The Taihape Daily Times. AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 14, 1918 A GREAT CRISIS PENDING.

Taihape Daily Times, 14 August 1918, Page 4

The Taihape Daily Times. AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 14, 1918 A GREAT CRISIS PENDING.

(With which is incorporated The faihape Post, and WaTra-nri'jo News).

The trend of the great battle at the end of the third day is decidedly opposed to the gratification of the Kaiser’s desire to establish that invincibility of his armies that he has so often and so ostentatiously claimed for them; the question is, can he by any means pave the way to a peace drive that will result in saving him from complete military defeat in the field? The present battle may be a very important factor in framing the peace that is not now very far distant; the enemy will strive with almost insane desperation to bring the “British Revenge” to an immediate standstill. The most reliable United States newspaper, published on Monday morning, stated, editorially, that the most critical 1 time for Germany had been reached; they were unable td throw in new divisions to check the Allied advance, and the next forty-eight hours would disclose whether the enemy was able to hold his line; if he fails he faces disaster. Any intelligent person on examining the map critically cannot help realising the truth of what the New York Times foreshadows. In fact, if the report that Roye has fallen is confirmed incalculable disaster certainly faces von Hutier’s, as well as the Crown Prince’s, army. Roye, the railway centre upon which the enemy’s southern army depends for all its supplies, was being attacked from north, west and south, while the Germans were defending it with the utmost determination and desperation. In the attack on Roye there is disclosed a remarkable instance of the perfection of Foch’s plan and strategy; he evidently had planned the capture of that great railway centre; he knew the enemy would have sufficiently recovered from the first shock of his onslaught, and he foresaw the desperate resistance that the Germans would strive to make; he also foresaw that the withdrawal of German troops from Lassigny massif would render the capture of Roye costly and problematical. To avoid this, to render doubt feeble or out of the question, he had planned a third offensive, which was to drive up the valley of the Mata River, from south of the massif. This new offensive army thrown in compels the enemy to defend their line on a major scale at two vitally important points, which are only from seven to eight miles apart. If the Allies prove successful at both points, the Germans are overwhelmed, and further huge captures of territory, men, guns and all kinds of war material will result within only a day or i two; in fact, it is very questionable . whether it would not involve the | whole German southern positions to beyond Rheims. With the loss of Roye it would be quite impossible for the enemy to throw in'hew divisions from the north; none could be taken from fronting Foch’s new offensive by way of the Lassigny massif, and whatever men there are to the eastward are urgently needed to stem the insistent Americans who are pressing on between the Vesle and the Aisne, finishing up the battle of the Marne. It may be that Foch only intended his new offensive army to menace the Lassigny massif in order to keep the enemy busy, to prevent them assisting in the defence of Roye, for a cable came yesterday stating that Roye had been captured. The German difficulty at this point is approaching utter hopelessness; a small area has to be defended against armies converging from three points of the compass, one of them being composed of fresh, wellrested, experienced French troops; therefore, it is probable that the report of the fall of Roye will prove to be correct. In noting the direction the new offensive is taking and the towns and villages it has captured, it be-

comes obvious that its mnvament up

between the Matz and the Oise involves a dual purpose: its menace to the Lassiguy massif appears to have rendered the occupation of Roye cer. tain, and it is now moving on the Oise route, towards Noyon. Its mission is apparent; Foch has planned to cut off the whole of the German armies in the territory to the south and. westward of Roye and Noyon, If enemy resistance is overcome at Roye it will become a comparatively easy matter for Foch to close the jaws of his nippers between that place and"Noyon, and thereby precipitate the greatest, most sensational feat of arms possible to one’s conception. The German couthern army from east of Mont- | didier would be completely cut off from all connection with its sources of supplies, hopelessly encircled by the joining up of the “British Revenge” army from the north with Foch’s new offensive army from the south, and the whole left wing of the German army would be marched into prisoners’ enclosures and all its guns, munitions and material would go to swell the Allied equipment. The cables which came to hand yesterday discovered Foch’s intentions so fully that there is some justification for believing that they will materialise, more especially as Roye is reported to have fallen,' and as French Headquarters correspondents are confident that the German line cannot be held against the new offensive under General Humbert; in fact, experts are already predicting that this will change the whole face of the war. Correspondents state that Humbert’s mission will have to be met by German troops sent south from north of tho Somme, and this needs very little explanation as it will be seen that the successful closing of Foch’s pincers must seriously menace the ■ flank of the enemy’s position on the Aisne and on the Chemin des Dames. Viewing the situation from all points there appear, very good grounds for believing that ; Foch’s huge enveloping move r ment will succeed,- for although resistance is increasing it is only of a temporary character to meet present exigencies; there is dislocation and disorganisation and the effects of defeat, to stand against well-planned, perfectly organised, victorious work of the Allies, who have the initiative at every point.of the struggle. We are now awaiting results of the most momentous event of the whole war; the forty-eight hours mentioned by the New York Times expired this morning, and if time-table time is kept news should reach us this afternoon.