The Washington times., 1919-03-09
DESCRIBES Blow
. THAT SETTLED WAR
by FRANCES FISHER BYERs.

by FRANCES FISHER BYERS.
an my opinion the greatest thing
in the war which made the world
realize that victory was near was the
dramatic blow struck by American,
French and British troops in July,
1918, under the directing genius Of
Marshal Foch between Chateau
Thierry and Rheims at the moment
when the German army across the
Arne threatened Paris closely and
ell the defensive power OF the allies
on the western 'front.'" said Philip
Gibbs, world famous war correspond
ent, who is to lecture at Polls at 4:GO
o'clock Tuesday afternoon.
THE British armies had been
worn thin by the full work of
the German offensive in March
and April" he continued, "and
Marshal Foch had. for a time dissi-
pated his reserves by strengthening
the line between Amiens and the sea
and afterward by checking the en-
emy's bold rush across the Chemin
des Danes. The enemy believed that
Foch had no more reserves on hand
and all OF US were deeply anxious,
but we were comforted by the knowl-
edge that American troops were
marching forward to the front; and
when Foch gathered together a new,
fresh and strong striking force and
hurled it upon the German flank al
the psychological. moment the crown
princes army was beaten back in
kasty retreat with enormous losses.
Then we knew that the tide had
turned and that victory was before
US.
Didn't Look Ahead.
I'VE never looked far ahead in those
days, never more than three months,
for if we had done so we should not
have been able to stand it. We never
realized that the Americans would
ever be with US, but one day we got
our surprise. There in the historic
forest of Creey we spied a column of
American troops making their way
along the road. Further on, between
the glades, we saw thousands If
American troops lying down beside
their packs and rifles. 1t was wonder
full. The whole history of the world
loomed up.
"As / have said before, in March
and April the Germans had broken
through. Our machine had been
lhIO"h illO CudOSt ALllCHS was NtA-
dangered and in the north, KENNEL
been taken. The enemy had broken
through the Portuguese defenses
along the Lys and Ballieul, which
had been the home of the British for
three years, was under bombardment.
They threatened the whole coast line.
1t was difficult for us to avoid a
breaking of hearts. But we were going
to win the war, somehow, and we have
to pay tribute to the remarkable
genius of Foch, who sent that line OF
blue up to the north with remarkable
rapidity. Behind our lines were Dil-
Ieted many American troops where the
English, Scottish and Irish had been
before. A new type had come to our
aid We gaZed at him with very cur
ious and critical eyes. We like him.
They were proper men, keen and fresh
besides our, who were tired and
battered with the fighting of many
weeks. l saw the American SOL
diers fighting at Queant to the north
Of ST. Quentin. They were fine fell
lows. They held the ground with the
Australians and the British under the
fire of heavy artillery and frequent
bombings by airplanes.
Biggest Fighting.
The biggest fighting / saw dur
ing the entire war" he continued,
was from August to November IL.
1918. when the losses of the British
totaIed from 10000 to $4,000 a week.
That was what broke the German
army up. 1t was terrific and our
men were tired out, too, at the end,
but they would have gone on il the
armistice had not been signed until
the last Boche was gone"
Mr.. Gibbs said that from the be-
ginning he had been convinced that
the war was conflict of ideas
against brute force and while some
times il seemed as If brute force was
perilously near a victory, ideas ulti-
mately had triumphed.
Nothing could be better proof of
this" said he. than the attitude of
German soldiers and civilians to
whom I talked when I accompanied
the British army of occupation into
Germany. All said that upon the
news of Americas entry into the war
the Germans began to realize that
their course had stirred up a whole
world against them and that in op-
position to all the other principal
peoples they had no chance to win.
| believe that close cooperation be-
tween the British commonwealth and
America will be the surest guarantee
of the preservation OF the fruits Of
victory"