Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1914-09-24
GERSIANY's STRONG STRATEGIC
POSITION.
Scientific Ameriean.l

ready II peSI1S TO look as though
Germany will have to depend upon
her own strong arm to overthrow the
mighty fleets and armies of the allies.
Judged in point OF mere numbers,
the odds are two to one against her
on land, and three and a half to one
on the sea.
But the history of war, whether
ancient, medieval or modern. teaches
us that superiority in numbers is
merely one among many important
factors that win battles and make it
ultimately possible to dictate terms
TO a thoroughly beaten enemy. Proof
of this is to be found in that brilliant
page of German history covered by
the Seven Years War, when Prussia,
under her marvellous soldier king,
Frederick the Great, waged a sue
cessful war against a combination of
enemies as strong, relatively. if not
stronger, than that which confronts
the German people in the present cri-
sis.
The seemingly overwhelming num-
bers of the triple entente are greatly
offset by the fact that Germany holds
an unusually strong strategic posi-
tion, both on sea and land. and that
whereas her armies are of a common
race, speaking a common language,
the enemy is composed OF three races,
speaking no language in common, and
differing widely in tastes, tempera-
ment and traditions.
OF enormous advantage to Ger
many is the fact that the geography
of the naval and military situation is
such that she is planted squarely be-
tween her major enemies, France and
Russia: and so long as she is supreme
in the Baltic, it is impossible for
those countries to effect a joint con-
centration of their troops in over
whelming numbers upon either front
ier.
And Germany, be it remembered,
has all the advantage of fighting on
interior lines. Because of her admir-
able system of military railroads,
many of them built with a vietw to
just such crisis as that which now
confronts her. she can move her re-
serves quickly 20 either frontier and
mass them at any point for attack or
defense. Furthermore. if, as she
hopes and firmly believes, she can
succeed in crushing the French arm
/ les in succession of conclusive en-
/ gagements. her possession of the in
terror lines would enable her to move
a portion Of the flower of her army,
which is now confronting France, to
the eastern frontier for the repulse
of the Russian invasion.
In the event OF German reverse;
and failure OF her invasion oil
France, she would fall back upon hel
line OF frontier Notifications, take
up strong defensive position. anC
hurl the bulk OF her armies agains
the on-rolling tide of Russian in
vasion. which, at the present writing
, appears to have gained a victory o
imposing proportions. II this SHOULD
be the course of events, the Germans
would settle down to a war of de
tense. which might last for two o
three years. and end in the contest
ants fighting each other to the poin
of utter exhaustion. There is n
reason to believe that the German o
the twentieth century has lost any o
the powers of recuperation an,
dogged resistance which carried hin
through the seven years OF war un
: der the great Frederick.
No less upon the sea than upon III
land is Germany favored by geo
graphical conditions. The allie
fleets of England and France have
superiority, based on total tonnage
OF over three to one over that o
Germany and Austria. and a superior
ity in the first fighting line OF dread
noughts. OF two TO one. II TO Franc
is delegated the task OF destroyin
|. the Austrian fleet in the AdriatiC
the English fleet in the North Sc
has twice as many dreadnoughts a
that OF Germany. or 81 to 16; OF de
stroyers she has 167 to 1870. and G
submarines 76 to 81. Under thes
conditions it would be hopeless 70
Germany TO accept battle in the oper
Ship for ship. the English dread
noughts are more powerfully armed
and in seamanship and sunnery the
2 are at least the equals of their OF
ponents
Hence. the Germans have either n
! tired behind the heavy coast fortif
e cations of their North Sea ports an
: harbors. or. as is more likely, the
have taken shelter in the Baltic. tn
British admiral has orders to see
u and destroy the German fleet. BJ
II how shall this be done? Wilhelm
e haven and the mouth Of the Elbe al
i thoroughly protected BY coast fort