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Show CKOWN I'KINCE'S BATTLE. If is only a few weeks ago that Emperor Em-peror Williclm selected General von lieluw lu take charge of tho Austro-I Austro-I 'j ng.irian armies after requesting Emperor Em-peror Charles to remove tho commanders command-ers rc-ipohsible for the defeat on the I'iave. It would lie an admirablo royal satire if tiniperor Charles wero now to offer Kmpcror VVilheliu an Austrian general to replace the comrnnndcr who 1ms muddled mud-dled the latest German offensive. It, was with an air of lofty impatience Hint, I'hnpcror Wilholm ordered tho Austrian Aus-trian generals swept aside for a German Ger-man commander in-chief. One could almost hear the members of tho great gene rn I staff in Merlin denouncing the inefficiency which vas wrecking their brilliant plans. And now the great general stuff has sunk so low that even the inefficient Austrians can afford to mock at it. Tho Austrians were defeated de-feated but not crushed. Their offensive offen-sive was smashed, but their armies remained re-mained intact on tho defensive. Up to date the Germans have accomplished no more than did tho Austrians on tho Fiavc. It is difficult to beliovo that the German general staff committed all its resources to an offensive against j Kheims and tho plateaus to tho south. While the aetjuisition of this country ; as far south as Chalons would have been valuable in protecting tho Ger- ' man flank for any great movement against Paris, it could not have ben ' an end in itself. It is probable that Yon Ludendorff intended to strike at Paris as soon as 'tis plans had developed favorably south of Kheims. If such wero his purpose it was badly disarranged by the lightning-like stroke of General Foch and General Pershing. But, taking it for grunted that this was his purpose, we may expect to see tho severest fighting fight-ing of tho present offensive on the front toward Taris, and it would be no disgrace if the Franco-American drive should be chocked. H appears fairly certain, however, that tho "crown prince's battle," as it is said to be called in Germany is not to attain the success of the "kaiser's battle'' in Ficardy. Almost from the beginning the Teuton plans went wrong ami tho Americans can boast that they had a great share in frustrating Ludendorff Lu-dendorff 's general design. They refused re-fused to accept a reverse, and in a counter-attack shattered the German right flank on tho Manic. At the same time tho French and Americans east of Kheims hold up the drive of the left flunk. Thus at the outset the plan of battle underwent a serious dislocation. It is not unlikely that Ludendorff was about to launch his drive toward Paris when forestalled by Pershing and Foch. |