Imperial Valley press., 1915-06-29

8 pcCldl aptitude iOr Waf, the abSu-
alsl sway of The Cars would have
become Emopes rev peril after the
I'D Of thc present war. But civiIiza-
tiaa has been saved from that peril
and Russian has been taught that she
mas. work out her destiny by peace
al effort.
Inc French army committed three
sIuaders early in the war. but since
fhen ITS commanders have cqualcd the
Germans in qualities Of leadership and
its rank and file have shown the high.
est courage. The carly French mis-
takes were due 10 the same causes
.nfeioity of subordinate leadership
and iadecision in The ranks owing t.
fee3.loclous of the Franco-pru,sial
var. Poor leadership was rcspon.
sible for too rapid advances into
southern Alsace and western Lorraine
last summer When the Germans de
Iiysrcd their couoteraJfokes there was
panic among the French and no sub
sequont efforts have been able to re-
cover the ground that Ua5 lost in the
| French retreat.
The Jhird and by far The most Sc
rious of French errors occurred
during th. fighting in southeastern
Belgium and especially in the Ar
deHnes forest district. Here bad
French strategy, coupled once more
with panic i'm the ranks, permitted
.he Germans TO begin their marvellous
advance on Paris that ended with the
delivery OF Joffres masterly counter
Ioffeasivc cast Of Paris. The victory
81 The Marine. and the redoubta6le Won
h.ueEs flight before the ATTACKING
French troops that had been concen-
aatad secretly in Paris produced an
instantaneous recovery Of morale
Igmoughout France.
Uuing the darI> days Of the re-
9cls from Belgium, many people in
f PARIS were urging an immediate peace
#a Germany 10 save the republic.
- after JoGfe had shown ,h4, the
2 Germans could he beaten, a spirit OF
national leiuvnatioa appeared, and
re creation of new France began.
/ Even though tine French army adj
eaeea no. further than the present
/ battle line, France viii emerge from
! lhe war with her self-confidence re-
stored for the first time since it was
shattered i'm lo1o-7I. Whatever the
terms Of peace may Give to The French
people. This viii be their greatest
piea-thi. they have learned .3 stand
teadlast i'm the lace OF lhc c.ary.
Tie British amv's work i'm th, var
was most effectively done during the
Isctrcat to Paris. British troops pro-
.ected the left flank Of the Allies auo
prevented Won KIuck from carrying
cut his encircIing objective. Not oni%
was am overwhelming disaster thus
prevented, but the French were givea
time to steady themselves for The III
/ timate delivery Of soffre's counter
stroke The great army that the Brir-
| i5h Empire has raised by its volua-
Jear system has yet to make itself
felt in the struggle Il is lacking ~
equipment and mas not been able To
demonstrate its Iull worth against tn
Germans. Elsewhere, however, troop
Of the British Empire have acquitted
themselves well \ South African
army has wIcsted German Southwesl
Africa from the Teutops; Australians
aud New Zcalanders have seized Ger
many Pacific colonies and an Anglo
Indian force has wrested the Persian
Gulf hinterlaud from the Turks and
has conquered The legendary site Of
the Garden Of Eden, between the II
girls and Euphratcs rivers. England S
most important contributions to the
war. however have been made by her
rleet, and by the ability Of her bank
ers To finance the ElIies under condi-
tons of unprecedented interference
With foreign trade balances.
Aastria's recovery from the effect
Of her early defeat by Russia is due
largely to the example set her BY
Germany and to strategic plans ere
ated by the German general staff. The
Austi2ns have now resigned the man
agcment of the entire campaign
against Russia to the Germans, and
are supplying very few troops to re
inforcc German eastern armies. Aus
uiaa military activity is at present
chiefly concerned with resisting Italy.
Il Is too carly to say what Italy's en-
trance into the war will mean, just a.
the tate Of Constantinople cannot be
fore told The CHIEF problem for the
Italians. and for the Turks, is how
10 obtain a sufficient supply Of aim
mun.tion. The increasing number OF
belligerents, in fact, is outrunnine the
worlds supply Of munitions. At the
beginning Of the wars second sum