Evening star., 1918-07-21
Victory of Enormous Importance Won by
French and Americans German Of
fensive and Foch's Counter Stroke.

vorable. Except for the single local
achievement about Rheims. the entire
failed without achieving preliminary
gains which compromised French re-
serves or compelled Foch to devote
his resources to repairing breaks.
He was in a position now to launch
counter offensive: his enemy's
They were wearied by days of bitter
fighting. their food and ammunition
were beginning to run short. In a
word, the critical moment OF the bat
tie had arrived. moment that must
have recalled to the allied general
issimo that other time when at the
crisis of the battle Of the Marine he
launched his counter thrust at La
fere Champenoise, which decided the
issue Of that other battle.
Foch struck promptly on the front
between the Marne and the Aisne. be-
tween Scissors and Chateau Thierry,
as have already said. under condt-
thrust eastward from Paris, Septem-
ber S. 1914. He used for his blow
French and American troops, the lat
ter in the greatest numbers that had
yet appeared upon the western front,
and he placed these troops under the
command of Gen. Mangin, who, in
October and December of 1916. had
delivered Verdun by retaking Douau-
mont and Vaux, and still more re-
Gently in the battle of Compiegne had.
by similar counter thrust, paralyzed
the German effort q little more than
a month ago.
Cut Eight Miles Into Hun Lines.
On a twenty-eight mile front. is
suing from the woods and thicket be-
hind them. advancing across fields al
ready memorable, because Of the
fighting of our American marines,
Mangin's army promptly broke the
and crashed forward for gains of
from six to eight miles. which
brought them to the heights dominat-
ing Soissons, and, for the moment, at
least. across the highway and railway
connecting Scissors with Chateau
Of communication for all the German
troops fighting on the Marne front.
Here was exactly the situation
which Kluck confronted when on
September his four reserve corps
holding the flank on the hills west of
the ourcq river. was suddenly as.
sailed by Maunoury's whole army and
driven rapidly backward. KIuck
saved himself from ultimate disaster
by promptly recalling all his infantry
from south of the Marine. and in the
succeeding days he finally checked
Maunoury and even pushed him slow
ly back toward Paris. but by recall
ing his troops from south of the
Marne he abandoned the German
thrust against the French armies and
opened the way for the return Of all
the French forces to the offensive and
with a subsequent victory of the
Marine.
0bvfouol,, fba fy,vadi,+a ,,rno.. ~
this thrust of Foch was to relieve the
pressure, becoming dangerous both
on the western side of the Rheims
salient and south of the Marine river.
AS Mangin's forces advanced west
ward they approached and brought
under their artillery fire all the roads
and railroads essential to the exist
ence of the German forces on the
Marine and striking toward Epernay.
Unless the thrust could promptly be
stopped 1t would become necessary
for all the German troops in the deep
to retire and this would mean not
merely the abandoning of the small
gains of the present battle and the
surrender Of the far greater gains in
cident to the collapse of the French
on the Aisne in May. but it would
mean the abolition of that Paris
front" SO frequently mentioned in
German dispatches.
Situation on Friday.
In a word. the situation on Friday,
July 10. when this article is written.
was this: Mangtn's thrust had been
Immediately and locally successful.
It was already on the edge Of Sois-
sons and across one of the vital Ger
man roads. The problem now was
whether within the next few hours
the Franco-American forces could be
pinned down and the German salient
southward to the Marine preserved, or
whether the Germans would have to
retreat behind the vesle river. or
even the Aisne, abandoning that front
on which they could alone make a
later drive for Paris.
All forecast and prophecy at the
critical stage of a decisive battle is,
that within the next few hours a fur
ther slight advance of the Mangin
forces will compel the most consider
able German retreat on the western
front since the famous Hindenburg
retirement, following the battle Of
retirement would destroy all German
menace to Paris for the present cam
paign and carry with it the doom Of
the great German offensive OF 1918.
On the other hand, recognising how
vast are the issues at stake and how
fatal to the morale of their own peo-
pie would be the announcement that
the second battle of the Marne had
ended in a defeat comparable with
the first, we must believe that the
Germans will make every possible ef-
fort to avoid any retreat and to re-
tain their positions. which are vital
to the largest strategic purpose OF
their campaign.
1t would seem that the menace to
Rheims has been abolished. 1t would
seem that the prospect OF any Ger
man gain as a result of the fifth Of
fensive is already gone It il hardly
too much to say on the present show
a defeat at least comparable with the
defeat OF their allies. the Austrians
on the Piave. a few weeks ago.
Victory Of Enormous Importance.
Even If our allies make no further
gains and the battle lines stabilize
themselves as they stand now. Foch
has won a victory Of enormous i'm
portance. Today marks the begin
ming Of the fifth month since the
opening of the German campaign Of
American fighting men have been
transported across the sea, Britain
has had time to raise new levies, the
allied armies are infinitely stronger
In all respects than they were when
the German attack began. and after a
loss OF at least three-fourths Of q
million in casualties. German victory
is as far away as 1t was on March
20 on the eve Of LudendorR's drst
and greatest blow.
It is conceivable that the allies
will not pass to the offensive: II Is
possible, although unlikely. that q
further accentuation of the Mangin
drive will result in o considerable
Sedan and in the capture Of large