The Washington times., 1914-09-09
THE FLOOD---THEN THE
EBB.

| very SOOn Degln, Is llkeWlSe StTollSly
suggested.
| These conclusions are forced. not
alone by the reports of military
movements, but also by other details
that in some ways are even more
significant. It is said, for instarce,
that the supply of strictly modern
pattern rifles for the German troops
has been exhausted, and that soma
Of the landstrum forces are coming
to the fighting line with old-style
weapons. This, if true, indicates
Two things. The landstrum has been
put into the field in practically its
full strength; for anything less than
this complete strength could have
been armad with the best weapons.
This means that Germany has its
last resources of strength actually
under arms. Doubtless the failure
Of Austria to play her expected part,
plus the unexpected development Of
Belgian strength, forced the last re-
serves into the field sooner than Ger
many could have expected.
But this is not all. While Ger
many's power on the battlefield is
probably at ITS maximum, her losses
are enormously greater than those
Cf the allies. It is not seriously
questionable that the allies are
raridly increasing their fighting
forces in France; they are able to
put new men into the field much
faster than they lose others.
No matter what the number of
Russians now in the western theetcr
may be, it is an accession to the
allies strength in that quarter that
Germany could hardly have seriously
expected. They could not possibly
have been placed there without the
assistance Of English command on
the water and English transport
facilities; and Germany entered tho
war confident that she would not
number England among her oppo-
nents.
Similarly, nothing is known as to
the number of East Indian troops
that Britain has brought to France;
but it is known that some of them
are already there and without much
doubt more are coming.
The French have raised a new
army, stated at 250.0O0 men, which
is now coming into action, or at
least whose existence has come to
the knowledge of the Germans; and,
finally, the British are steadily re-
enforcing their strength on the Con-
tinent.'
All these factors without doubt
account in q large way for the mani
fest change of Germany's campaign
plans. The original purpose was to
drive straight at Paris and take it.
This cannot be doubted, in view of
the fact that German writer's have
outlined, long before the war OPEN
ed, the whole program just as it has
been followed, down to the point
when the western German armies
swerved away from Paris, passing
on it's north, and suddenly carrying
the great operations toward the
cast of .he capital.
From the beginning the news re-
ports always agreed that the Ger
mans everywhere appeared in over
whelming force. Germany's mcbil-
ization was almost instantaneous;
that of France was evidently much
slower, after the first line of the
army was IN the field. Germany
plunged ahead, -ealizing that in
these weeks of vast numerical super
iority she must gain advantages
that could never be overcome after
ward by her enemy. She failed to
achieve tie progress expected, be-
cause of the skillful handling of the
allies armies. They steadfastlv de-
clined to be cut into fragments and
captured in detail. Instead, they fell
back through a retreat that seems
certain one day to be recognized as
one of the greatest movements Of
its kind ever conducted in any field
Of war. Falling pack on stronger
positions, closing up their lines, re-
newing their strength, gaining tine
to draw upon the immensely greater
resources Of the allies, they seem
now to have stopped the German
advance, and to be even taking the
offensive with a confidence tnat
speaks much for their prospect Of
future successes.
on the course Of French reports that
the Germans are steadily withdraw
ing troops from France to serve
against the Russians in Prussia. Pos
sibly the stories arc true; the Aus
llidn ,vIIuv ,.,-.... -.,,G ,''rpI %
them; but the peril in that quarter