Middletown transcript. [volume] (Middletown, Del.) 1868-current, 1918-09-28
GERMAN POWER IS
WEAKENING FAST
General March Says News
From All Fronts Is Good.
$4,000 SENT OVERSEES
Chief OF Staff Declares Teutons Hur.
riedIy Strengthening New Line
Before American
Army.

/
| Misunderstanding proof that
the German power is fast crumbline
is contained in the announcement by
General March, chief of staff, that the
news from all battle fronts was ICON
tinuously good" and that 1,750,0O(
American troops have now been EN-
barked for overseas service.
Just six months ago, the enemy flung
his full military power against the
British lines in Picardy in the great
drive that was to end the war in a
smashing victory. Today he was fight
ing desperately to hold the totttering
Hindenburg line, the defensive system
from which he struck that blow and
back into which he has been hurled.
Side by side, British, French and
American armies have broken definite
ly the German offensive power in off.
cial opinion here. Already the Amer
| lean forces in France are more than
half as strong as the whole German
army and the tide of American fight
ing men toward France is continuing
at an even pace
The situation on the various battle
fronts was tersely summarized by Gen.
eral March as follows:
ION the Western front our new line
in Lorraine was quickly stabilized.
ha hoc
strengthening his line of defense, the
so-called Kriemhild line, which lies
only a mile or two in front of our new
line on a front of about 20 miles from
near Maizeray to the Moselle river at
Nandires We are now 10 miles away
form Contains and IL miles away from
Metz.
"On tie plateau northeast of Sois
.oas the French have continued to
force back t,lc eacfiy's troops until
they are now within half a mile from
tle junction of the Mauberge road and
the Chemin des Danes, and within 10
miles Of Laon.
"The Serbian Army attacked the
Bulgarians on front of rs miles and
drove them back about 20 miles. Ac-
cording to official report the British
have reopened activities in Palestine"
The Yves tea battle wall has been lie.
built by :Ae Al,;el a1i American
fc~ccs, according to brewers here.
When the first AMe- lean Army swiftly
trampled out tne ST. Mihiel salient
tie last possibility Of 4 German
str tsg.c stole rasscd. Tie enemy
faces now straight Lac from the
Nort', Sea to &c Swiss border. There
are no sal:cn.s to give opportunity for
flank operations. Even if the power
for counter-offensive should be
found-and military authorities here
see no chance of that-the German
high command would face the costly
business of frontal attack. They have
nothing, it is pointed out, not single
strategic position, to show for their
great drive.
fcnsive line that faces them, officers
say. Along the center of the great
sweep of the font British and French
armies are storming ahead night and
day, marrying and harassing the bat
tered German divisions without rest.
Pershing's men stand before Metz and
Contains and against that new threat
the enemy must gather reserves here
on this new front at the very time
when every available reserve division
is sorely needed to meet the Allied
rush to the north. Signs of further
withdrawal are manifest along wide
sectors of the German front
In payment for their lavish expendi-
ture of lives in the abortive offensive.
the German leaders have now been
compelled by fo-mc! decree to reduce
the fighting strength of every infantry
unit. Instead of $50 men in each bat
talon there are now only $50 Under
the revised organ eaton. In no other
way could the drain be met. To MIL
tary observers this means that every
German battalion or company when at
full strength, must face an Allied or
American unit of the same type that
is at least Is per cent. stronger in
fGit.n; men.
There appears good reason to be-
!;eve that the German losses in pris.
cners alone since the tide turned
against them in July would reach well
up toward 100000 were the truth
known. The losses in guns and other
have not been counted.
With this steadily increasing superb
GRITTY in both man power and war ma
terial at his command, military author
tiles here feel that perhaps the most |
striking asset Marshal Foch has ac-
CURED in his two months Of swift and |
victorious counter-blows is the power
to take the enemy by surprise at will.
No longer need he wait for months or
even weeks to organize an attack OF
more than local value. 1t is now pos
sible almost over night to bring up the
men and the mobile artillery for a
thrust at any sector. Under the d.
rection of the great French leader the
whole front virtually is kept in
constant state of preparation for at.
lack.