WEEKLY SUMMARY

Taranaki Daily News, 6 August 1918, Page 5

WEEKLY SUMMARY

THE GERMAN WITHDRAWAL. 'MUCH- MATERIAL ABANDONED. -ENEMY'S POSITION UMFAVBRAfBLE;' His Excellency the Governor-General lias.received from the Ministry, of Information the following telegraphic Bum.mnry of the war news for the week l ended August .2:— The German withdrawal on a twenty- 4 five mile front betweea iihe Chircq andi ■the Ardre was not unexpected, wing to the difficult position in which the enemy was placet' But though conducted orderly and skilfully and without the loss* of guns, ho was compelled to abandon large quantities of ammunition, stores, and material, .including a large amount of bridging material, indicating- that itwas Imo original intention to ipass the Mams in great strength and advance on Paris. On July 30, the Allies had virtually made no progress. The enemy is at present making uudh a determined rev, sistance that it is evident that he does not intend to he hurried in withdrawing. His future inteationg aire doubtful. Itis unlikely he will hold his present line, for such un extensive retireisnenit has al- ; "ready heen aecoropliished, and in so complete p.ii Amission. of defeat, -tihiat further withdrawal could hardly make Worse the moral effect. And his position is most unfavorable. The Eiver Aisne* '•is in his rear and all its 'bridges near Missy b,t« inmer the Prendh fire- Also, there are only albout eight roads to supply the salient, so that tine congestion and diffie.-.Kies on supply must foe enormaaia. Bwi the only feint of a possible' 'further withdrawal is the burning of villages south-west of Stoissons. <So long as he continues 'to hold the.line south of 'the Ai«ie liia position will always be a source of weakness. He has used Tl divisions, and only some 20 fresh ones remain at the disposal of Prince Rupprecht i RELATIVE STRENGTH W RESERVE. If the Germans use tlhe remaining reserves in a fresh offensive, this would bo a desperate gamihlc. !H»w greatly •General Foch's success and the rapid development of the American army have : altered the relative situations of the Al- > dies and the Germans can be noted from. 4he fact that now for the first time this year the Allies' fresh reserves are actually greater than those of the enemy, despite the numerical superiority of tlhe ■enemy along the wlhole front. But, remember, the Germans-'ihavefJiot -yet lost the initiative, «nd even if unlalble to malcea further offensive on the Western front they can ,a.lways transfer forces toItaly or fche -'Balktos, 'ttoougjh there is no present indication of such an intention. Meanwhile the J'rench Higher Command mast warmly poises the British corps co-operating on Uho eastern front ofithc salient. There is every reason to believe that the British progress here,hast-, cned the. German retreat, and hadf-ari im-' portant influence" on 'uhe success of-4fhe ioperattons. -■ ■■/■■r. -<i^;;-