Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1915-01-08
EXPERTS BELIEVE WAR Will BE
WAGED TO POINT OF EXHAUSTION

Of the war will chiefly depcni on
the success, Of the Russians. hut al
lowing Tor progress on their side SIM
ia" 10 that OF the Allies. another
three months should see The Germans
out OF France and Belgium. A. the
sume time there ere many other :ac-
tors 70 be considered, but chiefly the
economical factor. Gen. CheTfIls said
1T was diSC0Hcerting 10 us at first
L find we were not 20 fight in the old
style. but were confronted with a new
style Of making war, and that d bat
tie instead Of being over in a da} or
two was TO take weeks, perhaps
months. But once the Germ1ns are
driven over their own frontiers there
may be reversion to the old style OF
warfare, that is. the meeting OF .ODp0s-
ing forces on regular fields Of bat
tie Tie character of the war will
then change from a war of pick and
shovel to the old style of operations
in the open field. Had the fighting
been of this kind, as was first eXpee.-
ed. the war would be practically over
By the end of this month. but as it is.
We must expect that at least three
months will pass before the enemys
mechanical power is broken Then
the character of the troops and Of
every individual among them will de
eide the further results.
1T is probable that until the Rhine
is reached the war will become more
and more one Of trenches and artii-
lery, particularly more so as the Ger
mans are put more on the defensive,
and especially because, as the winter
comes on, they will spare all the men
they can to meet the advancing Rus
slams"
Sees End of Empire.
Lieut. col Roussett, the military eX-
pert of the LiDerte. said:
Il cannot prOgnosticate as to the
wars duration, for it depends on the
Germans, on the Russian progress and
in the last resort On the economic and
financial situation This war might
last three, six or IL months. 1t is
impossible to say which.
AS to the future character of the
war that also depends largely on the
Germans. The present character of
our military operations is that known
as an active defensiye'-a defense
that takes the offensive whenever
there appears to be a chance of it
succeeding Whether the Germans will
continue their entrenchment system of
fighting, cannot say, but they will
be driven back on another line of de-
tense probably along the Meuse which
they have already. prepared for by
anticipation in tneir line of defense
along the Aisne. ...
.'Once driven from France and Bel
GUM, Judge they are likely to rec
ognize the struggle as a hopeless one
and that they will see they have lost
the stake of Alsace-Lorraine They
will realize that nothing is to be gain
ed by continuing the fight, and they
will then seek TO make the best terms
they can, that is, to revert as near to
the status quo ante bellum as they
can. ........ ...' IT,.
But If we enter Germany and pene-
trate Baden and Wurtemburg shall
not be surprised to see process OF
disintegration of the German empire
set in. | do not think the Germans
will rely greatly on Metz and Strass-
burg as strong points of defense, for
they know we have only to mask
them, that is, to surround them par
tally with strong garrisons, and then
pass on with tie bulk of their armies
That at least is the lesson OF Liese.
Maubeuge and Antwerp AS to the
ail m of q ~ n
be no doubt, as Germany has against