Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1914-08-04
WAR STRATEG|STS
PUZZLED OVER
MILITARY MOVES
German SIowness Cannot Be
k Accounted for Except on
Ground Of Diplomatic Feac-
ing in Capitals,

- "'"ff'No toufhht tFtNlNA Atfhto "iHt
I washington, Aug. with hastily
! drawn map Of the probable theater
~ war ia Europe before them. army
stratesists here today were eagerly
scanning the news reports of the stir
ring events that wefe momentariiy
taking place IN Germany and Russia
and France.
some surprise a expressed by the
experts az the comparatively slow be-
ginning OF The German campaign. The
American var college, patterned
largely upon the great German war
machine known as The general staff
mas understood thar 80 perfectly mad
every detail Of IAN offensive campaign
against both France ana Russia been
worked out that the first blows would
fan like lightning strokes out of O
clear sky. and that within twenty-tonr
hours after the declaration Of war, or
indeed. after order for mobilization
the first German battalions would be
many miles advanced across both
eastern and western boundaries into
the enemy'a country.
No Big Fights Reported.
1t Is believed that the only manner
that the execution of these carefully
laid plans could be- defeated would be
by the interposition To the advance
Of living walls of French and Russian
legions yet there has been no report
OF battles on any large scale.
Consequently the belief IS expressed
among military men here that inYisi-
Bile wires are holding back the dogs
Of war; and that the fun strength Of
the military forces on all sides Is be-
ing withheld while the statesmen and
diplomatists in the European capitalc
are playing the last cards in the des-
per1te game OF diplomacy in the hope
now, not OF ayerting general war, but
of securing individually such advan-
tages as may be obtained through de-
aged action.
After looking over all available data
Of today's operations the strategists
are unanimously Of the opinion that
the plans Of campaign had not so far
unfolded as to admit of "a guess as to
the real purposes of the great mill
tary leaders. What has been done by
the German army in the east in the
invasion of Belgium Is regarded as
purely precautionary, and calculated
rather 10 prevent possible quick
dash by the French legions into the
fatherland than with the purpose of
beginning a deliberate and progressive
campaign towards Paris.
The slight clashes reported to have
taken place on the border of Lorraine.
are looked upon as insignificant and
az mere feints 10 develop the French
strength IN that quarter. Military
maps here. disclose an astonishingly
large German military force In that
neighborhood. There appears TO be
no less than three army divisions
within striking distance of the French
frontier on a line less than hundred
miles i'm length, If general cam
paign had been initiated, there was
sufficient German force. IN the opin-
ion of the experts here, to have broken
through the French lines ut any point
where there We're no great fortresses
such as Nancy and Strassburg.
Of course. according To these same
calculations. this German advance
might be only temporary as 1t is
known that the French army is gath
cred in great strength IN the two for
titled towns named. ana it would be
only question of time before they
would fan upon the German flanks in
the effort to cut the lines of commu-
nication, isolate and destroy or cap
ture the invading army before II
could bring up its reserves
So FAR as can be disccrned here the
German campaigns in the east are on
a different basis and at this stage at
least are rather defensive than often
sive in character Reports have come
from Berlin that German troops ae-
tualig have crossed the Russian from
tier south Of Danzic, but this move
ment is believed to be calculated sim
ply to harass the Russians and to re-
tafd the examination OF the great
army of the car, which finally must
be reckoned with.