New-York tribune., 1915-03-13

Rheims and in a position to attack 1t in
front, flank and rear and threaten the
Rheims Char eville line near Rethel. The
Germans would then be compelled to re-
tire from Rheims and take a position be-
hind the Aisne about Rethel. The Verdun
army would in turn be compelled to give
ground and make a new contact with the
Rheims army by way of Stenay.
Another successful push would take the
French to the Meuse, near Sedan, and cut
the main and the only connection between
German armies in the west and those In
the east south of Namur. Hitherto the
ability Of the Germans TO move their
troops from Alsace-Lorraine to Cham
pagne and Flanders has been the chief
cause of the successive triumphs in fou-
ing attacks on their communications. IL
was by such an operation that they drove
the French out of st. Quentin and re-
rome early in October and thus saved their
whole position in France from the most
dangerous of all the attacks made upon
it to the present hour.
The sole object of German strategy
was TO hold the line between the Argonnc
and Rheims. south of and covering the
Vouziers railroad. At the end Of two
months there is no reason 10 question the
German claim that this line has been held.
Such progress as the French have made
north of Souain, Of lie Mesnil, Of Vile
sur-Tourbe has not yet covered the half
2 dozen miles between the French front
at the beginning Of the battle and the
Vouziers railroad.
East of the Argonne a French offensive
marching parallel with that west has
made equally slight progress. The Grand
Pre- gap still remains contested ground,
with no indication that either side has
any immediate prospect Of winning the
commanding position. In sum, while the
French have made slight progress east OF
Rheims. as they have lost some ground TO
the west, the whole Champagne opera
ton from September TO March has been
practically fruitless. German lines still
hold, German artillery still bombards
Rheims at will. The German position IN
Northern France is solid.
But it is necessary henceforth to watch
the Argonne operation closely-nowhere
elso along the whole German front in
France could a successful offensive be so
effective in so short a distance as between
Souain and Vouziers. German estimates
Of French loss of $4,000 in this operation
indicate how desperately the French have
tried to advance. The key Of the whole
operation remains the railroad.
Meantime, it is also necessary to record
the complete failure Of the Allies in their
winter campaign. In Champagne and
Flanders two ambitious efforts have been
stopped almost at their starting place.
The British troops which were in sight Of
La BassGe on October 20 are still west Of
it. The lines from Ypres TO the sea are
practically unchanged since the battle of
Flanders So far there has been not the
smallest indication that the Allies can by
any tremendous offensive sweep the Ger
mans back from France. We are still
exactly where we were in the third week
of September. Regard being had for what
they have accomplished on the eastern
frontier, this represents an achievement
on the German part likely to be lon
memorable in history.
More and more the situation in the vest
comes to resemble that in Virginia in
the Civil War. Between the Blue Ridge
and Chesapeake Bav Confederate lines
held until the summer Of 1864, and from
Richmond TO the mountains until 1865. "On
to Richmond" was as familiar a cry
then as "On to Berlin" is now. Such. salts
faction as the Allies can find in the west
ern campaign is discoverable in the fact
that there is no longer any prospect of an
"On to Paris" drive. In France the Ger
mans are on the defensive-but on the
Jofaps sivo thav ara as vat ineyDuUpobla