New-York tribune., 1918-07-23


when 1t seemed as though the nu-
merically overwhelming German
hordes would submerge France and
crush the Allied armies before Amer
lea could throw her weight into the
war. To-day finds the constantly
growing Allied forces not defending
their very life. but fighting under
circumstances in which the man at
the helm, by superior strategy, has
beaten the powerful enemy and Is
! now debating the enemy's move
ments.
Germans Picked Troops
Throughout the war the world has
been forced to admire German
'methodism." 1t was the methodical
German battle plan, methodical al
most to stubbornness, that brought
defeat during the last six days.
Beginning in March Of this year,
Hindenburg and Ludcndorf, given
overwhelming man power by reason
OF Russia's withdrawal, had pre-
pared to begin the battle which they
believed would end the war quickly.
Every German division by that time
had been stripped Of its best men,
who were placed in specially trained
shock divisions. The chaff was left
tor simpler work, such as holding the
lines. where the man material could
be older or younger or not otherwise
physically capable men. The enemy
planned for specially drilled storm
troop units whose speciality would be
making attacks in dense masses.
The Franco British forces and the
comparatively scant number Of
American troops in France at the
beginning of March braced them
selves for the first shock, which came
against the British on March 81 on
the Somme, with a later diversion
around Ypres.
Second Phase of Great Battle
The second phase Of the great bat
tie came on May 27, when the Storm
truppen crossed the Aisne against
the French, advancing almost to the
Marne, taking scissors and hating
on the outskirts of the Forest of
Villers-Cotterets on the west. The
third phase was the drive on Com
piegne, with the eventual objective
of getting close enough to Paris to
make the capital untenable by long
range gunfire. The fourth phase, on
July Is, the greatest blow of all, fell
between Chateau Thierry and the
Main de Massiges.
The first and second phases of the
grand final battle, which only
stopped long enough between phases
to allow Hindenburg to regroup his
forces and prepare the sectors mi
nutely with all the latest science of
war for an attack, were decidedly
costly to German man power, but
successful for the tactical advantage
gained. The third phase was
bloody check. The fourth was Ger
man catastrophe.
The German High Command, evil
IDENTIFY undertaking the American re-
Inducements since March 21, and
certainly undertaking the Franco
American valor, planned to trap the
Allied command and was in turn
trapped. Fifty shock divisions, or
about million of Germany's highest
trained man power, were thrown
against the line last Monday between
Chateau Thierry and Main de Mas
siges.
Hindenburg did not attack Rheims,
which forms sharp salient in the
centre Of the fifty-mile battle line.
Instead, with the right wing stretch
ing from Chateau Thierry to the
vicinity west Of Rheims, and the left
wing stretching from Fort Pompelle,
southeast Of Rheims, eastward to the
Main de Massiges, he struck with
the left wings full force toward the
eastward course of the Marne, which
is from fifteen to thirty miles south
ward, hoping to take the river cities,
Epernay and Chalons.
Especial Cable to The Tr1bune)
Copyright. 1918. Tho Tribune Association)
WITH THE FRENCH ARMIES. july
22.-Next to the victorious advance of