Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-08-03
EVENTS OF THE WEEK

EVENTS OF THE WEEK i
The third week since the beginning Of the July Of
fenstve of the Germans closes with all of the southern
part of the Marine salient in possession of the Allies, with
Allied troops working we'll into the center of the old
triangle, with Scissors recaptured BY the French. with
town after town being gained by the Allies, and with
the Germans in full retreat under such conditions that
It is doubtful if they will be able to make an effective
stand along the line of the vesle, and with what appears
to be at least an even chance that they may be forced
back to the Aisne.
The Allied offensive was begun as a defensive move
ment The enemy was in a fair way to compel the evac-
uation of Rheims, and to make such inroads into the
territory to the south of that city that the Allied forces
in the verdun district. and from there to the Swiss Dor
der would have been seriously endangered, and a mater
ial advance beyond the lines of the middle of July would
have brought the enemy uncomfortably near Paris. The
situation could not be remedied by frontal resistance.
ing in another quarter.
The Germans advanced for three days. At the end
Of another three days their advance was definitely
stopped, and the primary object of the Allied thrust had
been attained. That ended the defensive phase of the
movement. Since that time the Allies have been carry
Ing on an offensive of their own. taking advantage of the
favorable conditions created by their initial effort, and
their progress. has been regular and constant. Two pos
sibilities existed, assuming that the Allies were not
checked. One, was that the Germans might be driven
from the Marine salient and be compelled to retire to a
,ew line farther north. The other, which, of course, in
cluded the recapture of the Marine territory, was the cap.
ture of the major portion of the crown princes army by
narrowing the avenue of exit, approximately between
Scissors and Rheims.
The first of these aims has been accomplished, to the
extent that the Allies are now fighting far to the north
Of the Marine, and have rid the lower part of the sector
of Germans altogether. For some days it has been evil
dent that the greater possibility, the capture of the army,
coald not be realized at this time. While retiring from
the southern portion of the segment, the Germans, by
making an extraordinary effort, were able to maintain
the exist at approximately it's original width, and it is
to be assumed that a large part of the retreating army
has already reached, and possibly crossed, the vesle, and
is now out of the immediate danger of capture. This
condition was outlined by General March in a communi-
cation a few days ago, and at that time he said that the
effort Of each side had become simply an effort to kill as
many of the other side as possible.
The dispatches of Friday indicate the possibility that
the great battle may have reached another stage, and
that out of it is developing a fresh menace to the Ger
mans. French troops have entered scissors, which has
been stubbornly defended by the Germans until now, and
important advances have been made by Allied troops on
the opposite side of the salient just to the south Of
Rheims. The mouth of the sack is therefore being closed,
slightly, it is true, but appreciab1y, and if the progress
that is being made-in the south can be Appropriated at
these points, the German army may yet have some
trouble in getting out of the hole.
In the weeks fighting the Americans have won fresh
laurels. Moving toward the northeast from Fere-en-
sTardenois, the Americans have taken village after village,
and some of the hardest. fighting has been along the por-
'.tion OF the line entrusted to them. Not for a moment
have they faltered. and on no single day have they failed
to score substantial gains. The defense has been stub
bern, and some Of the best troops in the German army
have been lined up against the Americang. But the men
from the United States have halted for neither heavy
artillery nor machine guns, and, marching through with
ering fire they have engaged the enemy in hand-te-hand
combat in village after village, and have literally walked
over piles Of German dead and taken UP their new posi-
suons.
The fact that American cavalry has been operating
well in Advance Of the infantry toward the close Of the
week indicates that the German retreat at the point
which is north Of the center Of the old salient. has be
come more precipitate, for cavalry cannot operate sue.
sscessfully against massed infantry on fairly fayorabl,
sssxEronnd. At the present rate the line OF the vesle vii
Sscon be reached and it Is practically certain that the
Nssrmans Will. not undertake = determined stand soutr
ssefsthat stream. II may be that the real line OF defens'
x1siected y tho Aisnne. but even IL that's the case we ma.
Hssasp st sewers nghting along the yesle.
me Allied 4dsanee ~ strsishtened ont tie battl
sa6nns and shortened II up from ~ former length Of neart
shniles e asiittle oyerssc. This - sometimes spoken .
aH-advantl Tor the Afiiess sid It'll Of come adyant
sl6ks e5ssssss ~ M q. wofiasns "a shs ~