The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1911-08-31
TIE POSSIBLE COMING WAR.


The action of the French cabinet in
formulating it's reply To the German
demands should bring the muddle to a
clear issue If Germany is bent on
war she will doubtless reject the terms
offered and move her armies at once.
If she has not fully made up her mind
To attack in any case, she may reopen
negotiations on the proposed basis. and
come off with such profit as she can
get. postponing conflict for more fav-
orable occasion. The French action
amounts to call of her bluff. and
mus. mean that France is at last pre-
pared to risk all upon the issue of a
fight.
With this awful possibility i'm view,
il may be of interest 10 consider, as
well as available facts will permit.
how the conflict will shape itself The
plans on both sides, which have been
carefully studied out for thirty years
past, are not so much the result of
profound military strategy as of condi-
lions on both sides which will compel
The armies TO move on certain lines.
The frontiers, extending from Switzer-
land To Belgium. have been studded
with defenses that the repetition of the
impossible, would present such difficult
ties as would make the German prob
lem uncertain. II not dangerous. Were
the main attack centered there. the
German advance could easily be delay.
ed until the slow mobilization OF the
Russian army I'm aid Of France would
compel a large allotment of German
troops to the defenses of her own cas-
tern frontier.
1t is absolutely necessary for Ger
man success that France be crushed
before Russia can come to her aid in
any considerable force. For this pur-
pose the German plans depend on a
sudden rush over ground comparative
~ undefended, and she must seek this
over Belgium ard Swiss territory. This
would be evident by the peculiar ma
ture Of the military railroads that
have been built in recent years, If II
were not openly confessed by all mill
ers. Keeping their center sufficiently
defended against a possible French
inroad through Alsace- Lorraine her
greatest force will be divided so as to
penetrate France simultaneously from
Belgium on the north and Switzerland
on the south, thus Ranking the enc
my's defence on both sides and en-
closing the French army i'm sort of
gigantic forceps. To perform this feat
the attack must be quick and over
whelming. The result of the first great
battle or series of battles would be. de-
cisive one way or the other. Neither
lcombatant could play the Russian
game of retreat and fight again strong
er than ever. which the cars army did
from Yalu to Mukden. Each nation
has approximately four millions OF men
capable of bearing arms, and arms for
them to bear, with every equipment for
battle. but such war as this requires
that all who can be brought there
should be In the firing line from the
first, and that is what Germany at
least has prepared for. She will have
about 100000 men, the pink OF her
army, i'm the field at the outset and
| France will have as many more.
| Anticipating the violation of Bel
GUMS neutrality Belgium and France
have both asked England what she
would or could do to prevent il, which
she Is pledged to do by solemn treaty,
land she has not been able 10 show that
she could do anything at all. Belgium
would therefore, have the alternative
4 of giving Germany "A free passage over
her territory. with a guarantee that all
would be restored after the war, Or
presenting her own feeble resistance
for which she would have to pay with
the surrender of her independence in
: the event Of German success. In the
event OF French victory, the dear friend
across the channel would veto any such
compensation for France. For a time
Belgium contemplated throwing up
defenses TO defend her soil from in
vasion, but I'm the teeth Of all the
guarantors OF her neutrality. Germany
sent warning to Brussels, and the
plan was abandoned. So, Belgium lies
open to the strongest invader The
way Is equally open on the side of
Switzerland, both from n military and
diplomatic point of view. When war
: begins there Is no law but that of the
stronger.
What defense can France put M
SerRlnst such an attack? Her army is
- - - - -