Evening journal., 1914-11-30
today 5 MOVES
IN THE WARZONE:,
What They MEAN
Field Marshall French, Takes
English Into Confidence
Regarding Situation
allies weakened
BY SMALLER Army
BY ]. W. T. MASON.

Former European Manager OF inc NhiAtu
Press.
NEW YORK, Nov. 3O.-lll a. m.)-l
The fourth month of Europe's war ends
today with Field Marshal Sir John
French admitting that the allied troops
in France and Belgium are outnumbered
by the Germans. This is the most sig
nifcant statement that has been made in
any of the British reports which now
for the first time seek TO allay criticism
at home by giving credit to the indi-
vidual units OF England's cxpeditionary
army.
The British commander chief takes
the nation and the world into his CON
fdence, despite the early martinez rules
laid down by Lord Kitchener and con-
fesses that from the commencement of
the war to the present time, it has
been impossible for the allies 10 continual
a sustained offensive because they have
had less men than the Germans. Only
tactical errors by the Germans have
given the allies the two positive oiicn-
sive victories they have sccured-the
battle of the Marine and the battle of
St. Omer and Hazebrouck This latter
fight was the result Of the German drive
35 miles west of Lille, which carried
them within 22 miles of Calais. The ar-
rival Of the English from the Aisne forced
the Germans TO retreat the whole of the
30 miles back to Lille
Sir John French's declaration that
the Germans outnumber the allies,
and that an offensive campaign has
been impossible must must be accept
ed as a positive fact, not as an excuse
put forward to explain away the
pauclty Of allied victories. An off
/ cial Paris report last week made the
same confession. In this latter state
ment, the Germans were credited with
having fifty army corps in the west
ern battle area. which probably total
two million men.
A revision of credit for the deeds oi
the first four months of the war is
therefore, necessary. The Germans
have proved themselves to posses.
4 superiority of-cquipment ovef me al
lies. Lack Of equipment. undoubted
ly is the principal cause why the al
lies have been unable to oppose su-
periOr numbers to the Germans whose
own army is divided between East and
West. Not only in preparedness, be-
]
ity since hostilities started. the Ger
mans have shown themselves TO be the
better men.
But it is the inevitable conclusion
to Sir John French's report that the
Germans have not shown a man to
man superiority in the field Hitherto
the world has believed the Germans
were operating with inferior numbers
and were holding fast by sheer mill
tary skill to the French and Belgian
territory. This, however, seems not
to be the case. The Germans them
selves have possessed the larger
armies, and it is the French. British
and Belgians who have been clinging
desperately to their positions with
smaller forces.
Whatever may be the criticisms di-
rected against France and England
for being unable TO outnumber the di.
vided German armies after -four
months of fighting, the fault is not
military one, but must be laid al
the doors Of peace politicians who
wouldn't provide the machinery in ad.
vance. Germany has no superiority
In military field genius over the allies
So much is proven by the long delay.
ed acknowledgement that never hav,
the western allies been equal to tn,
Germans in numbers. Sir Johr
French expresses the opinion that the
present battle is now coming to q
close. This may be his way of init.
mating that the allies soon will have
more men on the firing line than the
Germans.