Valdez daily prospector., 1914-12-24
SOME GERMAN MILITARY DlS-
 COVERIES.

The German army has given the world great surprise by the 42-cen. timetre guns and it's demonstration that forts are no longer of value in the presence of these weapons. Its general staff has proved also that their military machine, as evidenced by their ability in mobilization, thelr preparedness and their wondrolls swiftness of their first stroke at Par is, was, if anything, in better shape than in 1870. And yet the war is far enough along to make it clear that those in charge of the machine have made a number of discoveries they had not counted upon, and which must be distinctly distasteful to then' First of these is the discovery that trenches, when held by brave men, are infinitely superior to forts, and that they cannot be taken by from al attack, unless occasionally at terrible cost.
 
 pears if we consider that a chief de- fence by Germans of the violation of Belgian neutrality is that, if they, had not entered Belgium, the Allies would have done so and poured into Germany on her undefended right flank-there being no forts on the Rn1 1oio PI1f O T. lies have shown in Flanders how readily an absolutely flat country may : be defended against the best Prus- sian infantry without forts, simply by means of trenches and skillful use of natural obstacles, and that this has been done even by the despised Brit of military man who believes that if the Germans had kept out of Bel gium, stayed on the defensive, and fought behind trenches on their own frontier, they could have been vic- toriously assaulted before they were starved out. But the general staff,
  insisted on it's Belgian plan, with the result of adding four nations to its list of enemies, and rousing the re- sentiment of the entire civilized world over the fate of the innocent Bel gians When it is further considered that the plan to take Paris is one r1o1r aiy,u hoe pletely shattered, it would seem as if the German general staff had dealt it's own great reputation fearful blow.
 When one looks further down tue western battle-line the value of the trenches becomes still more apparent. Probably Verdun and Toul would fall in a few days if the 42-centimetre guns could reach them. But French troops in trenches have successfully kept them out of range, and the fort resses are safe-not because of arm- or, or their heavy guns, or their elab orately fitted-up and scientifically
 
 mitted now that the collapse of the rush on Paris was due to the failure to crush the Verdun and Foul forts by the German centre, quite as much as to Gen. Joffre's having unexpect- edly thrown a fresh army at the ex- treme right of Won Kluck's hosts; fha ohoc away from Verdun and Foul that held up the most valiant efforts of the crown princes of Germany and of Ba- varia to break through. Curiously enough, the lesson of all this is pre- cisely the one that Grant learned af. ter terrible slaughtering of his men in the campaign of 1864. He drove his magnificent veterans headlong against Lees worn and half-starved troops, inferior in numbers but skill ed in intrenching, until his corps commanders protested after Cold Har- bor against undertaking any further frontal attacks which meant merely massacre.
 Still another German discovery is the value of the despised British troops. An editor of the Berlin Tage- blatt who took part, as a reserve lieu tenant, in the capture of Dixmude, confesses his complete change of opinion about King Georges hire lings." The British proved them selves in his view "equal to the best troops in the world," and superior to the Germans in reconnoitring and fin making skillful use of the terrain. The way they wriggled their way for