The Taihape Daily Times. AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE FRIDAY, AUGUST 16, 1918 THE OFFENSIVE MUST CONTINUE.

Taihape Daily Times, 16 August 1918, Page 4

The Taihape Daily Times. AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE

FRIDAY, AUGUST 16, 1918 THE OFFENSIVE MUST CONTINUE.

(With which is Incorporated The Xaihape Post and WalnmrJao News).

There is reported desperate fighting for the Thiescourt and Lassigny massif in which Humbert’s army, Foch’s third member of a triple offensive, is engaged. The latest cables received yesterday indicate that if the’ whole of this high altitude, woody, rocky plateau is not already in Humbert’s control there is only one small corner of it held by the enemy. Humbert is already discussing his descent down the northern slopes, towards Roye, where he is to link up with General Haig’s | offensive and complete a new line. His guns, we are told, are already playing upon Noyon, three or four miles further eastward, and his armies are moving up the Oise Valley towards that important town on the railway from Paris. 'A few days ago they were within a few hours’ march of it and it is probable that news will reach us to-day stating that it is under siege, or, if Humbert’s and Haig’s armies have junrtioned, that the enemy is being compelled to shift to safer quarters. Yesterday, it was apparent that Roye was within a few hours of falling, if such a consummation was desired; the British not only surround it on three sides, but they are vigorously pushing on to the eastward. Any doubts there may have been in New Zealand about determined continuation of Foch’s great offensive are now completely dispelled in the announcement of the organisation of the first American field army, consisting of three hundred thousand men, organised in several army corps. This new, completely American army is entirely exclusive of all other American troops that have already taken part in past and present fighting. The significance of this announcement to us lies in the fact that if Foch has not another man in his army of manoeuvre he has this great American army of over a quarter of a million. The information assures us that Foch’s enterprise is a long way from exhaustion; that it is not to end with the launching of his third offensive army; that the Germans are to have very little rest in their hurriedly-fornfbd line running from Chaulncs, through Roye to Lassigny, and that we may with confidence await another series of sensations which will put into the shade any that have preceded them. We are told that the Crown Prince is holding the Americans on the Vesle, but this new American army could simply force a way anywhere in that direction by its mere weight; this army is evidently being reserved for some far more thrilling event. The capture of Les Loges is important, as it is astride the road and railway midway between the two crucial points of Roye and Lassigny. We learn that Humbert is moving rapidly up from the south, astride the Oise, and it now seems certain that his extreme right is in line with the French army on the spot from whence commenced Foch’s memorable assault on the Marne salient, that is, in the region of Fontenoy, north of Soissons. The line from west to east will therefore run from tbe kigh, woody ground west of Laseigny to Noyon, sloping down to the Aisn e at Soissons and along the Vesle to Rheims. As the distance from Noyon, south-east to Soissons is between fifteen and twenty miles, the menace this new army of General Humbert’s to the Crown Prince’s right flank must be filling the German High Command with bitter consternation. Not only Is the right flank of the Crown Prince’s army on the Vesle in imminent danger, but the menace continues for fifteen miles to the rear of bis position. Foch is

daily eiujutnaiag klg Haas, bt fact, his whole schema 03? strategy appears to ha baae4 upon a carefully-planned scries of pinching-off movement in which no disaster can arise should he meet with insuperable,opposition in anyone of them. The failure to take the last one does not involve the loss of all others, as proved to be the case in such ambitious plans as those adopted by the enemy. They set out to conquer Paris, and because the whole was not accomplished it resulted in disaster. Whenever an objective is not reached it involves defeat, for the attacking army is mostly stopped in localities it is most costly in life to iidld« we must keep in mind that this is a war against human life, not against terrain. If latest messages yesterday give a correct view of the situation at Roye and Lassigny, the Germans will have found , by now that Roye is untenable and will be moving their carpets and gramaphones further eastward. We have been considerably perplexed to know what the repeated reports of the capture of Roye ,and also of Chaulnes can mean, and now an explanation seems to come in the report that Humbert’s advance is hammering at the doors of Noyon. Only five miles north of Noyon is Guiscard, a place it will be comparatively easy to reach after Noyon falls; at Guiscard Humbert would be about ten miles eastward of any Germans remaining at Roye, This, with the nearness of Haig’s men working to the eastward of Chaulnes, makes it distinctly obvious that Foch has more than one pair of nippers at work. The Germans have yet a clear, safe way out of the salient that is fast forming with Roye as the apex, but being only a little too sanguine of their ability to hold Roye might land them in great disaster. Even with Humbert at Guiscard and Haig at Nesle there would still be the man road to St. Quentin via Ham. We are discussing situations that may easily arise, and if the next offensive is rapidly driven in north of Soissons, from Coucy to Chauny with the Oise and the railway to La Fere as the right flank it .would topple over the whole .situation for many miles, north of the present sou-, them line from east of Montdidier to Rheims. In fact, anything-may happen in the enemy’s--south-western territory, where the strategy of Foch is playing havoc with the best Ludendorff is capable of. It is certain that the wires are to bring much more sensational news to us before Poch’s plans have been completely carried out.