FOCH'S BRILLIANT PLANS.

Colonist, Volume LX, Issue 14893, 16 October 1918, Page 2

FOCH'S BRILLIANT PLANS.

BEWILDERING LUDENDORFF.

WAR MAY END IN 1919. . - London, Sept. ,27, The "Times," reviewing the general' situation, says:—The war has now reached a.favourable.crisis, and maj come to an ,end in 1919. The Allies', for the - first time, are attacking on every front, their offensives resembling tho designs of the first German, invasion, which took the form of a double encirclement east and west. The Americans' recovery of the "Woevrc lias opened a possibility for a rovorse movement of- the wheel at which we have tugged and strained since 1914. Marshal Foch's : plan is 5 now plainly apparent. He may prefer quicker ana more decisive victories in France to slowly driving back the Germans through successively prepared positions like the Hindenburg line. Referring to the Macedonian and Palestine victories, the "Times" says that the German critics may -well be right in declaring that Focli's master hand is directing the former, for the operations of the unified command are not confined to the west front!. The conquest of Palestine now enters the final stage with the reduction of the Galilee garrisons. The new offensive on the western front is regarded as a fresh demonstration of Marshal Foch's brilliant strategy in varying his attacks. with dewildering •"'rapidity, thxis giving the Germans no opportunity of reforming their shaken forces, and simultaneously preventing the despatch of reinforcements to the aid of the Bulgarians and the Turks. It is riow apparent that the American success at St. Mihiel was not an: isolated operation, as it was described; at the time, hut a preparation for yes-^ terday's greater attack. It is believed that FoMi's immediate object isl to pinch out the German positions-in the Argonne, and the ulterior object to ,/lvance towards the Gorman railway communication, imperilling the enemy's mnin salient in France. The allied blows in the Near East farther emphasise the ■ superiority of the. .Allies, not merely in material, but in train-power. The drive of the French and Serbians through mountainous country, with a hundred chances of surprise and ambush, without a single check until, they cut the communications -with the Bulgarians' left is described as a sterling feat, rarely equalled in the present war. Tho British had a hard and thankless task, together with the Greeks on their right, for they were confronted by the strongest part of .the Bulgarian line with tiers .of positions in formidable p-.ountains dominating the British and Greek advance.- Yet they not merely held up the Bulgarian left, but reaped the reward of overcoming the-stupend-ous obstacles by invading Bulgaria.