Evening star., 1940-06-13

intact, save on the extreme left
That line Is swinging back like a
great gate, hinged on the western
extremity of the Maginot Line. Ger
man attacks near this hinge have
been uniformly unsuccessful. Pro-
ceeding westward, we find that the
Germans have taken Rheims, TIE
French retiring to the high ground
south of the city. Still farther on
the Germans have crossed the
Marne, in the vicinity Of Chateau
Thierry and elsewhere, and are
fighting with the French in the high
ground south Of the river. Paris
with its ring Of ancient fortifica-
tions, has become "bastion" in the
French line of defense.
So far, we have German advances
steady French withdrawal in good
order before overwhelming mum.
bers, heavy losses on both sides, con-
tinuous extension Of German COM
munications which, coupled with
losses and exhaustion, must newt
ably slow down the German advance
and bring it to a stop unless it can
either Cd make and exploit a great
break through, as the use of heavy
armored forces indicates it is now
trying to do in the vicinity OF
Rheims, or co the French morale
gives way. and of this there is NO
perceptible sign.
Remember that a break through
means the creation of f1anks to en-
velop. 1t has been the evident Ger
man purpose, as we have previously
pointed out, to try to break the
French Armies into two parts by q
smash down the center (Oise VAL
ley) while attacking both flanks
(along the coast and in the Ar
gonne), thus producing what might
be called double cannae." The
break-through would create -four
f1anks, and all four would be en-
veloped, while armored troops raced
to the rear to surround and COM
plete the destruction of the French
Armies.
Western Flank Endangered.
On the western flank, the Allied
left, there is grave cause for anxiety
and it is in this direction, one woulc
wager, that a great part of Gen.
Weygands attention is turned. Hert
the German advance has so fal
stuck pretty closely to the coast
giving no chance for any miracle
of the Marne";; it developed strength
and broke through the Allied line,
on the Bresle, isolating some troops
whose surrender is now claimed
and then the Germans struck fol
the Seine, behind which the Allies
were attempting to reform.
After heavy fighting the German:
appear to have forced crossing o.
the Seine at several points. If thi.
is true, this Allied flank is now 'ir
the air." and if the Germans car
pour superior numbers over theil
crossings they have a chance to rol
this left flank back behind Paris
Were they to do this it would come
very close to being a major disaster
for the Allies. The one hope of pre-.
venting it seems to lie in a timely
local counter-stroke by the British
troops, who have been arriving II
France. in what numbers and with
what state Of equipment is uncer.
tain. If these have come in through
LIE Havre, their blow might fall or
the German communications north
of the Seine unless the Germans
have consolidated a protective posi-
tion west of Rouen which can hole
fast from the Seine to the sea. L
the British have come in through
Cherbourg. they will be more nkel,
to come into action south of thu
Seine, and, of course, If the French
left is now in the air, so is the Ger.
man right. The Germans have 81
considerable a superiority in weap.
ons and tactical coordination tha
one ought not to count on such at.
tacks being successful. Such ad.
vantages enable ground to be deter.
minedly held by comparatively few
men, as was shown in the German
advance down the Somme. But un.
less this drive across the Seine car
in some manner be checked, j
seems the most dangerous immedi
ate threat to the Allied armies.
1t is all very well to talk abou
falling back upon the Loire, but a!
a practical military operation, with
the Allied left flank broken loose
from the sea and the Germans pos.
sessing a far higher degree of tao.
tical mobility, retirement from thu
Seine to the Loire while maintain.
ing the French Army intact lies ir
the region of fantasy unless the
degree of German exhaustion /.
greater than now appears.