New-York tribune., 1918-07-24
End of the Marne Salient
By Frank II. Sirnonds

TU~HE Germans have abandoned all
hope of holding the north bank
Of the Marne and they have
similarly resigned all purpose to make
a stand on the north bank Of the Ourcq
Their retreat is now pursuing an or
derly and successful course, with the
apparent purpose of defending the north
and east bank of the Crse River, south
Of Soissons, and the north bank Of the
Vesle, from Braisne through Flsmes to
the environs of Rheims The full extent
of German purpose in retirement is re-
vealed by the announcement that Franco
American troops have entered Buzancy,
at the same time practically cleared the
north bank of the Marne.
In a word, the Marine salient is done
for. The real operative Paris front Is
now nothing more than a cover for the
most considerable German retreat since
the Battle of the Marne four years ago.
Slzilfully, in a fashion that must COM
mand the admiration Of military men
the world over and recalls the equally
skilful manmuvres Of Kluck four years
ago, Boehm is drawing his troops out
Of the Soissons- Chateau Thierry- Rheims
pocket. 1t would seem that the danger
of a great military disaster has about
passed.
If you think Of this Soissons- Chateau
Therry- Rheims salient as a pocket with
a series of compartments, one below the
other, what has been happening in the
last four days becomes clear. The first
Franco-American thrust toward scissors
threatened to close the pocket at its
mouth and catch and capture all the
German troops in it.
To avoid this the Germans counter at
tackled violently at scissors and south or
Rheims to keep the pocket open while
they evacuated the compartments. On
Saturday there were four Of these
compartments-a small one south Of the
Marne between the little Surmelin River
and the larger stream; second between
the Ourcq and the Marne; third be-
tween the Ourcq and the Vesle, and q
fourth, between the Vesle and the Aisne.
BY Sunday the Germans were out Of the
lowest compartment, south Of the Marne.
They are now practically out of the sec
ond and considerable part of the third.
Their line would seem to run behind the
little Crise River, which falls into the
Aisne at scissors, and the upper reaches
of the Ourcq River. The next retire
ment will plainly be behind the Vesle,
and this has already been foreshadowed
by the reports Of the aviators.
The problem Of the German High Com
mand last Saturday was wholly analo-
gous to that presented by crowd in
hall when the building takes fire. 1t
was the problem of getting the audience
out through single narrow exit before
the flames reached the hail. In this case
the audience were eight or ten German
divisions south of line between scissors
and Rheims, and the exit was the twenty
hve-mile stretch between these two towns
Just as the audience in the hall could
only go out slowly, the vast concentra-
ton of men, artillery and munitions
which the Germans had risked in the
Soissons-Chateau Thierry- Rheims salient
could only be brought out slowly, and
the pace was necessarily slackened by
the fact that the few available roads
were almost Immediately taken under
fire by French heavy artillery as result
of the first advances.
1t is clear now that during the last
three days German counter offensives