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Show FOCH PLANS SPLIT OF RETREATING FOE ARMIES Two Allied Annies Direct ed Against Hirson Fortress. By J. W. T. Mason United Press War' Expert, NEW YORK, Oct 17. The Brttlal offensive launched this morn Ins; be-tween be-tween La Cateau and Boh a In ta stoni the line of the Hirson railway, when 1 American units In Plcardy were lasi reported as operating. - This movement Is supplementary U the new advance of the -.French FifU army north of La on, reported yesterda) afternoon to have started under command com-mand of General Ciuillaumat, Turmei military governor of Paris. Marshal Foch is now attempting; on of the most ambitious strokes of th war. His purpose Is to run two armies' toward the Hirson fortress, one from the south and one from the west. The capture of Hirson, which Is th key to the southwest corner of ths Arennes massif, will prevent the Germans Ger-mans from keeping up dlreot cwnmunl-mism cwnmunl-mism hitwisw thelp asisesllng srmiai tn Belgium and western Fruncs and their armies in the Champagne. It will st the same time comiel Von Hln-denhurg Hln-denhurg to direct his present retirement retire-ment entirely by way of Belgium, where terrific congestion Is bound to result. The mere fact that the double attack at-tack against Hirson has been started will, of Itself, force Von lltndenhurg tn husey Inn tiaiuatluii (if weslei u Belgium and northwestern France. The danger not only exists of the severance of the communications between the German armies, but also of the capitulation capitu-lation of most of the German forces In the Champagne. The latter possibility depends on the continued success of the American ! push north of Verdun. If coincldental-ly coincldental-ly with the occupation of Hirson and the western end of h Ardennes massif mas-sif General 1'ershing were to close the Luxemburg frontier, at the eastern end of the Ardennes, alxt'y-flve miles away, disaster would overtake the Germans between these points. This is one of the major possibilities In the situation which now Is causing the Germans to ask for an armistice. |