Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-09-21
Hinde1b,4rg Line Slo,Dly Crur1bling

The measure OF gains In miles h not
70 be taken as evidence that the Ger
mans have succeeded In digging In for
the winter or that they have frus-
trated the plans Of Marshal Foch to
drive them from the supposedly in
vulnerable Hindenburg line Of de-
senses. General Haig's successful op-
erations on the 81. Quentin and Cam
bral fronts are continuing with in
cfeasing Hrength and II 10 the general
belief that he will be able to batter
down the defenses of these two strong
holds 30 essential to the holding OF this
line by Won Hindenburg. When either
or both Of these fall or are outflanked
the whole Hindenburg line will cruni-
ble>and the Germans will be forced TO
start another retreat, this time to
either, the Mouse river or the Rhine,
The treat battle on the western front
then will resolve itself into test OF
endurance to determine whether the
kaiser's armies can maintain re
Euard actions in sufficient force to en-
able the bulk Of the German army to
retire to the new position. wherever 1t
may elect 70 stand. or whether the
allies have sufficient reserves and
equipment TO batter the retreating
army to pieces as It runs. ."
The Hindenburg line has been pene-
trated or partially occupied aosevsr1l
points by both the British and French
and now does not possess the menace
10 once held. Before successful gem
eral advance can be inaugurated by
Marshal Foch, however, Cambria or st.
Quentin or the Chemin dss Danes
must be taken or encircled. The fall OF
one Of these positions so essential to
the German defense system would per-
nit OF the outflankipg Of the Others
and In time make the entire line I'M
tenable. News dispatches and. war
writer's are limiting at larger and
mightier blow pending. that the encir-
clement Of st. Quentin is mere pre-
liminary, and that the American forces
will play an important part in the new
operations.
Since the elimination Of the st.
Mihie1 salient by General Pershing's
Americana the Yankees have been oc-
cupied largely in Strengthening and
connecting up their new lines and pre-
pairing defenses~ behind which to bet
ter Withstand counter attacks. The
Germans. however, have not reacted
seriously and have retired behind the
guns Of the< outlying forts protecting
Metz. The immense importance of the
removal Of the st. Mfhiel SALIENT was
seen by General Pershing in cooper
ton with General Foch, and it was
determined to clear the way for the
capture Of Metz.
1t was also given, as the opinion of
the highest war experts that the sit
nation, even with the forts of Metz
bombarding the allied advance posts,
demanded that Metz should be ap
preached indirectly. That determine
ton. these experts say, has been
brought about primarily by the fact
that the lesson Of Verdun was les
son in modern warfare that Foch or
Pershing could not forget, but was one
that they could take advantage of.
The plan that Is now unfolding it,
self. in the military opinion, is that
with Verdun on the left Of the allied
advance, it will require more forces
than-the Germans can bring into action
TO stem the tide Of a movement be-
yond Metz. The result Of such an adj
vance would enable the allies to attack
the city on lines perpendicular to the
advance, or to cut it of from the ter
ritory and supplies beyond it.
1t seems to be certain that the Amer
leans and allies will not assault the
Notifications in and around Metz I'M
til after they have proceeded consider
sahly beyond a line Joining Verdun and
Metz.
Rains and deep mud have for the
moment interfered with American OPP
erations on the new>front north of st.
AIihiel. The big guns of General Per-
shing's army are however, pounding
at the outlying forts of Metz, and the
American front now is only ten miles
from Fort Kronprinz. which may be
the first Of the Metz defenses to fall
before the Yankee siege guns. These
big guns must be moved closer to at
tain that effectiveness necessary for