The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1914-12-02
THE WAR SITUATION
MILITARY OBSERVER DISCUSSES
STAGE OF WARFARE.
Says Fighting In East and West IS
Now Intimately Connected-Ger-
many on Defensive In West.

the war In europe, says the Hill
tary observer Of the New York Times,
has now made progress to a stage
where the operations in France and
Russia are intimately related. The
fighting in Servia and Turkey also
has some influence in diyerting troops
from the main battleAetd5. but TO a
relatively small degree. The uses that
Germany is now making IF the IN
terror position and of her railroad
system link the eastern and western
campaigns so closely that each is de-
pendent upon the other.
Germany is now engaged in one Of
the greatest strategic moves Of his
tory. In q supr sme effort to crush
the Russians she has cut down her
forces in every quarter to the mini
mum in order to delivsr against the
Russians the strongest blow Of which
she is capable. Despite the fact that
her armies in France were already in
ferior in numbers to those of the AL
lies, she has even further reduced
their strength by withdrawing the
mounted troops and sending them to
the east, where they could be used to
better advantage, still more is Ger
man strength on this border affected
by the stoppage Of the normal flow
Of reinforcements in order to direct
this stream of soldiers also to the
eastern battlefield, which for the
present has greater importance.
It takes much courage and deci-
sion to adopt e plan like this, which
offers many possibilities Of disaster,
but the Austro-German allies are in
a position where such measures are
necessary. They have undoubtedly
given a careful study to the state OF
preparation Of the allied armies in
France, and have also sized up the
personalities and probable lines of
action Of the opposing generals.
The worst that is likely to happen
to them in the west at present would
seem to be an enforced retirement to
the line of the Meuse in France and
the Dyle River in Belgium. 1t seems
even probable that the inactive policy
to which the British and French have
committed themselves may permit
the Germans to hold on to their line
In France IN spite of the reduction
IN strength Of the German armies.
The extensive use that the Ger
mans are making Of the machine gun
especially strengthens their defensive
work. These guns can be placed SO
as TO sweep ground OYER which the
enemy would have to advance in max
ing an attack. When the signal is
received from the 1ser7ing station
that the enemy has reached partic-
uiar stretch Of ground the gun that
covers this front can then turn loose
a storm of bullets that will wipe out
any troops in its path.
This helps to explain the apparent
| confidence with which the Germans
have turned their main efforts east
ward, In spite Of the immense ar
| mics that the French and British now
have In the field. The Germans de-
pend upon their six-inch siege guns
/ to give them the advantage in the
long-range fighting, and upon their
fmachine guns to make UP for their
disparity Of numbers in the aghting
| at short range.
In both OF these arms the Germans
had large superiority at the out
break Of the war. Even more than
other machinery, guns and rifles wear
Sout lbpidly in service. Many are
1 captured, others are lost, and others
are broken. It Is doubtful whether
Germany can replace this great drain
upon her military equipment. On
the other hand, the Allies have the
gun factories Of their own countries
working on double shifts, whole to
some extent all Of the rife and am
munition factories Of the neutral
| world are aiding them in increasing
their mechanical fighting equipment
The report of the new French four
| inch gun. which is being rapidly
turned out by tho great works at
Creusot, Is significant item. Both
| in France and in Great Britain the
national gun foundries are undoubt-
! edly working to their limit to turn
out still heavier guns in preparation
for great aggressive campaign in
the spring. Meanwhile the fighting
IN France and Belgium has become
a merely defensive campaign on the
| part Of the Germans and an inactive
one on the part Of the Allies.