Evening star., 1915-04-11
FRENCH APPRAISE RESULT
OF SIX MONTHS OF WAR
Official Review Says German General Staff
Got Seven Significant Defeats
in First Of Conflict.

staff has placed upon it's record since
the beginning Of the campaign. apart
from the failure of it's general plan.
which aimed at the crushing of France
in few weeks-seven defeats of high
signiflcance-namely, defeat of the
sudden attack on Nancy, defeat of the
rapid march on Paris. defeat of the
development of our left In August, de-
vember, defeat of the attempt to break
through our center in Septem Der, defeat
of the coast attack on Dunkirk and
Calais and the defeat of the attack
on Ypres.
"The German army. powerful and
courageous as it may be. has therefore
succeeded in gaining the advantage
upon single point, and its forced
halt after six months of war condemns
it to a retreat the pace of which may
be accelerated by the Russian sue
cesses. but the necessity of which is
now foregone conclusion independ-
emily of those successes.
The Bearing Of the French Success.
Against the extent of the German
defeat has to be placed that OF the
French success. All that our enemies
have failed to gain we have gained.
and first and foremost confidence in
ourselves. It is certain. and 1T could
not be otherwise, that at the outset our
troops and the country itself still re-
mained under the impression of the de-
feats of 1870. The victory of the
Marine confirmed by the victory OF
Flanders: the impossible barrier set up
against the most formidable effort
which has ever been attempted in the
military history of the world, have
created a feeling of security which
grows stronger every day.
Every one is aware that in order to
,,rt hn nall
which incloses her Germany needed a
rapid success. This rapid success lack
ing. her defeat is certain. If for the
last three months the French command
has not engaged in general orenslVe
1t has had three decisive reasons Tor
this. The first is that, having time on
it's side, it intends to make its enorts
only after 1T has assembled all the
means upon which 1t can rely, within
a more or less near interval OF time,
with absolute certainty. The second
is that the example of the Germans at
Ypres has shown us what may be the
price Of an offensive, vigorous. indeed.
but insufficiently prepared. The third
reason is that the weather has been al
most incessantly bad.
French Army Strengthened.
I'VE have seen that the French army
is Strengthening itself every day. in
heavy artillery. in explosive weapons
for the trenches and in projectiles. 1t
is known that the British army in
France. which at first consisted Of four
divisions, Is today beginning of Feb
ruary) composed of ten British divi-
sions. two Indian divisions and two
cavalry corps, with 900 guns, of which
100 pieces are of heavy artillery. 1t is
known also that the number of troops
now with the colors and being trained
in England is very large.
1T is known that the Belgian army
which is reconstituting itself. will
shortly have six divisions of infantry
and two divisions of cavalry. 1t is
known that the Serbian army. supplied
afresh with material and munitions, is
once again preparing to show it's splen-
did qualities. 1t is known, finally, that
Russia continues to draw upon the i'm