The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1915-01-27
How the War looks Vow

OF war and chief of staff OF the iyr-
man armies, undoubtedly girC> IT,
present point of view OF his :. ion.
and probably states the internal .a.
ton as sincerely as il prcsents ltr
military conditions. After roadi H..
even the military expert mus, ir.}
more in doubt as to the result his
stupendous struggle than he al, be-
fore, and that is saying good cli.
for nonpartisan military autho ties
nave been rather eau ,ous from The
first about making predictions c.tner
as to the length Of the conflict &, its
outcome. The ignorant lJ, aau.
which includes most newspaper ncn.
fluctuares in opinion from day 10 day,
but even his conclusions alwayS nave
"a string" tied to them and are
guarded by an 'if." But, after IL.
his predictions just now are about as
reliable as those of the expert. be.
cause this is case in which every
body Is walking in certain degree
of darkness in which we are desltg2
with conditions such rs we have nov-
er known before. IN {. word, one
mans guess just now seems to be
about as good as another's.
A week or two ago there appeared
to be considerable pre- liability that
the German resistance would begin TO
give way in few months under the
tremendous pressure of their enemies
Lord Kitchener's laconic declaration
that the war would begin in May"
was properly interpreted as a state
mcnt that the allies would be so
strongly reinforced along both the
eastern and western fronts by that
time that they would be able to begin
all offensive that would push the
Germans into their own territory. The
according to reports, have
been drilling a million men in their
camps, and by May should
have in the field the most formidable
host ever assembled under the Brit
ish flag. Russia can swell her forces
by two or three million men, or even
mere, II she could equip them. BY
May. therefore. the allies are likely
to have an almost incredible swarm
OF soldiers on both fronts, and to this
two weeks ago there was
added the likelihood that Italy and
would soon fall en- Austrias
flanks and aid in pulling down Ger
many's ally. But since then the earth
quake has pui Immediate var out -
ttaly's hesd, and Boumania is not aol
20 move without her. Since Their.
roo, the German defense, which secr-
ed weanening in Aisace, has been
converted into active ana destructive
and has swept back
the allied lines and blocked their
plans. On the Russian frontier the
battle line advances and recedes from
day to day, but Austria Is still un~
conquered, and an immovsble Ger
man army continues to occupy Rus
sian territory. General Won Falkenhayn
states his side Of the case fairly which
he says: "Our present situation is eA>
cellent. We have no cause to COM
plain. We have carried the war into
the enemy's country on both fronts;
We are still there after five months OF
war;" Those are facts which cannot
be disputed. So far the allies have
spent their strength in vain in the er-
fort to drive the German armies back.
As to the future. will they be in any
better relative position in May? The
only way in which Germany can be
beaten is to overwhelm her by vastly
superior military forces. or to starve
her in submission. The former meth
cd, If practicable at all, will require
a great deal Of time. The allies can
put their millions in the field. but Ger
many, too, still has millions in re-
serve, and even if her armies are driv-
en- back to their own country two or
three times their number may find it
impossible to sweep over their elab-
crate and scientific system OF fortified
lines. AS to starvation, the process
probably will be equally slow. Ger
many has not yet begun to suffer for
want of the necessaries Of Life. With
as much food as she needs and a sup
ply of men running into the millions,
1t will be hard to force her. except at
enormous sacrifices, even out Of the
positions which she holds in the ter
ritOry Of her enemies.
The strongest chain, however, is
only as srOng as its weakest link.