter
BY MAJOR GENERAL SIR FREDERICK B. MAURICE
Special Gable to Evening Public Ledger
Copyright, 1918, bv NcW York Times Co.


Special Cable to Evening Public Ledger
Copyright, 1918. bv Ncc York Times Co.
London, Aug. 80.
The Germans are withdrawing on
almost the whole OF the front from
Bailleul to the Aisne. That is the
cardinal fact in the situation Of the
moment. The position is. in fact, very
much what 1t was after Foch deliver
ed his commensurate last month, but
on very much larger scale. Then
the Germans wanted to withdraw from
the awkward corner just far enough
to allow themselves to re-establish
comfortable and secure line to besheld
while their reserves were reconstructed.
To do this the enemy had to abandon
the initiative, and Foch. humming a
! tune, gave the enemy no rest; and
powerfully aided by the keen vigor of
the Americans, pushed him from one
selected position to another until he
had driven him across the Aisne and
| the Nesle.
There is little doubt that the Ger
mans intended at the time of the bat
| tie of the Marine to retire deliberately
| from various parts Of the front so as
to reorganize their troops. Sir Doug.
las Haig's surprise attack of August
Sth upset this plan, and Foch has
never since left the Germans a mo.
ment's leisure to pull themselves to.
| gether. He has them by the throat
! and is shaking them hard. He is
not yet in position to attempt a
| knockout blow but the Germans,
while he has hold of them, are unable
to hit back Their whole energies are
occupied in parrying.
! There are many who are very wise.
ly disposed to check exaggerated hopes
by comparing what we are achieving
with what the Germans accomplished
! in March astride the Somme and in
! their June advance to the Aisne. 1t
! Is also well to remember the way In
which we recovered from those blows.
| and to reckon that the German, when
he has time to get his wind, may do
50 too.
Not Like German Drive
At the same time. what we are do.
ing now is very different in scope and
intention from what the Germans at
tempted in the spring. They then
skillfuliy concentrated very superior
forces against a portion of our front
and made rapid drive into our lines
backed by great weight of numbers
There Is at present nothing of that
nature in our operations. Ludendorff
Is repeatedly saying that we are at
tempting a great break-through and
claiming TO have defeated cur efforts
with enormous loss. That Is trick
which has become stale by use, and
it can now deceive no one who does
not wish to be deceived. We are
harrying the enemy on wide front
interfering with his plans and forcing
him continually to place the line or
which he means to stand further east
The most satisfactory features ir
the situation are that we are doing
this while as yet we have no materia
superiority in numbers. and that we
are bound to have that superiority IN
the future. The enemy will then finC
what the great combined Allied often
sive is like. and in the meantime he
Is only making himself look foolisf
by claiming that we attempt to breaf
through two or three times a week.
On the greater part of the front be
tween Bailleul and the Champagne the
enemy has copied and elaborated the
defensive tactics which we adopted al
the beginning of the year. tactics
which General Gouraud used witt
such complete success in order tC
meet the German attack to the eas'
of Rheims. He is covering the mair
positions he proposes to hold with out
posts or advanced troops, who occupy
a belt of country of varying depth
Sometimes this belt is no more thar
1000 yards deep, sometimes the mali
position is several miles behind. Thes'
, advanced troops have with them ;
high proportion of machine guns, ant
; their object is to delay US as long a!
possible and to interfere with our ar
rangements for attack on the mail
position behind which almost all tn
artillery is withdrawn.
When we read that our troops hav'