Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1918-08-15

But the Associated Nations
he Object of Their Campaign of
Reservoir of ManpoWer.
! thrust was delivered the Germans
We're operating in Il salient which fair
~ represented three sides of a square
the open side TO the north along the
Aisne being inclosed by the German
front. The most important railroad and
highway lines ram south from scissors
to the Marine at Chaleau-Thieury, less
than six miles from the Fra~nco-Amcr-
lean front between the Aisne and the
Marine on either side of the little
Ourcq. but We're still quite disable,
save in case of a concentration of al
lied heavy artillery, which had not yet
been disclosed. Eastward OF these lines
was Il similar double route of rail and
highway coming down from Fisme on
the Vesle, to observation-disclosures,
which was in the heart of the salien,
n the main distributing point.
But the first rapid advance of the
French and Americans north of Ourcq
put the railway and highway from
scissors to Chateau-Thierry out of
commission, while the capture of the
heights above Scissors enabled the
French to cut the line along the Aisne
which had TO be employed to reach the
observation-disclosures branch line. In adj
dition. by narrowing the neck of the
salient half a dozen miles, it enabled
the French heavy guns TO search and
sweep all the north and south roads in
the salient. Moreover. the further adj
of the Americans south of the
Ourcq isolated Chateau-Thierry and
made it's speedy fall inevitable.
No Disaster Near.
Ludendorff was, then, after the
American and French blows had fallen,
no longer able to think of holding all Of
the Marine salient; indeed it is doubt
ful II he could by this time have reck-
oned on holding permanently anything
ready free from any real fear of dis.
aster. because he had summoned re.
serves and held and ever beaten back
n attack near scissors, that Is, at
neck OF the salient, and thereafter
not the smallest allied progress was
made at this vital point. AS long as
this sector held. too, Ludendorff had
nothing to fear in the way Of battlefield
disaster.
his was wrecked; he had
as the younger Moltke had
In the same way and for the same
reason. Like his unlucky Predecessor
ne mad not counted upon a French
ACSGANS, d GT0HCOs Am0IlC6n
army. as it turned ont; he had left his
flank open, as Mcitke had exposed
kluck's flank towartY Paris in Septem-
Der. 1914. and he had received another
lightning blow, a blow which had to be
met and to meet which he had to drop
MS W plans. But If he had blundered
ne had not been mad, and he had kept
In hand sufficient reserves to throw at
any tmperiled point. These reserves
at once took DOT east and south of
Soissons and insured the freedom of the
German forces within the salient to re-
tire.
The first stages of the German re-
sarement were necessarily hurried. not
because OF the allied success north of
the Ourcq toward scissors, but by rea-
son OF American achievement south and
ABOVE Chateau Thierry. Accordingly,
Ludendorff drew his forces out of the
country south of the Marne,on Satur-
gay and was also clear of Chateau
Thierry by the same Sunday. July q.
But after this forced retirement ac-
comptished In good order, none the less,
ne was free to conduct an orderly rear
guard action covering the withdrawal
OF all his munitions and material out of
the salient.
He could not hold all of the salient.
because Chateau-Thierry was lost.
There was no object in holding much Of
what was still in his hands, because
the whole pocket had been so narrowed
by the allied advance on the western
flank that it could not again be used as
a starting place for a further drive
drive toward Paris. 10 hold much of 1t
would still be possible, but it would
mean holding al high cost a long line
without real future value. It's impor-
lance was solely in it's relation to his
larger plan: it had nothing of impor-
lance in itself. neither railways, cities
nor mines. And his larger plans had
lgone awry.
Between Sunday. July 81, and Mon
day, July 90. therefore, we witnessed
the very deliberate and orderly retire.
ment Of the German army. The allied
line moved slowly and regularly north
ward: there was little or no change or
either the east or west sides of the
salient. The Germans chung success
fully to Oulchy-le-Chateau on the west
and the high ground on the Marine
north of Dormans until all their heavy
artillery and supplies had been car
ried out and far north OF Fere-en-Tar-
denOis. The fighting which took place
was between the advance guards Of the
Americans and French and the rear
guards OF. the 0ermans.sWhen he found
his foes coming onstuO fast the German
ldeliberately stopped, turned around and
counter attacked, retaking villages mo-
Lmentarily and holding up the p0rauera
until he was ready to his with
tdraWal.
An, osdsesy Retreat.
A. late - last Saturday, July 81, the
t0ermens were stNl close to the Marine
ana to the westward; Il was only o.
Thrust that the French troops crossed
thu 0AnNnng anN nnNnnNa6 ~nHA.nn.fn