Evening journal., 1918-07-22

The NTH German offensive is a defln-
tive failure. Rheims has been saved
and the problem now is not whether
the Germans can turn the French out
of Rheims but whether the Franco
Americans can compel the Germans to
repeat their retreat after the Battle OF
The Marne and return to the lines north
OF the Aisne, where kluck halted on
September i3. 1914.
! The counter thrust Of Foch between
Solssons and Chateau Thlerry Is still
nroceedlng. and unless IL ls at once
checked we shall soon see the greatest
German retreat since the Hindenburg
retlrement OF March, 1911 At the
present moment Mangin's Franco-Amer-
loan force is still moving eastward
straight across the few mines OF high
way and toward the single remaining
railway which the Germans can en-
ploy TO munitlon and reinforce their
troops in the deep pocket along the
Marne.
The fall OF Scissors, now announced
from Washington. Is the logical conse-
Quence Of Thursdays blow; gains north
OF the river, south OF 1t and west OF
the city left 1t an untenable pocket
for its garrison. But It's fall greatly
adds to the peril OF the Germans in the
deep salient and still more plainly
foreshadows q German retreat to the
Alsne. As for the news OF the capture
Of 10000 German prisoners, this points
to success Of very great proportions,
for not even In their greatest success
in Picardy did the Germans gather in
such harvest in the first twenty-four
hours Of their attack.
At the same time, counter thrusts
on the other side Of the German salient
about Rheims are developing, the Ger
man recon Is becoming general along
the whole front and we are evidently
at the crisis OF the battle. The often
sive on the German side is over. The
Allied counter offensive is still in full
swing. Ludendorff can avoid a con-
fession OF complete defeat only by an
immediate and decisively successfulfuse
Of his reserves.
We shall do well. still, not to expect
too much and lose sight thereby OF
what we have already gained. The
Germans have already met with a de-
feat as complete as that Of the Aus
trians at the Pave. 1t remains to be
seen whether Foch, unlike Diaz, will
pursue the offensive beyond the limits
Of his original front. In word. We
have still to discover whether the Al
lied commander in chief is yet ready
to pass to the offensive or will still
wait a few weeks longer before tax
ing up the role always dearest to him
as to every soldier.
We have now to watch closely for
the developments about scissors and
between Scissors and Chateau Thierry.
A little further push westward by our
own and the French troops, and the
Germans must again leave the Marne.
To leave the Marne, too. means to re-
linquish the only front from which
they can conceiyably strike toward
Paris in the present campaign. A re-
tirement now from the Marne to the
Vesle or to the Aisne will mean the
permanent shipwreck of the larger
phases Of the German conception for
the present campaign.
Even If the German succeeds in saw
ing himself, in re-establishing the lines
from which he issued five days ago to
deliver his decisive blow, already
chrlstened the peace Storm" his de-
feat will be beyond question, and al
best he can only begin over again
those preparations which after forty
days OF Industry have just proved
futile.