The Washington herald., 1918-07-24
CRITICAL STAGE
OF CAMPAIGN
now AT HAND
Huns Only Hope, Victory
This Year, Hangs
In Balance
F0cH IS FACING CRISIS
Whether He VIII Maintain
Offensive or Await Events,
Momentous.

Paris, July z1.-The critical stage
not only of the great Aisne-Marne
battle but of the whole 1918 cam
paign 10 at hand.
This II one OF those pauses In
which the military world holds its
breath The fate Of the war-and
night. tomorrow. Thursday at the
latest. the die must be cast
"A pause" you ask? True enough; /;
out on the river bound battlefield
hundreds of thousands of fighting
men are locked in q terrific combat
and the allies are forging ahead.
But q greater battle 10 being fought
these very hours battle Of wits.
Of generalship. The decisive brain
duel between Foch and Ludendorff
! fs on.
The Germans know that their only
hope for . decision IL to win this year.
THREE short months of battle season
remain. How and where to regain
the initiative for the last, the very
last, gamblers chance. that 10 Lu-
dendorfrs plan
Keeping Initiative Problem.
How to keep the initiative, snatch
ed from the enemy in a moment Of
utmost peril-that Il the task con-
fronting Foch..
Viewed from this all-importsnt
angle. the Importance Of the events
IN the ne-Marne triangle Is be-
coming secondary to the TREMENDOUS
possibilities open on the other fronts
Of the ss5-mile Western battle line
Powerful and continuous as 10 the al
he'd pressure against all sides Of that
triangle, and inevi able as seems the
continuance OF the German retreat
there. it is recognized tonight that
the situation has been stabilized to
a degree recalling the Somme battle
| Unles a miraculous turn of fortune
occurs, the allies are sure to push
ahead, take vast stretches Of ground
additional prisoners and guns, and in
fiict continued threshing upon the re.
treating foe But such is the stabili.
zation Of the German defense, due &c
tremendous bolstering up with dIvi-
sions borrowed from the Bavariar
crown prince that, according to tht
critics here, a German rout seems
unlikely.
| Surprised Foe.
Nor is II likely. well inforned '.b
/ sewers agree, hat such couti:.
gency was at any time looked fol
by Foch. The French and Arnerica IS
not only surprised the foe. but they
surprised themselves. The origina
purpose Of the counter drive was es-
sentially to save Rheims. which seem
ed doomed. Foch's brilliant strategy
the valor of his Poilus. and tht
veteran-like conduct Of the Ameri
cans within six days have accom-
plished things far beyond the boldes'
dreams Of the most sanguine en-
thusiasts. Rheims is saved. tn,
Germans Paris 'front.' has been hack.
ed to pieces The foe has been thrown
from the aggressive upon the de
fensive everywhere.
With these splendid results, mill
tary men argue. Foch may be wei
content. II they are further ex'
plotted and IL, indeed. the crown
princes extricating movement shoulC
yet result In a grand scale rout, 81
much the better.
But as things stand, interest a:
regard the future centers, not Sor
the Marne Champagne front bu'
iupon those sectors OF the western
line on which Idendorff is likely tC
try to redeem himself or. more i'm
lportant still. on which Foch may
try to follow up upon an even
larger scale what he has Just
achieved.
Surprise Dash Achieved.
Something happened in Picard,
today that may have been fecler
in that direction. Northwest oi
II
den dash!'ly advance whici. appear:
to have taken the Germans COM
CONTINUED ON PAGE SEVEN.