The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1915-01-28

isians surged through the bOulevards
shouting "On to Berlin." and in Berlin
doubtless the cry was "On to Paris!'
Today, except from the pen of the
newspaper writer, hard pressed fol
mater, no such talk is heard; fol
the day has passed when possession
of an enemy's political capital was the
decisive factor of the war Probably
in spite of the rush Of Won Kluck's
army almost 70 the gates of Paris, the
objective of the German army in the
western theatre of war was, first and
last, the mobile field armies of the AL
lies. Once these were rolled up, cap
tured, or dispersed and disorganized
the remainder of the German task in
the subjugation of France would have
been comparatively easy.
Similarly, in the eastern theatre of
war it is the breaking up, decimating,
and surrounding and capturing of the
Russian field army that is the objec-
tive of Won Hindenburg and his staff.
Not only would the taking of Warsaw
fail to end the war, but it would have
only a temporary effect upon it's for
tunes. Nor would the capture of Mos
COW bring Russia to terms any more
today than in the days of the great Ma
pOleon.
The primary objective of the Allies,
both of the French-British armies in
France and Belgium and of the Rus
sian hosts in Poland, is of course to
achieve the humiliation of the German
armies; but the conditions of modern
warfare, with it admirable system Of
intelligence by aeroplane and spies
and the wonderful mobility conferred
by motor traction, has probably shut
out from the councils of the general
staff of the allied armies any expecta-
lions of the general capture or dis
persion of the wonderfully efficient
German army.
What, then, is the Allies objective?
If it is not Berlin, the political capital,
at what particular point or points are
Joffre, Kitchener, and Nicholas aim
ing with view to bringing about a
decisive conclusion?
To answer that question we must
bear in mind how greatly the condi-
tons have changed in Germany since
the war of 1870. At that time Ger
many was an agricultural country
which was witnessing the beginning
of that Industrial development which,
in the succeeding forty years, has been
the wonder and admiration of the
whole world In the interval the cen
tiers of resources and industry, particu-
larly as related to machine-made'
war, have been shifted, and they are
to be found at opposite ends of the
German Empire, namely, in the huge
aggregations Of mineral wealth and
countless manufactures which are
gathered in Essen and in the neighbour
ing cities, and also in the rich mining
district Of Silesia. Should Silesia be
overrun by Russia and should the al
lied French and British forces drive
their way through into Rhenish West
phalia and take possession the war
would be over. 1t would be over for
the reason that the great sources of
supply of the munitions of war and
the means of transportation would be
closed for the German army; and not
all the knowledged bravery and endur-
ance of the German soldiers would
avail if the great arsenals for the out
put of artillery and ammunition and
the vast coal fields for the supply of
fuel to the troop trains, to say moth
ing of the steel works from which
come the steel parts for renewals OF
the military automobile service, were
in the hands of the enemy.
So far, then, as the operations on
land are concerned, the objective
points of the Allies are Breslau and
Silesia for Russia and Westphalia for
the Franco-British armies. So varied
have been the fortunes Of war in Pc.
land that it is impossible to make any
prediction as to the course of events
out there. In France anu Belgium it
looks as though a turning point had
been reached, at which the German
offensive was about to be transform
ed into a powerful defensive. Tc
reach Essen the Allies must fight their
way across an average distance of 25C
miles of most strongly entrenched
and, as is certain to be the case most
bravely and bitterly defended country
Judging from the fighting qualities OF
the German troops and the exceed
ingly fine work of their war staff, it
is not likely that the Allies, even in
1he event Of successful offensive, can