OCR Text |
Show AVOID A DECISIVE BATTLE. At this tlmo, while tho Americans are far from being at full strength on tho French front, General Foch should not push his offensive beyond safety. It Is our opinion that opposing' forces are of nearly equal strength , on tho entire line, with the Germans somewhat superior in numbers. To challenge the enemy to a deciaivo battle today, would bo forfeiting all tho advantage which the days to como will bring to tho allies. This fighting on tho Ourcq and other oth-er rivers In tho salient could go on until the Germans, bringing up more reserves, and the allies throwing in inoro mon, would precipitate the most titanic battle of the war, with exhausting ex-hausting consequences to ono sido or the other. That would bo playing into Germany's Ger-many's hands, unless Foch is fully confident con-fident he possesses a preponderance in men and war materials. Tho offensive should be pursued as long as tho onemy fails to react with might, but at the first signs of an equalizing of tho fighting forces, "caution "cau-tion should prevail. Regaining territory terri-tory is not the essential thing in this war. Killing Germans, while conserving conserv-ing tho lives of the soldiers of the allies, al-lies, is tho object to bo attained, and whenever the battle lines are so greatly great-ly in favor of the Germans as to promise prom-ise heavier casualties for tho allies than can be inflicted on the kaiser's forces, a halt should be called. Eventually the offensive can bo resumed, re-sumed, even though the Initial losses be severe. That will be when the I Americans In France, ready for the j first line trenches, approximate 1,-j 1,-j 500,000 men. |