South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-01-18
FOCH ASSERTS
RHINE MUST Be
FRONTIER LINE
Marshal Foch Pays Glowing
Tribute to the American
FOrCeS-Men, Money
and Material.

TREVES. Wednesday. Jan. 16.-
II is the conviction of Marshal Foch
that the Rhine must be made the
barrier between Germany and
France. He expressed this clearly
today when lie received the Amer
lean newspaper correspondents. The
the meeting concerning the extern
sion Of the German armistice.
Marshal Foch pointed out the diff
fculties that had been overcome
and said that peace must be COM
mensurate with the price of victory.
Germany now was beaten, he added,
but with her resources, especially
I'm men. recuperation in a compare
lively short time was quite possible.
1t was not the duty of the allies 10
prevent further aggressions.
Marshal Foch praised the wor <
of the American troops and said
that Gen. Pershing mad asked that
the American forces be concentrated
for an attack on one sector. The
allied generalissimo admitted that
the Argonne-Meusef front. where the
Americans began their offensive on
Sept. 26, was a sector hard TO
tackle" The marshal said he had
told Gen. Pershing You men have
the DEVILS own punch. They will
get away with all that Go TO IT,"
The American attack succeed
ed" the marshal continued, and
here we are on the Rhine.
The armistice was not concluded
too soon and the allies got all they
asked for from Germany without
continuing the hshtins. The allies, -
the marshal said, were prepared
for another offensive stroke which
would have forced the Germans 20
give up. This was TO have been
made in Lorraine on Nov. IA, with
six American and 20 French divi
sions.
Praises AmeriCa an Army.
This is, for me-" Marshal Foch
began. " happy opportunity TO tell
YOU all the good things l think of
the American army and of the part
it played on our side. Your soldiers
were superb. They came to us
young, enthusiastic, and carried for
ward by a vigorous idealism, and
they marched to battle with ad-
mirable gallantry.
Yes. they were superb-there is
no other word. When they APP
peared our armies were. as you
know, fatigued by three years of re-
lentless struggle and the mantle OF
war laid heavily upon them. We
were masniicently comforted by the
virility of your Americans.
The youth of the United States
brought a renewal of the hope that
fastened victory. Not only was this
moral fact of the highest impor-
tance, but YOU also brought enor-
nous material aid and the wealth
which you placed at our disposal
contributed to the final success. No
body among Us viii ever forget what
America did"
Marshal Foch was asked by the
correspondent:
But was not the armistice con-
Guided too soon?'
Germans Gave Everything.
1T was not possible to do other
wise" answered the marshal, "be-
cause the Germans gave us every
thing that we asked for at once
| They satisfied all of our conditions
1t was difficult to ask more.
The Germans were lost. They
capitulated. There is the whole
story.
And now, we must make a peace
which will correspond with the
magnitude Of our victory. We must
nave a peace as absolute as was our
success. and " hich will guard US
against all future aEgressions.
1T is on the Rhine that We mus.
hold the Germans. II is by usinS
/ the Rhine that we must make il
impossible for them to recommends
the coup of 1914. The Rhine /,
the common barrier of all the allies
precisely of all those VINO united 70
save civilization. The Rhine is the
guarantee OF peace for all the ma
tions who have shed their blood in
the cause of victory. Then let Us
10