NEWS OF THE WEEK.
THE Second Battle of the Marne has developed most favourably during the past week. General Foch pressed his advantage with such vigour that the enemy last Saturday retreated five miles northward from the Marne, flattening his salientand leaving immense stores and munition " dumps," but few prisoners, in the hands of the French and Americans. On Monday, after a further retreat, ho began to counter-attack in force, as if to gain time for the strengthening of a new defensive line south of the Vesle. But the Allied victory had been won. General Foch had shattered the enemy's grand design for an advance by the Marne on Paris. Ho had put-out of action a large number of the best German divisions. Above all, he had—by the admission of the enemy Press—recovered the initiative which was lost in the early spring. For the time being the enemy is on the defensive, and it is we who can take the offensive in any sector, if we choose to do so. The recovery of ground means little, but the recovery of the initiative means everything.
