Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1915-02-05
What Has Been Shown by Six Months of War

Six months after the outbreak of the world the
outstanding fact that seemed distant almost
distant than it did in September Yet if the close
of tie conflict remained still subject for speculation it
plain that the issue had been determined IN
September and that all that had happened the Battle
of the Marne had in fact been the natural consequence
of decisive battle Of the world On fields and
hills but little distant from the plain where Roman cvil
cation turned back Attila the German bid for world
premacy, the Kaiser's chance to play Napoleon were
abolished
In the opening month of the there a chance,
real chance that Germany might destroy France before
Russia up force Russia to make terms before Eng
land ready and them master of the Continent the
France of Napoleon the duel with the British En-
pre that France had abandoned precisely century be-
FORE After the Battle # the Marine the chance had
ished Week by week. month by month"; Russian. British.
French military power developed increased. On January
g. Germany held less of France than September in
stead of 100 900 British troops the advance guard of
fresh million already in Flanders French troops
breaking out in Alsace.
In the period between the Battle of the Marne and
January 1915 Germany had made three great campaigns
On the User the very flower of her troops had gone down
under the eyes of the Kaiser in frantic attempt to gain
the French Cities grasp the eastern shores of the
Straits of Dover get within reach of the hated Eng
lishman's home. first attempt to seize Warsaw, to
crush Russia France being ndestructble had failed be-
fore the Polish capital second offensive into Poland
after great victories and terrible losses had halt
before the Bzura.
Six months after war had begun Germany was still
unshaken their armies still gaining numbers their de-
fci in in al hut mar
Such advantage her preparedness las given her. the
credit balance in her favor. exhausted.
In the same period her Austrian ally had three times
been almost her knees by Russian victories
now facing INVASION the Carpahians Hun
gary Twice. too, the Hapsburg Emperor had spen
did armies ANONYMOUSLY routed destroyed by the hated
Danube into hungary
Around the world the German hopes had equally
proven vain The Turk had suffered disaster the Holy
had fallen to empty nothing the South African revolu
tion had fckered out ahortve revolt with other
consequence than insure the loss of German
Southwest Africa In Asia her colony had disappeared into
Japanese hands, in the Pacific her islands lost ire
vocably, in Africa her remaining colonies being
slowly but steadily consumed by her enemies
artichoke, leaf by Leaf
To balance this, Germans could still point to con-
quered lands and provinces In Poland, in Flanders in
Champagne her lines held her counter attacks reganed
lost trenches regularly In Alsace along the Asne in
Artois and Belgium Ango-French attacks, ambitious
offensive speedily beaten down. East and west
Germany still match for her enemies, but east and
west the for victory had passed. irrevocably
passed. east and German operations and
tended toward defensive What Gettysburg had been
to the South the Marine proving to have been
Germany Nowhere in January there the slightest sign
of promise for German victory and what true in
January had been true in the earlier months
Half year Of war had given history deci-
sve battle for Europe conceivabY the greatest in
meaning since Waterloo In that battle had been
decided Europe should still be European and Prus
san the Marne France had saved herself and Europe
after the Marne the problem how long it would take
Europe conquer Germany and in January it unms
taxable that as yet Europe had made progress-From
"Half Year of World War;" by Frank H. Simonds. in
the American Review of Reviews for February.
A SUFFRAGETTE DEBATE