ure, is one of
the most important single military things that has been done as far as
the Allies are concerned. The unity of command which Germany has had
from the start of the war has been a very important military asset, and
we already see the supreme value of having that central command which
now has been concentrated in General Foch."

General March, who had earlier been appointed Chief of Staff of the
United States army, was sending a steady stream of American troops to
Europe, a fact whose importance was well understood by the new
Commander-in-Chief. On General March's promotion General Foch sent him
the following message:

I hear with deep satisfaction of your promotion to the rank of General.
I associate myself to the just pride which you must feel in evoking the
names of your glorious predecessors, Grant and Sheridan. I convey to you
my sincere congratulations and I am happy to see you assume permanently
the huge task of Chief of Staff of the United States army which you are
already performing in so brilliant a way.

General March replied:

Your message of congratulation upon my promotion to the grade of General
Chief of Staff, United States army, was personally conveyed to me by
General Vignal, French Military Attache. I appreciate deeply your most
kindly greetings and in expressing my most sincere thanks, avail myself
of the opportunity to assure you of every assistance and constant
support which may lie in my power to aid you in the furtherance and
successful accomplishment of your great task.

General Foch took command at a very critical time. The Germans had
prepared the most formidable drive in the history of the war. They had
gathered immense masses of munitions and supplies. Their great armies
had been refitted and they were in hopes of a victory which would end
the war. Their great offensive had many phases. It resulted in the
development of three great salients, the first in Picardy and in the
direction of Amiens along the Somme, which was launched on March 21st;
the second on the Lys, which was launched on April 9th; and the third
which is called the Oise-Marne salient, launched on May 27th.

Between the attacks which developed these salients there were also some
unsuccessful attacks of almost equal power. On March 28th there was a
desperate struggle to capture Arras, preceded by a bombardment as great
as any during the whole offensive, but this attack was defeated with
enormous losses