The Detroit times., 1914-12-31
YEAR'SEND FINDS
WAR STILL FAR
FROM DECISION
Taking of Galicia, Destruction
of Commerce and Freeing Of
Servia Only Results
FORCES OF KAISER
STILL UNDEFEATED
Although Foiled in Main Objec.
tive, They Maintain Strong
Position
By j. w. II. MASON,
Former European manager of the
United Press.

FORMER European manager of the
United Press.
NEW YORK, Dec. 81 Q1 a. MI
The end OF the year and with II the
conclusion of five months fighting
finds only three positive results ac.
complished which to practical Ger,
tainty will continue as permanent fac
tors In the campaign These are the
expulsion OF German commerce from
the seas, the freeing of Servia and
Russia's occupation of Eastern Cali
cia. Everything else that has happen.
ed In the war zones is tentative. In
east and west, indecision dominates
the situation, for while Germany has
been beaten in her main objective
German defeat has not been accom-.
plished.
The August predictions that the
German empire was TO be disintegrat'
ed and the house of HohenZollern ex-
lied by a European congress after
the war. have vanished with most OF
the other early prophecies of the war
A decisive overthrow of Germany Is
no longer among the probabilities
The end of the year sees Germany
being slowly forced back. but the eff
fort is almost superhuman. Berlins
capture would produce more exhaus
tion among the allies than would be
the worth of that adventure.
War Disappointing.
Disappointment has dominated all
the wars developments, and all the
belligerents; 1t would be but logical
ly in keeping IL the ultimate peace
were similarly disappointing.
Belgium's participation in the wal
with furious patriotism, struck the
keynote of indecision, by interposinl
unexpected obstacles in the path o
the German advance on Paris. Lieg'
and the Belgian army held the Ger
mans sufficiently for the English ex
peditionary corps to arrive, and 1T wa
the English. who. in turn, checked
Gen. Won Kluck and saved the Frencl
army during the, retreat through
northern France. The German arm.
was thrown out of it's stride by thes'
interludes and Paris was saved.
But there followed Immediately al
indecisive result for the allies. Tn
battle of the Marne was fought 70
the preservation of Paris, and though
Gen. Joffre won victory which vii
take rank among the decisive conflict
of history, the success was not FOL
lowed up. While the allied nations
were exulting at the fight OF tn
Germans, the latter halted at tn
Aisne, on September IL, and have
stuck there ever since.
Why the allied armies allowed the
Germans to stop at the Aisne Is one
~ hn
Field Marshall French reported at the
time It was believed only rear guard
had been left at the Aisne. This
may be the true answer to the riddle
The allies mistook the initial
strength OF the Germans when the
battle Of the Aisne began and by fail.
ing to throw sufficient men into the
battle line, gave the enemy time nee
essary to recover from the exhaustion
of the Marne retreat.
Mistake Of the Allies.
Whether or not this was the reason
why the Germans succeeded in cling
ing to the Heights of Aisne, II has
proven the most costly error OF the
year. Once entrenched, the Germans
repelled all frontal attacks and forced
the allies to attempt outfianking
For a month from September
until the middle OF October, the allies
sent columns forward, trying to flank
the enemy; but the Germans met
every new move with counter stroke.
Finally on Oct. 8, the Germans cap
tured Antwerp and then rushed rap
idly across Belgium, occupying Ostend
on Oct. 10.
Thereafter the Germans presented
no flank to be turned by the western
army and the battle line was continu-
Gus from the North sea through west
ern Belgium and northern France 10
At this stage the Germans tried to
resume the general offensive, which
they had lost at the battle of the
Marne. They sought to extend their
line from Ostend along the Belgian
and French coast to Calais. Then be
gan the third struggle of the western
As counter effect the al.
lies attempted to pierce the German
line at Arras, which Is the main
northern outer gateway to the Ger
man communications. Indecision
again resulted. After a series of the
fiercest conflicts Of the war, I'm which
the numerically inferior English army
distinguished itself, only
a draw resulted. The allies saved the
coast and the Germans saved their
So the principal
contest In the west rests at the close
OF the year.
A series OF subordinate encounters
has been in constant progress along
the Franco-German border throughout
the year. almost independent OF the
major conflict further to the west. Al
the beginning OF the campaign the
French attempted an offensive OF Their
own In Alsace and Lorraine but speed
lily were compelled to abandon both
Faulty strategy and nervous uncer
tainty on the part of the troops gave
local advantage TO the Germans which