Grand Forks daily herald. (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1914-1916, 1914-10-14

of 1914 Is just beginning. Only the
least important phase has passed. It
ha, snow become a contest of endur-
This statement WIS made by one
Of the few connisseurs Of war there
are In this world. He has seen every
one OF the great wars Of the last two
decades. For good reasons hi does
not wish his name used. But, his
name and history and. responsibility
are we'll known to me. =
n,oa sGsa great srmi 3, have been
reckless and almost irresponsible
slaughter has passed. Upon the pres
ent line of battle"-at the moment
of writing 1t is known as the Aisne-
both armies are digging in. Unless
the movement now directed by GEN.
eral Joffre against the German right
flank is successful these armies may
trenched positions for months"
The gentleman ! am quoting has
had unusual opportunities for obser-
walton. He has but returned to Lon
don from. a trip along the entire
French front. During a portion of his
Journey he was, the guest Of the
.6 Grsneh %inia5Hs Of y y m In the psr lattses,
to observe in detail the disposition of
the French forces. Naturally, his
only knowledge Of the German dis
position was gained from the state
ments' of the French observers.
THE Germans are entrenching
themselves very strongly" said he:
Unless the thanking movement OF
which 1 have spoken is successful
they may retain their position during
the entire winter. Their lines Of COM
missary supply are open, and they
will suffer no difficulty for lack Of am
munition and food. The same may be
said Of the FRENCH
Both armies have lost very heavily,
but not as yet upon the relative scale
of either American army during the
civil war in any onesof@the major en-
gagements of that struggle. How
ever. 1t is estimated by the French
that the Germans have lost abont
100000 in killed and-wounded. Many
prisoners have been taken. The
early stage Of the war, when the Ger
mans pressed a continual offensive.
When the German retreat to the Aisne
began-they fell back sixty miles In
three days-the French losses iInme-
diately became the heavier. One divi-
sion of French troops was practically
destroyed. - &c -.
Germans Forget About Paris.
He not believe that the Ger
mans will make a'fuFther attempt to
possess themselves y Of Paris. :. He
thinks their defeat is conclusive. SO
Tar ss a that part art of t3sir enterprise mt ,sl, e, =
actively on the defAV siys- = until the
force the allies to agree to peace pro-
posals. Otherwise they must newt
ably lose Alsace and Lorraine.
Especial emphasis was laid by him
IN ::the French, attitude toward the
peace proposals. Of which something
is occasionally: heard from Washing
ton: France is opposed to any effort
at this time to conclude the war. The
leaders of France will insist upon, it's
prosecution. until some way may be
found to permanently rid. Germany of
the kaiser and the Prussian war party,
In spite of the bitter race hatred
which has led to 81 great loss on both
sides, he found little. ~antagonism- to the
The German citizen. did not want
to fight. eth French insist. HE was
forced to fight by the var lords. We
must make certain hat this situation
may not be repeated at any future
time" !. ::
France will demand a heavy money
indemnity, both to recoup her for the
cost Of the war and. the economic
losses due to 1t, but also to ham-strtng
Germany SO that she may not again
become a menac to the world peace:
France will also insist upon a liberal
naturalization for Belgium, and will
not consent to peace terms which do
not comprise regaining possession of
Alsace and Lorraine: But no matter
how completely she may be victorious
she will not. ask for . further slice
of German territory, Every French
man, from the peasant :to-the. premier,
Is agreed as to this, -
I'VE, do not want to rule over Ger
The French Doubled Themselves.
- He sees in the present terror the
seeds for the regeneration OF. France
as a nation. He was particularly i'm
pressed with the spirit Of patient res
ignation with which all Frenchmen
are taking their losses. Neither life
nor property seems to matter.to them,
If only the hated German may be, for
ever obliterated as a menace. At the
outset of the war, SO deeply had the
national pride been wounded by the
series OF events which began with the
Franco-Prussian war that Frenchmen
had grave doubts as to the. fighting
ability Of their neople.
- I'VE are aAdecadent nation men.
of prominence admitted in dinner
table talk. THE most we a hope
to do. is to make DUR conquest cost
the Germans dearly before we de-
Now France is alight with the fame
Of a nation in rebuilding. Phoenix
like, she is arising renewed from her