Grand Forks daily herald. (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1914-1916, 1914-09-10
ANXIOUS MOMENTS.

These are anxious moments for tn,
men who have planned the strateg,
of the great military movements nov
In progress In France. Anxiety, o.
course, exists all over the world, bu'
there is q special strain on the mer
who have planned the disposition OF
the forces on the ~contending sides, TO,
on the result of the present movements
will depend the military regulations Of
men to whom military renown is az
the breath of life, and the fate of na
tons hinges on the result.
The average private soldier in the
ranks on either side knows less of the
real war than we in distant Ameri.
ca. He knows, perhaps, in what part
of the country he is, in what direc-
ton he is ordered to move, whether his
progress is obstructed or he has to
fight his way, whether he is able to GO
forward or is forced to fall back, and
something of what the casualties are
in his own company and regiment. Be
yond that, for him everything is guess
work. He is an insignificant atom in
a gigantic organization which
stretches from him i'll every direction
away into infinity. What lies a few
miles before him, or behind him, or
on either side, he knows not. He is
busy with his own job, and cannot tell
whether his friends across the river
and beyond the range of hills are fore.
ing their way forward or being pushed
back. He does not know whether he
is breaking through a hin part Of the
enemy's line in a great aggressive
movement, or is being placed as a
my's irresistible progress, to fight as
long as he can, and to be trampled
into the earth when the necessary time
has been gained.
While the knowledge which comes
to us across the ocean is incomplete
it is more satisfactory in that it deals
with the situation in such a manner
that by piecing together the various
reports from various places, it is pos
sible for us, day by day, to have a
eiA l htlo"l SSES III l. SlSol
battle front and the various forms
which it assumes. We have been able
to see, as the private soldier has not,
the line of the allied forces stretched
out for two hundred miles parallel
with the French border, and close to
it. We have watched that line, as its
right has remained stationary, and its
center nearly so, while its left has
swung backward, pivoting on the CEN
ter, until the extreme end of the line
center Of the left half of that line
slowly sagging southwark until, II that
movement progresses, the French
army will be divided. one part remain
ing near Paris, and the other lying
between two immense bodies Of the
enemy. What that all means, we
know as little as does the common SOL
der, for we know nothing of where
the great strength of either army lies,
or what is the intent Of its commander.
Some critics see in the present posi-
ton inevitable disaster to the allies.
They predict the breaking of the
French line at ON 40 of 0,nliles east
of Paris, the %cru1npling of, the eastern
part of that line back upon the force
which has been active along the Ger
man border. and the crushing Of that
section of the French army between
one German force which has beer held
in waiting just across the line and the
other which will attack it in the rear.
Of the Germans having been beaten
back is some indication that this move
ment, if it has really been undertaken,
is being successfully resisted.
Another view is that it is the Ger
ma right which has got into a trap
that the French retirement has beer
deliberate and intended, that there has
been no expectation of checking the
German advance until this position
was reached, but hat it's progress has
been made as costly as possible, sc
that its ultimate defeat would be rem
dered all the more certain.
Between these views we are at liher-
ty to take our choice. We do not know
where either Germans or French have
massed their greatest strength, where
the British troops that have crossed
the channel have gone, where are sta
toned the Russians who are said tc
have landed in Belgium, nor many
other things which we should like tc
know. An abrupt check to the Ger
man advance would be a serious thine
for Germany, while anything like dis
aster to the German invading army
would, apparently, decide the issue oil
the war. The effect Of the virtua,
destruction Of the great French army
would, apparently, depend largely or
the temper and determination Of the
allies. Great Britain has scarcely be
gun to fight. Her troops are pouring
forward by thousands. Russia hal
barely crossed the Prussian border
And. while the Russian army is moi
generally held in high esteem, is mus,
be remembered that it is the only Eu.
ropean army which has seen actua
service in big modern battles. and Il
has learned much since the war Will
Japan.
SWAT THE GoLDENRoD"