The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1914-10-16
CAMPAIGN IN FRANCE.

General Joffre's task at the be-
ginning of the war was to prevent
the Germans from crushing France
by reason of their preparedness and
numbers. Iritially, everything was
On the German side. In long war,
numbers would be on the allies side.
In a short war they would be on the
German side.
To make the war last two months
was the first task. That would be
long enough approximately to equal
iZe numbers. Afte- that it would be
contest on something like even
terms.
Joffre has been the victor in that
he has accomplished all that he
could have hoped TO do in that time.
The Germans have failed, in that
they fully expected to be in Paris,
with France at their feet, before
now. Instead they are today fight
ing on the defensive in France and
maintain an effective offensive only
in Belgium.
The battle line extends from the
Swiss frontier to Ahe sea. II would
be hard to make Belgium believe that
anybody's neutrality is secure in this
struggle; but yet it is apparent that
the Germans hope to avoid violating
either Holland or Switzerland. They
cannot afford it. The military
exigency is not pressing enough to
justify arraying those sturdy little
countries against Berlin.
So the battle line cannot he ex-
tended unless by dirt of a German
move down the channel coast, or
farther German move in the south-
east, beyond Belfort; perhaps both
of these. 1t is very doubtful wheth-
CT the move in the southeast will be
attempted, because, first, there is a
lack Of German forces to carry it on,
and second, it would be an invitation
tc the Italians to precipitate them
selves into the field at The point
where their reinforcement of the
French would have most telling eff
feet.
The Alternative then is a possible
German move along down the
Channel coast. That is now in prog
ress, and London seems to believe it
may go on indefinitclv--.Antwerr
Bruges, Ostend, DInkirk, Calais,
Roulogne.
London is excited over the prog
ress of this movement; Paris and
Bordeaux seemingly are not. Gen
oral Joffre is not. Perhaps it is Just
what he wants. He wanted the Ger
man right, in the first advance on
Paris, to swing westward as far as
it could be induced to so, and he
made his dispositions with a view to
leading it there The resul. was that
the German west wing was tolled
away to dangerous distance from
the center, and when Joffre was
ready to strike and assume the Of
fensive, he had the shorter lines. his
forces were completely in hand, and
he drove back an enemy that had
been flushed with the mistaken CON
fidence that victory was fairly in it's
grasp.
Everything that extends the lines
Of the Germans while in the ener1y's
country, AMI at the same time leaves
The shorter lines to the French, is in
favor of the allies. Belgium has
teen abandoned because present
abandonment is the surest means to
eventual redemption. There is no
sentiment about the war in such a
deadly stage; and so King Albert
leads his army into French terri
DRY with confidence that ne will play
MS part in the bigger strategy and
in due time lead it back into his own
and.
Verdun, Nancy, FOUL, Belfort, all
nave held out against the German.
nus far. Paris is for the time Sc
cure The Inc has grown longer
nd longer, the French are on the in
,ide, feeling for the weak places, and
strengthening their forces. Winter
apace, and Germany CON
ronts the dangers Of a winter cam
'aign in hostile territory, spread out