The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE FRIDAY, JULY 19, 1918. A BATTLE OF BRAINS.

Taihape Daily Times, 19 July 1918, Page 4

The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE

FRIDAY, JULY 19, 1918. A BATTLE OF BRAINS.

(With which is ' Incorporated The Taihape Post and Walnmrlao News).

From more than one source we have it cabled to us that the Germans in their latest offensive did not spring any new surprise upon the Allies; they sirnply used the old methods, and, as the negro said, plenty of them, for we are advised that they soused the French lines everywhere with a combination of gas and smoke shells, producing poisonous clouds which caused isolation of Allied groups so as to prevent the receiving and the giving of orders, besides rendering combined action difficult. An official French message states definitely that the offensive has been broken and that the Germans have been unable to resume. There is, we are told, no Rheims to be taken and yet the enemy has wasted many thousands of dives in a fruitless endeavour to drive the Allies from the stohe-strewn waste where the beautiful old city so recently stood. It is absolutely necessary that the progress to the Marne should have the base of the wedge between Soissons and Rheims widened if it is to continue its success, and the chief purpose of the“last offensive was to widen it at the Rheims end by carrying the opening twenty-four miles further to the eastward, sweeping forward over the ruins of the old ancient city while those forces at the point of the wedge pushed onward to the south-westwards. The army facing Rheims. _under the German CrownPrince, was detailed to perform the widening, but it failed against the French battle positions and the whole offensive was thereby rendered abortive.. The failure of the Crown Prince is why the Germans are not able to resume the offensive. It is borne in upon us that General Focfi attaches great importance to limiting the opening to that the Germans were allowed to pass through in the previous offensive; we say “allowed” designedly, for it will be remembered that Rheims and the line further eastward were included in that first attack; that desperate efforts were made to take Rheims, and it was even hemmed in on three sides and yet the defenders stood up to their work and finally drove off the Crown Prince’s men, or, at least, what was left of them, for the slaughter had been of the bloodiest character. Foch had fixed the limits of the opening, Soissons on the German right and Rheims on the left, not another inch was to be given, and not another inch was given, and unless the German High Command can, and is willing to divert much greater force in an effort to break down these posts to their gateway to the Marne, the offensive cannot be resumed. The Crown Prince acknowledged his inability to take Rheims, and the very last offensive was made to destroy the block at the Soissons end. It started on a line from Montdidier to Noyon, and it

gained some new territory in the desired direction, but strange to say, Foch had it beaten and finally stopped before the Soisson position was at all weakened. All the available force under Yon Boehm’s and Von Beulow’s command was no more successful at Soissons —less if anything—than that under the Crown Prince was at Rheims. It seems evident that Foch regards the German advance as so much wasted effort so long as tiio opening made is confined to what it is at present. In the present offensive the centre has to stop and wait for the flanks to do their work; it will be noticed that on this occasion the German determination has been to drive westward:, to the south of Soissons, which would endanger complete isolation of the Allied forces in that neighbourhood, but here again Foch had the way barred at Chateau Thierry by the Americans, who fully Justided the supreme trust placed in them. It may be coincidence, but it

is remarkable that while Foch can completely prevent a widening of the base of the German wedge, he canno: or does not prevent the Germans going on making the point of it much more acute. There can be no doubt that Foch is determined to keep the opening between Soissons and Ilheims at its present length, and we have it demonstrated beyond doubt that German success entirely depends upon getting more room. Three offensives on a colossal scale have been launched with the prime purpose of widening the gateway; hundreds of thousands of lives have been thrown .away in the effort and yet the JLfTtes have not conceded an inch. It is not likely that Ludendorff will abandon his project after so much has been wasted upon it, and thereby admit defeat by superior generalship. It may be expected that the country east of Rbeims will be the scene of a concentration of German force, hitherto unapproached on the Champagne-Ar-gonne front. The thrust from Montdidier to Noyoh failed to shake the Soisson post, will any supreme effort against Rheims and to' the eastward be any more successful? People are prone to be carried away by the actual fighting, gauging a success or failure by the quantify, not the quality, of territory gained; they do not perceive that it is as much a contest between brains as it is between opposed physical force and mechanical equipment, yet this last offensive is most assuredly brought to a temporary standstill by the superior skill of General Foch; in this last thrust he has out-generalled Ludendorff, for while most desperate efforts was made to widen the gap made in the first Champagne, thrust, Foch allowed the Germans to break their heads against the stone wall he had erected. We need have no concern about the little territory the Germans have gained at what is the wrong end of the wedge to them, but German superman pride will probably not be denied, and another and more desperate effort will be made, most likely from Rheims to the eastward,;-but, may-be, in the MontdidierdSToyon locality again. It seems certain that the Marne undertaking is too big for an offensive in another quarter to he successfully run concurrently. Until either Chateau Thierry or Rheims fails in defence the present offensive is hung up, and only local actions that do not involve more men being sent to the wedge’s point, can be continued.