TaÌˆgliches Cincinnatier volksblatt. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1885-1919, 1914-11-27

This necessitates the long struggle "
witness in France.
in Poland where the Germans an
Austrians are engaged with the Ru
slams, the method of fighting is differen
from that Of France, for the reason tina
the Russians are compelled to take tn
offensive If any result is to he achieves
The leading idea is this: that the Rui
slams by their superiority Of number
must oyerwhelm the enemy to reliey
the French, so that they, too, can ever
tuaily assume the offensive and help Z
crush the Germans. This superiority o
numbers on the Russian side determine
the methods of the Germans and Aust
rians. They proceed as far as til
enemy will permit them on his sol
with the object to push him back a
far as possible, and when the Russian
by bringing on reinforcements grow t,
strong, the other side retires to take ul
defensive position. In other word
the object of the German allies in Po
land is to keep the Russians in check
either by defensive or offensive war
fare, as the circumstances demand OF
permit until the Germans on the west
ern field of operations have overcome
the French.
But before We pronounce on the fina
result, it will be advisable to throw
some more light on the German oper
ations in Poland because the misappre-
hension on this head has been the fruit
full source Of errors and at the same
time cause OF unfounded qualification
to the enemies OF Germany.
A retreat, owing to impressions der
ived from former methods OF warfare
is considered the same as defeat. This
is far remote from the actual facts,
Retreats are manoeuvres TO overcome
superiority Of numbers and to weaken
the enemy, and this form OF vancouver
ing has been adopted with a view to
the conditions obtaining in Poland.
This is country proverbial for its bad
roads. Napoleon |. called mud the fifth
element OF that country. Whenever the
Germans advance in Poland they live
according to the usages OF war off the
country. When they retreat they
arrive at well proyisioned places. When
the Russians advance, they enter on a
territory entirely drained by the enemy
and are compelled to transport their
ammunition and provisions on founder
GUS roads which besides wear out the
strength of the soldiers. From this it
is evident that the Germans wage a
war of attrition. They have, moreover,
the advantage that they can choose at
their pleasure their position, SO that
the enemy In spite of his superiority
does not command the choice OF the
battlefield, but The Germans dictate the
position to the enemy. In fact, the
Germans pursne the same tactics by
which the Russians overeame the genius
and the superior military strength of
Napoleon l. BY continually cvading the
hosts OF Napoleon, they finally ex-
hausted them until they broke down.
The inability OF the Russians TO invade
Germany, their great objective point,
proves that General Hindenburg is emf.
nently successful In his operations.
Now, while the Germans wear out
the Russians, their eastern army keeps
at the positions OF the
French who are unable to gain ad.
ditional strength for the reason that
they have already put every available
man into the field, while the Germans
have still millions of soldiers to draw
upon, which will within short time be
able to break through the French lines
and then all viii be over, for when the
strong positions OF the French are
flanked, they must come out TO fight in
the open, to be overwhelmed by the
Of the Germans in numbers
and military skill.
From this also appears the delusion
Of the English that their salvation lies
h. gaining time. The very reverse Is
true. Only a great and speedy victory
Of the Russians can save the French and
prevent their defeat by the Germans
and we have clearly shown that such a
speedy victory is not possible.