New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-10-26
Observer Thinks Germans
Now Fighting with Backs
to a Precipice."
DOUBLY DANGEROUS
BECAUSE DESPERATE
Critic Calls Defenders Better
Soldiers than Invaders. Who
Have Been Hard Hit.

BY Cable 10 Inc lIipuuF-l
London. Oct. 26.--Thc military cor
respondent of "The Standard" writes;
'1t is obvious that events in the West
ern theatre Of war have reached
crisis as grave perhaps as that which
eliminated in the rush of the German
armies to the very gates of Paris.
"The enemy's effort on the present
occasion was even more tremendous
than before, with the military instru
ment much less perfect than II was
, It's working parts have been greatly
I damaged by three months of hard weal
and rough usage. 1t has been patched
up with inferior material and has be
come less effective and less easy tc
| handle. In consequence of this the de-
I terioration Of the machine must Dc
made good. by greater expenditure o.
/ human energy, greater display OF VIII
I power, greater capacity TO suffer ter
ribly and still go on II success is 10
/ be achieved.
Situation Changed.
! "Let us examine the enemy's pros
poets in this connection and consider
the cha. ges in the general situation
which have taken place since the hrst
| days of September, on the occasion OF
the enemy's first great effort, strategy
! cal and offensive. He then possessed an
| immense advantage. He was able 10
select decisive point in the CONNECT,
and in reward TO troops available Tor
action at that decisive point he con-
trolled greatly superior numbers. His
forces in France represented the flower
of the German armies. The legend OF
their invincibility was then unbroken.
| They were animated by a conquering
spirit, were supported by the most pow
crful artillery ever used in the field,
and they had behind them, working at
high pressure and without hitch, the
most wonderful organization Tor direc-
ton, control and supply that ever eX-
listed.
at that moment Austria stood up
right and uniniured at German. s back,
and the grip of the Russian army had
not become alarming, and when Cen
eral Won kluck stood at the northern
gate of Paris and the Crown Prince
hammered at the walls of Verdun the
British force at the disposal of France
vas at the minimum strength.
Calls Allies Best Soldiers.
"Now, take the position to-day. Take
the moral side first. In both theatres
of war the Germans have suffered
heavy reverses. The fiction Of invincl-
biity has been blown to the winds, and
the allied troops have asserted moral
and physical ascendancy so great that,
man for man, they may be set down as
better than the best Of their sdver-
saries. On the material side Austria
has received deadly blow, from
which she can only partially recover.
The main Russian hosts are within an
ace Of invading German soil. The peril
of it is so imminent and so great that
the Germans in the west must be light
ing with terrible fear urging them
to look backward over their shoulders.
"ln France the enemy has been
robbed of the advantage of initiative
and compelled to fight great paral-
lei battle which does not suit his tao
a decision quickly. The quality of his
armies has deteriorated. The machine
behind them has been thrown out Of
gear. The material OF war at his dis
posal is less complete and abundant
than it was. In actual numbers in
the fighting line he may still possess
some superiority, but his superiority,
if it exists, has only been gained by
bringing UP reserve formations OF illN
trained, inferior troops, the use Of
which against good troops in critical
action may easily lead to irreparable
disaster.
"The strategical positions also have
been altered, and in sense they are
unfavorable to the Germans. In their
first great effort they fought we'll COR
oentrated, with the lines of communi-
cation in the rear well covered. Now
the battle line is strung out informally,
and the critical section of it, between
the Disc and the North Sea, lies almost
parallel to the German lines of COM
munication and is a constant menace TO
them. And the fact that the outer
flank Of this section lies on the sea
favors the Allies, because they control
the sea and are able to use their naval
power in supper of the land forces.
Foes Desperation a Factor.
az we weigh all these consideration:
we shall, / think, be justified in con
GLIDING that the conditions under which
the secord great German effort IS being
made are less favorable than those
which obtained at the time of the first
effort.
"But there is factor in the present
situation which may make the second
effort more dangerous than the first. &
factor which cannot be estimated In th(
concrete by means of any exact science
This factor is the desperate position II
which the enemy stands. AS an author
itative writer in the 'Berliner Tage
blatt" has admitted, the battle nov
raging in France and Belgium is one OF
life and death Cor Germany. The Ger
mans must win this battle, and mus
win il in decisive fashion, or the mex
phase of the war in the west will tax,
place on German territory, with the
end of the struggle well in sight.
drawn battle would be almost as fata
as a defeat TO the enemy, and so h,
fights with his back TO the edge of 4
precipice. Desperately he is lighting
regardless Of cost, double charging hi
weapons, needless of the chance oi
their bursting in his hands, driving hi:
soldiers, his good troops, old men an,
young boys, up to the extreme limit oi
human endurance.
"in that spirit Of desperation oul
danger lies. If we are TO dominate i
and break il We, too, must display al
energy, a determination and al endur
| anCe almost superhuhlan. iuere
little likelihood that we shall fail, bu
if we do il does not mean ruin, onl!
the prolongation of the struggle. The
postponement of the day of ultimate
victory, and all the extra suffering anC
loss that delay involves. A drawn bat
tie will be tantamount TO victory fol
US, but will not bring the immediate
fruits Of victory"
pAYMENT STOppEn