El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1919-06-10
Foch's Great OfensiOe Forces
Germans To Hoist White Flag As
Great Ninety Nile Drive Begins

NEW YORK, June 10.-This is the
~ story Of the great Franco Ameri
can push that the boche stopped %,
hosting the white nag. Lieut. Gen
Robert Lee Builard. who commando.
our second army. has returned home
and the complete details Of what mar
shaI Foch envisaged as the finishins
blow Of the war. and commissioned
Gen. Billiard and Cen glangin TO de-
Ever. ran now be set down.
@rhe battle OF the Fthine,n the
great mldN orember offensive WIS
ehristened In advance by those in
the secret There was liftle doubt
in the allied high command that
the second American and tenth
French armies. smashing through
on both sides Of IferE. would COM
nletcIy rupture the hinge Of the
German position along the west
ern front and debouch along the
Rhine before she end Of the year.
The whole west front from the
North sea 70 Lorraine had been Tor
months Keeling backwards under the
blows Of the allied armies Only
along the German frontier, from me
scene Of the American sue. ess At -
Aihiel s0uthwards 70 switzerl,ana.
were the old trench lines held urn
and the war OF positions mainta-nel
as from 1914
Ludendorff knew Fate.
Behind these long quiet battle lines
Foch had prepared his finishing
stroke as Ludendortt wen knew nhsn
he insisted that the armistlce DC
siEned whatever the terms our
second army under Billiard was inaue-
uratine on the day the war ended q
campaign on scale as large as the
Argonne battle. undertaken with
s
Foch's orders were these: The sec
oud army was TO attack along 'front.'
Of SO miles from Fresnes on WoeFre'
whore Billiards left linked up Win
rhe right OF our VIGOROUSLY advanc-
Ing first army, to Port sur selile. q
village. eight miles east Of the Mo-
selfe. Moving forward four divisions
already in the front line and five IN
reserve, builard was I2la % ll .o+
10000 doughhcys against lne net
work Of trench systems and natural
obstacles defending the slain OF the
Woerre. Then, when these were car
ried. the Americans were 10 push
northeast. towards the railway juno
-ion at Contains and the coal and iron
fields Of Brieg. keering out OF range
of the fortress guns or Metz
on November a. the orders OF the
eeneralissluo continued. after the
Americans were fully engaged along
their whole front, Gen Allngin, hero
II Terdun. and q dozen successrul az
racZs. was 20 throw MS ~ ulFlsiQlla
Of veterans comprising the tenth
French army against the enemy lines,
continuing the battle Tor so miles
more 70 the south, from Port sur seille
once the second American and
tenth French armies were FULLY en-
-ared. or a front OF 90 miles other Oh
visions mcTed from cuiet sectors were
90 replace shattered units ana the
main weight Of the fighting n the
west Was destined to be transferred
before the end Of November 10 TINS
new southern battle ground
Coranlainfs have been heard
here and there that the French
arriIes, after Gnurnud had reuulsed
the German blow iu Champagne
On July "a did no serious offens-
i've work. bur nermitted the Amer
leans and british TO do MI the IT
lacking. IKE revelation Of Foch's
plan for the fiuishing stroke IN
the south explains the reason Tor
this Foch during the last months
was hushandinE the flower Of his
men for the greatest offensive
battle France had attempted
since the disnstrous Aivelle push
in APRIL 1917 MauEln WAS 10 at
tack with ten divisions, nnsslnE
his men through the six divisions
of Gen cerurd's efehfh army al
ready haIdin- the front Of attack.
These six divisions were 60 follow
reserves nEMlNA NAE zen wv
sfans OF the tenth army.
While Billiards. objective was Con
Ians. an advance in northeasterly
direction. Maugin was ordered TO take
chateau Sa1ins. southeast Of Metz.
Moving east towards the Saar and
the Rhine, she French were 70 Isolate
the eutrenched camp Of Metz from the
south while the Americans cut & or
from the north and Focl hoped that
Billiard and Mangin would complete
- aa.aaa m.Iaas - re- anIr e.
Of It. and comnel lts surrender with
out suffering the losses Inevitable in
direct attack u1on It's extremely
powerful defenses-
The result Of this program 81
EnrceaEfu1 would have been 10
compel the German troons in al
Afsnce. oufflunlzed from the north
70 leave that province and retire
behind the Rhine into the Hack
Forest. Huf the decisive feature
OF the Ballard Mnneln attack
would have been IN its influence
upon the fate of the whole re-
rrenfin- German line in France
and BELGIUM.
Foch. as always, waited patiently
until his hour was ripe That In this
case he waited SO long that the blow
was never struck does not dc-racr
from his genius, but IS an additional
tri1utes the foe saw what was coming,
ran un the white flag. and the blood
OF hundreds Of thousands Of Ameri-
cans and Frerchmeu who must have
fallen in the Rhine campaign was
spared. The moment chosen 10 strike
was when the ArgOune Merse attack
had definitely succeeded. the LETT OF
LlrEetf's first army fighting FOR the
crossings at Sedan. the rest OF his
men crossing the Meuse 70 the SOUTH
while to the west and north o. the
Americans the French and British
we're everywhere advancing, and the
German line had been torn loose from
its base on the North sea and was try
ne % stand on the Dutch frontier
Having given general idea OF the
Strategic scheme back OF the planned
battle ~ the Rhine" there remains
70 describe the American troops en-
-aged. what they were no against
and how on November 10 and II be-
fore the whistle OF peace blew az y
acloc< rhev commenced 90 get under
gay Cor the great attack.
Forh had seen 20 90 that cOncen-
tratiGn Of men and guns we're ready
On this front enormously superior 10
anything an the enemy's DISPOSAL Or
oozite our second army front IN lire
T~-&s~,-4oI Mo,r