Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-11-29

tains gives France its climatic superb
GRITTY to Germany.
1t is not conceivagle that the kai-
sers plans to carry the campaign into
France were based upon recognition
of this superiority of climatic condi-
lions. 1t may be assumed that he rSai-
lied that to winter his troops in the
same favora Bile circumstances in which
the enemy spent the hardest part o.
the year was distinct advantage. An
earlier spring well as a later win
ter thus would he gained. In gem
ersl sense the contrary is true from
the German point of view in respect
to the campaign in the east.
he average temperatures in the sew
eral important cities in the territory
in which the winter campaigns Will
be fought out represent with fair ac-
curacy the comparative climates to bs
met in various localities. This terri
tory may he said TO lie between Paris
and Moscow The territory between
Paris and KEEL has an average winter
temperature OF about 80 degrees Fab
renheit. while its minimum is about )
degrees.
cow, in which lies Warsaw. the aver
age winter temperature is from 81 de-
grees to IL degrees. with a minimum
ranging from zero TO 20 degrees be
low zero. These figures represent tn.
normal range. and the records fo-
years back show that not fnfrequently
the thermometer falls far below thes"
averages.
Ostend has an average OF SIS degrees
n Jao ha.N
December and March; Brussels, sc 9 t.
37.2 degrees: Berlin, sc degrees. Th-
S2-deSree line goes through HOLLAND,
the S9-degree line through central
France. the 35-degree line through
northern France and the 14-degree linz
through Moscow.
In Warsaw the average temperature
for January is 26.S degrees The eleva-
ton of the city iS o09 feet. The cold
est weather OF ire winter, which ea-
tends from December - to March j.
Is in February. u must DE observed
therefore. that wiI.la western Europa
feels the softering influence of ocean
winds, the inland suffers unmitigated
harshness of the cold.
But whatever suggestiveness meteor
illogical data hold for the military
strategist and the scientific student
the real romance o; weather and wa
win ever lie for the lover of human
endeavor and achievement in the rec
ords Of the part that the vagaries o.
the storm gods have played in the bat
ties OF men. Nowhere have weather
and war mingled IN stranger combina-
tion in the game of chance which des-
tiny plays with the nations than In
this great war theater of Europe.
From the time o. Hannibal or
through the Franco Prussian war.
weather, usia!lv REGARDED as the trit-
est of small talk topics. has been a
determining factor in many OF the
worlds stupendous struggles.
History is filled with examples OF
how weather has turned the tide OF
battle and war: Frederick Barbarosss.
conqueror of Rome, thwarted by the
pes;ilential heat of Italy in 1867, and
baked again by rains at Alexandria.
Frederick William, the great elector, In
winter quarters in Alsace In 1874.
using wagons to rush his foot soldiery
against the Swedes invading Branden-
berg, whom he conquered at Fehrbe
lin: this same great electors use OF
1900 sleighs to cross the ice of the
Frischer Hon and thus cutting OF in
fading Swedes from konigsherg'
frederick the Greats winter campaign
against Maria Theresa OF Austria. ana
his brilliant victory at Mollwitz IN
1871, from which some historians re-
late that he fed over the tW o feet OF
snow, not learning until afterward
that he was the victor and not the van
uuished.
of all examples of how weather az
fects war. OF course, the most notable
is Napoleon's Russian campaign In
which he led 100000 men into J. issia.
of whom all but 10000 persisted IN the
SHOWS or icy waters or rotted in Rus-
sian prisons. The details OF this cam
naign are unequaled for the horrors OF
suffering and dramatic tnterferences.
The part which the rains are said TO
Lave played in determining the Issue
of the battle of Waterloo are IS moth
ing compared with the death-iike grip
which the icy north laid upon the hopes
of Napoleon and France.
With the burning OF Moscow, whereby
the Russians virtually completed the
disaster to the French army, left out or
account, the triumph OF the clemens
over the genius of Napoleon and the
resources of France is the supreme an
swer of nature to defiant humanity