The New York herald., 1922-09-24

drawn from the English front and
sent against Manoury."
Captain Ritter. after reviewing op-
erations on the Marne, writes:
1T was false strategy TO withdraw
the two army corps of the First Ger
man Army from the southern bank
Of the Marne Ion September 81 be-.
cause the right German flank had to
be protected south as well as north
of the Marne. But in doing so, the.
command of the First German Army
obeyed orders OF the German High
Command, whose headquarters at
Luxembourg was too remote to permit
quick exchange of reports and orders
from and to the commands of the vari-s
Gus armies.
Second German Army 4,
Bore Burden of Battia
1.-THE gigantic battle was decided
along the front of the Second Ger
man Army. Without support from the
First Army, the Second Army on as
front of fifty lSilometers for three con-
secutive days had to fulfill the double
task Of defeating on its right wing a
strong attack and to carry on an of
fensive on its left wing, and the COM
mander of the Second Army arrived
at the conclusion that his forces were
no longer equal to the task. Lieu
tenant Colonel Hqntsch, liaison officer
of the German High Command, said
that all that was left Of the Second
German Army was 'dross.'
"Under no circumstances can 1t be-
justified that the German High Come
mand threw the onerous responsibility
Of whether the battle was to be con-
tinued or the army was to retreat
from its own shoulders on those of q
lieutenant colonel sent to the front as
liaison officer. If it was necessary
to confer such an authority on any
1iason officer, because of the great
distance of the Great General Head
quarters from the front, the High
Command pleads guilty of having
chosen an unfit location for its head-
Quarters and, thereby placed itself In
a position where it was forced to re-
nounce leadership of the whole army
in the hour in which the war was
decided. AS may be seen from the
statement of the Chief of the General
Staff of the field armies published in
summer, 1917, Lieutenant-Colonel
Hentsch was authorized to issue on
tho battle front orders in the name or
the High Command.
"It was evidently not clearly enough
understood that in front of the Third
German Army there was a break in
the French lines and thet Manoury's
army was threatened with annihilatior-
Anyhow, I.ieutenarit-Colo Hentsch
did not believe that the First and
Third German armies could secure q
German victory. II the situation was
what Hentsch thought it to be 1t
would have been pretty hazardous TO
fight the battle TO a bitter end and the
more so as the supply OF ammunition
was nearing a critical point and reen-
forcements were needed on the eastern
theater of war. Considering what a
mental burden the authority to make
definite decisions meant to relatively
young officer, one can easily under-
stand that Hentsch grew somewhat
faint hearted. AS we see the situation
today, we must say that mistake
was made. !;
If the German High Command had
permitted the battle to be fought out
one is nowadays justified to assume
that the first decision would have been
obtained in the evening of September
and would have meant the destruc-.
ton OF the Army of Paris Commanded
. by the French General Manoury)-
Evacuation of the northern bank OF
tho Marne by the English and by
those troops of the Fifth French Army
who had crossed that river would have
been one OF the consequences. !. Il,
| CAS- matter Of fact the tragedy OF
the German offensive in the west was
performed on September . on the his
toric battle-ground between the Marne
and the Aube. The plans had been
prepared by military genius [meano
ing Field Marshal Schlieffen1, but
there was no leader of equal qualities
to execute them.
There arises the question. Had Ger,
many a chance OF winning the war;.
Serious and sober judgment will an
swer: Thorough destruction of the
French army was possible. But 1t ID
doubtful IL annihilation OF the armed
forces Of France would have neces-
sarily led to final victory" =
Another instaiIment of Capt.
Ritter's book will be printed in
The New York Herald next Sunday.