The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1918-08-30
GERMANS Are NO
MORE AT NOYON''
is TRUMP liant
CRY OF FRENCH
tBy Associated Press.)

Paris, Aug. 80.-"The Germans are
no more at Noyon," exclaim the
newspapers of Paris in triumphant
| heavy type this morning.
Premier Clemenceau's famous
| taunt to governments which held
power before he came into control
cannot be used against him.
While all are exultant and believe
the situation for the allies is more
| brilliant than ever yet previous ex-
perience makes Frenchmen slow to
shout victory 1t is realized that the
Germans although beaten are still
i full of fight but they are undoubtedly
| in an awkward position.
Operations during the last week
have left their front running north
and south instead of northwest and
southeast, as it should be to permit
an orderly retreat of the Germans
! to the Hindenburg line where they
| hope to spend the winter, keeping
| the allies on the barren and desolate
ground to the west of that famous
position.
The enemy now is some dozen
| miles from that line and the
Bapaume- Peronne road is being cut.
! Unless he can mark time for a
while on the Tortille river he will
not be able to hold the Peronne-
Ham Toad which is particularly vail
liable as it runs along the Somme.
Water is the only thing that can
stop tanks.
Wide Plain Behind Somn1e.
Once across the Somme there is
nothing behind the enemy but a
| 4 lot Oy14 HNHYt
river which is useless since it runs
perpendicular to the front. At the
same time he will be obliged to hold
back General Mangin south Of the
Disc where the French army forms a
dangerous aggressive hook in the
German flank.
Henri Bidou, military critic Of The
Journal des Debats in a dispatch
from the battle front, clearly sets
forth the plight in which the Ger
mans are placed.
THE German retreat is being &C
| centuated along the same lines as
during as the last few days" he
| says.
THAT is to say they are pivoting
on their right flank which is formed
by the center and right flank Of
Gen. Won Bellows army in the Arras
region. They were obliged to make
this retreat because General Won
Hutier's position in the Roye salient
had become extremely dangerous.
This necessitates placing the basis
for the whole movement in the north.
Attacks by General Byng and Cen
eral Horne were intended to break
this pivot.
This maneuver was attempted in
1917 at the time Of the first German
retreat. The German danger was
most grave and the enemy escaped
at that time only by sacrificing a
great number Of divisions. So it is
at present. One has the paradoxicaI
sight of retreating army increas-
ing it's forces on the front. This is
| absolutely abnormal in retreat and
adds to the confusion and losses. 1t
shows from what difficulties the en-
envy had to extricate himself.
ION August 25 at Contamination
north of the Somme, General Won
Der Maritz had Is divisions in line
! two Of which had just arrived. The
next day the French on Maritz's
left entered Roye and he fell book
on the Somme to avoid being out
| flanked. The confusion in this mass
Of infantry under such circumstances
can be imagined. In word the en-
envy was so closely pressed in his
retreat that he was obliged to leave
divisions in line and even reinforce
them. This is contrary to what q
commander usually seeks to do In
case Of retreat"