PROGRESS OF THE WAR
To-day's reports point to a slackening in tho operations on the !j>ois-sons-Eeims front. As information stands at time of 'writing the Allied armies have made only minor movements beyond the line indicated yesterday. The French have apparently crossed the Aisnc whero this river makes a deep southward bend east of Soissons. With this exception the enemy is holding the.' north bank of the Aisne to its con-' flucuco with tho Veslo (six miles cast of Soissons). Eastward from this point to the near neighbourhood of Reims, the Germans are holding the southern edge of the plateau between the Aisno and tho Vesle, on or close to the north bank of the latter river. The latest available French communique mentions that patrols which crossed the Yesle everywhere encountered enemy resistance. The absorbing question meantime, «*o far as the immediate battle-area is concerned, is whether the Germans contemplate a stand on their present line or arc about to retire to the much better defensive positions available on the Chcmin des Dames ridge, north of: the Aisnc. The opinion expressed by a Paris correspondent that tho Germans are unlikely to risk a great battle with the Aisne behind is apparently reasonable when it is considered how much better placed they would \<i to resist attack if they continued their retreat to tho high ground north of the Aisne. The famous Chomin des Dames ridge owes its strength as a defensive barrier to the fact that an army attempting; , to reduce it in an advance from the south must first force the passage of the Aisne and then develop an attack on the heights 'with the river in its immediate rear. Possession of the heights c;ives direct observation of tho Aisnc valley, and bridges thrown across tho river by an attacking army arc therefore exposed in a serious degree to effective bombardment.
As they now stand, on the southern verge of the plateau between tho:;Aisnc and the 'Vesle, the Germans enjoy muc'i less pronounced advantages. In a battle in the area between the livers they would, of course, pro'jt to some extent by bombarding the Allies' communications across the Vesle, but this would hardly balance the land and air bombardment of their own communications across the Aisne. Aircraft would play a big part in such a both in direct attack and in observing and correcting artillery bombardment, and the Allies' aerial superiority would tell heavily in their favour. Unless, therefore, the Germans contemplate a resumption of the offensive in the present battle area, which seems highly improbable, their natural course will be a further retirement to the Chemin des Dames.
As yet there is no confirmation of a report received by way of New York that the Germans are retiring north of La Bassee. If it has actually taken shape on any appreciable scale, thia development will add strikingly to the indications already afforded in the enemy's retreat from the Marne salient and his retirement north and soutbl of tho Sommo that he is abandoning the offensive in the Western theatre. The German front m that part of Northern France to which tie message relates constitutes the southern' flank of the Lys salient—tho deep indentation of the Allied northern line which was created by the enemy when ho attempted, in the second great battle'of his offensive, to drive by the shortest route to the Channel coast. Immediately opposite La Bassee the British line was maintained against attack, and has been very slightly retired. To the north, .however, instead of turning north-cast round Armcntiercs as it did prior to the enemy offensive in April, it now sweeps back to the north-west before curving round to connect with the altered front in Flanders. Just as the retirement north and south of the Somme suggests that the enemy no longer hopes to resume the oflensivc towards Amiens, any material retirement north of La Basses would imply that he no longer hopes to renew his attempt to reach the Channel ports. The ground ho occupies north, or rather northwest, of La Bassee is all low lying and it is open to him to evacuate a considerable extent of this ground without sacrificing the more "important positions gained in his offensive. He might, for instance, l.v reduce the Lys salient without abandoning Mount Keramel, an elevation which gives him extended observation over the low country west of \prcs. But it is unlikely that he would willingly give up any ground in the Lys salient if ho hoped to resume in the near future his attempt to reach the Channel coast. Further news of events north of La Bassee will thcrefqro bo awaited with interest.
» * « j, Much _ as the ontlook has improved in recent, clays, it is somewhat early to. assume that the enemy has been finally thrown back on the defensive in tho Western theatre. Hit. Hilaibe Belloc is credited to-day' with the observation that two great factors dominate the situation: firstly, the Allies' recovery of the initiative on July 18; secondly, "the steady mechanical increase of the Allied numbers."' As a matter of fact it is by no means demonstrated that tho Allies have ass yet completely recoreroc! the initiative cither iiith:'. Western camnaic'ii or in (ho war as a whole. In the last throe weeks the Allies havo transformed the situation in the West, not by bringing greater resources to bear, but by 'superior generalship and fighting
nower. Their success has heen brilliant and its effects undoubtedly will be far-reaching, but the enemy still enjoys some material advantages, and it has yet to appear that he has completely lost the initiative.
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Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 273, 7 August 1918, Page 4
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938PROGRESS OF THE WAR Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 273, 7 August 1918, Page 4
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