Estancia news-herald. [volume] (Estancia, Torrance County, N.M.) 1912-19??, 1914-09-17

/ oStSs %aN itSho cAhN etii Aboold tS
v ly and conclusively against sucl
! a supposition. So little prepare
= tion had France made to resist
German invasion through Bel
= GUM, that, had it not been fo
the totally unexpected interposi
Q ton of England on behalf of Bel
gium, and the magnificent fight
against overwhelming odds put
up by the small Belgian army
Germany today would be inside
the very gates of Paris.
The French line of defense
stretched from Belfort to the
southern limits of the Belgian
frontier. North of that she be-
lieved that her defense consisted
of a "sheet of paper" with the
solemn attest thereon of herself
and her great German neighbor.
The loss to France and Belgium
of the fair lands that are now
being overrun with fire and
sword by Germany, is, after all,
trivial compared with the enor-
nous loss of moral prestige suf-
fered by the ruthless invader-a
loss which no carefully worded
sophistication of the diplomat or
the historian of the future can
ever redeem.
The position of the allies today
is strategically and tactically very
strong. Based on a line of forti-
fications reaching from Belfort
on the south almost to Paris
itself; with strong reserves in
the rear and ample railroad COM
munications serving the allied
army upon interior lines, with
the spirit of the troops absolutely
unbroken; and with the choice of
several French seaports through
which Great Britain can pour in
her reserves, France and her al
lies find themselves facing foes
that are feeling the enormous
strain Of weeks of attack on en-
trenched positions.
The probability is that the
much talked-of complete invest
ment Of Paris will never take
place; and if not, how and where
is Germany to deliver that crush
ing blow which is to put France
under her heel, and release that
half million of men which Ger
many must send to meet the VIC
torious Russian advance, and to
stiffen her sorely-worsted Aus
trian ally?
1t is surprising that none of
the military critics have drawn
attention to the fact, altogether
unprecedented in great wars,
that there has been no breaking
through and enveloping of any
section on either side, German or
French, of this great battle line,
240 miles long, in which, surely,
there must be some two and one
half millions of men engaged.
To our thinking, this fact is ex
planned by the absence from the
field of operations of that secre
cy of movement which formerly
rendered it possible to concen-
trate overwhelming strength
against one or more portions of
the enemy's lines, and break
through and envelope and cap
ture whole army at a time. We
all remember what happened at
Metz and Sedan. Such catas-
trophies are not happening and
are not likely to happen, today.
Why?
Unquestionably the change has
been brought about by the won
derfully efficient aeroplane scout
ing, Of which so much is being
done in the present war. The
turning movement of the Ger
man right wing is not a case in
point; for the success of that
was due to the initial
advantage gained by the viola
ton of a treaty. 1t begins to
look as though the grand strate-
gy of the allies is to accept the
initial advantage thus stolen by
Germany and encourage the foe
to break through at enormous
sacrifice of men to Paris, the al
lies meanwhile swinging into po-
sion with their left wing pivoted
upon the enormous defenses of
that city and their right upon
the equally strong defenses of
Belfort.