Evening star., 1944-07-27
Letters to The Star
A Parallel to 1918 Set Forth
With Quotation From Foch

To the Editor Of The Star:
Twenty-six years ago this week the
Allied strategy turned from the defen-
sive to the offensive. This change,
which some Allied leaders did not expect
until the following year, was due in
large part to memorandum by Foch,
which the generalissimo read to Petain,
Haig and Perching at his headquarters.
The German summer offensive had
failed by July Is and for the first time
on the western front the Germans had
less territory when a battle ended than
when 1t had been joined
We know now that at about the same
time the German generals were report.
ing to the government that the war was
lost and that path to peace should be
sought
1t would be mistake to press the
parallels In the memorandum too far.
but some Of the language could have
been written today Here is an abridge-
ment of It,:
AS matters now stand we have already
attained equality in the number of bat.
talions at least and. in a more general
sense, In the number of combatants.
though superiority in the total number
OF divisions is not yet on our side.
The Germans have been compelled to
throw so many divisions into action that
Tor the first time we have a superiority
In reserves; also, owing to the large
number of exhausted divisions they will
be compelled to relieve in the battle
front we shall likewise have a superb
ority in the number Of fresh reserves.
Moreover, ali available information is
in agreement as to the enemy being
reduced to the state of having to have
two armies-an army for occupying the
lines, reduced in strength and con-
demned to be sacrificed and shock
army maneuvering behind the fiimsy
protection OF the other. This shock
army, though trained with the utmost
care by the German supreme comma nd,
has already been greatly weakened.
I'm addition the Allies have a ma.
terial superiority in aviation beyond dis.
pute, also In tanks. In artillery our ad-
vantage is bound to be increased when
and as the American artillery arrives.
Finally, in the rear OF the Allied
army the powerful reserve of the Amer
ican forces pours 250.000 men every
month onto the soil of France; while
on the enemys side We know the urgent
measures which he has been forced to
take In order tn ba 81. d.
supply of men for the month OF Nav;
and 1t is apparent that, owing to the
dlfncultleS which the Germans find in
keeping up the strength of their various
units at the front, a new crisis is now
asserting itself
In addition to all these indications
that the factor of material force Is
veering around in our favor, there can
be added the moral ascendency which
has been maintained on our side from
the beginning Of the battle owing to the
TACT that the enemy. despite his unpre-
cedented efforts, has been unable to
bring about the decisive result he had
to attain. And this moral ascendency
has been increased by the victory Just
won by the Allied armies.
These armies, therefore, have arrived
at the turning point of the road. They
nave recovered in full tide OF battle the
Initiative of operation: their numbers
permit and the principles of war COM
mand them to keep this initiative.
The moment has come to abandon
the general defensive attitude forced
upon us until now by numerical inferi.
ority and to pass to the offensive"
Foch reported in his autobiography
that all three were astounded at the
boldness of the proposal and that Haig
and Petain reminded him that their
armies had been bled white. But the
decision was made. The war lasted an
other 7s days. GEORGE KENNEDY.