Evening journal., 1914-12-31
rnnnvTen Mm0VIun
5 MOVES
. IN THE WARZONE:,
What They MEAN
BY j. W. n. MASON,
Former European Manager Of the
United Press.


United Press.
NEW YORK, Dec. 3l-O1 a. MI
The end of the year. and with it, tho
conclusion of five months lighting,
finds only three positive results ac-
complishcd, which TO practical GER
tainty will continue as permanent
factors in the campaign. These are
the expulsion of German commerce
from the seas, the freeing of Servia.
and Russia's occupation Of Eastern
Galicia
Everything else that has happened
in the war zones is tentative In
East and West, indecision dominates
the situation. for whilo Germany has
been beaten In her main objective
Germanys defeat has not been ac-
complishcd
The August predictions that the
German Empire was TO be disinto-
grated and tho House of Hohcnzollern
exiled by a European Congress after
the war. have vanished with most of
the other early prophecies of the war
A decisive overthrow of Germany is
no longer among the probabilities
The end of the year sees Germany be-
ing Slowly forced back but the effort
is almost superhuman. Berlins cap
ture would produce more exhaustion
among the allies than would be the
worth of that adventure.
Disappointment has dominated. all
the wars developments. and all the
belligeronts; IL would be but logically
in keeping if the ultimate peace were
! similarly disappointing.
Belgium's participation in tho war
with furious patriotism. struck the
keynote Of indecision. by intorrosing
I unexpected obstacles In the path Of
the German advance on Paris. Lioge
and the Belgian army held the Ger
mans sufficiently for the English ex-
peditionary corps TO arrive, and il was
the English, who, in turn. checked
General Won Kluck and saved the
French army during the retreat
through Northern France Tho Ger
man army was thrown out Of its
stride by these interludeS and Paris
was saved
But there followed Immediately an
indecisive result for the allies. Tho
battle of the Marno was fought for the
preservation of Paris, and though
General Joffre won a victory which
viii take rank among the decisive con-
flicts of history, the success was not
followed up. While the allied ma.
tions were exulting al the flight Of the
Germans. the latter halted at tho
Aisne, on September 18th, and have
struck there ever since.
Why the allied armies allowed tho
Germans to stop at the Aisne. is one
of the mysteries Of the 1914 fighting
Field Marshal French reported at the
time il was believed only a re,r
guard had been left at the Aisne. This
may be the true answer 10 the riddle
The allies mistOOk the initial strength
of the Germans when the battle Of tho
Aisne began, and by falling 10 throw
sufficient men into the battle line
gave the enemy time necessary 10 re-
cover from the exhaustion of tho
Marne retreat.
whether or not this was the reason
why the Germans succeeded in clinoiug
10 the heights of the Aisnc. il has provon
the most costly error of the wear. Once
entrcnched, the Germans repellpd an
frontal attacks and forced the allies To-
attempt outllanking manoeuvres.
For a month. from mid -Septcmber nm
I'll the middle of October. the allies sent
columns nortlward, trying TO outiIank
the enemy; but the Germans have met
every new move with counter stroke
Finally on October o, the Germans can
tured Antwerp and then rushed rapidly
across Belgium, occupying Ostend on
October -.
Thereafter, the Germans presented no
flank TO be turned by the western army.
and the battle line was continuous from
the North Sea 20 Western Belgium and
Northern France TO Luxemburg.
At this stage the Germans tried IN
regain the oensive which they had
lost at the battle Of the Marne. Thcv
sought 10 extend their line from Os-
tend along the Belgian and French
coast TO Calais. Then began the third
struggle Of the Western campaign. a.
a counter-effect, tho Allies attempted
Continued on Page Two.