Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-07-28
Bv cARL w. ACKERMAN

By CAtNG W. ADhtlhhlAN
BERLIN, July 2S.--GmmEny's yoar o
war in the West has crtupled France ant
shamed the English. From the outset o
the war the Germans developed an initia
tive that RRvo them superiority opc
their onemi8s, ana since than, no effort .
tho French and British commanders hhi
been equal 10 thu task OF ppsulpowerfns tba
numerically wnRlrrr TButunr-
only once has Gnr1unry been superior ~
numbers to her western uppunents, ac-
oording to tho claim of Teutnnin authori-
ties. That Was during thu rush through
Belgium and TO Paris. The superiority al
that time was due to thu slow mobilization
OF the French and ths breakdown Of the
English plans for hurIytng n large army
to tho Continent. From tho days of tha
Battle of the Marine the Germans have
hmd to fight with waa1Jnr forces than their
enemies, and yet never hEnEe they been
overwhelmed.
The GermEns tnHgsht tho French and
English the secrets of defensive entrench-
ing; the Germans rereaAea tho superiority
Of siege guns over thu strongest fort
rosHes; tho Germans f1rsr discovered tho
modern necessity fnr hlgn-p@weTed shells
and machine GunS An tl5eEe factors OF
warfare were tntrodnood by tho Germans
in the West The Germans have kept
ahead of their antagonists as new problem
after new, probten has come to the front,
and the years balance Ss. therefore. great
" In their favor
ONLY ONE MISTAKE
Only once did tho German military ma
chine miscalculate- That was In the bat
tle before the gates of Paris General
Won Kluck was not informed that a field
army had been hidden away In Paris,
prepared to strike at his flank. and the
German General STAT did not suppose
the French army had In General Foch
great military leader capable OF splitting
the Teutonic centre east OF Paris and
driving II back to the Alsnc- General
Won Moltke, who WIS sick man through
out the summer campaign, was later re-
placed as chief of the General Stanf by
General Won Falkenhayn. and since then,
Germany has been well satisfied with the
progress Of events in the west.
The retreat from Paris win go down in
German history as a brilliant feat of arms
because of the manner in which 1t was
checked at the Aisne- So puzzled were
the Allies by tho German maneuvers that
Sir John French actually reported in the
early days OF the battle Of the Aisne that
1t probably was only a rear guard action
on the part OF the Germans. How the
Kaiser's painting troops. almost exhausted
after the Marine fighting, were able to
save themselves at the Aisne will find
permanent place in the heroic tales which
this war win give to history.
In the conflicts that followed the battle
OF the Aisne the Germans completely out
fnanouvered their antagonists. II is GUS
tomaTy in England to say the Germans
are defeated because they didn't get to
DunlSirk and Calais II those two towns
had been captured, the English would now
be Toclaiming victories for themselves.
say the Germans, because Dieppe and
Havre were saved from the Kaiser's
grasp. As a matter OF fact, while the
capture of DunlirlS and Calais would have
been welcomed by the Germans, the Sc
curity Of those seaports is not stragetic
defeat for the Germans BY retaining
Antwerp and ostend, the pressure which
Germany can bring to bear on England
in the peace conference after the war will
be sufficient for Germany's purposes.
The French and English were able to
save Dunkirk and Calais, but their Of
fenslve plans were sadly overturned by
the Germans. When General Joffre
started northward after the battle of the
Aisne 1t was his intention to outhank
the Germans. or, failing that. to save
western Belgium and to prevent the fall |
of Antwerp, Sir John French's transfer
OF the British expeditlonary force from |
Boissons 10 Ypres was for the express |
purpose of preventing the Germans ad- |
vancing beyond Brussels. The Germans |
won the campaign, for although they |
didn't reach Dunkirk and Calais, they |
captured Antwerp and ostend and held |
the British in complete check. The story |
has yet to be told OF how the British /
troops were defeated at La Bassee and |
hSw the British Government lied to it's
people and deliberately reported de-
feat as a victory.
HELD THEIR OWN.
Elsewhere in the west the Germans
have more than held their own against
superior numbers. They have delivered |
for every offensive de-
geloped by the enemy, and in the minor
exchanges that have occurred since the
siege OF trenches began the Germans have
.ully held their own. The most satisfac-
.ory OF all these encounters to the Ger
mans was the recent battle north and
sast OF Ypres. at which the English were
'orced 10 give ground and were put on
he defensive. !
This engagement followed soon after the
late fxed by Lord Kitchener for the long
'romised English offensive to begin-May
The Germans believe this second bat-
ie OF fpres has done more 10 confuse the
english and create discomfort among them
han any other event OF the war. BY every
aw or warfare the British ought greatly
= EANN bNNAhAiAA1Aea the GGfHtan8, ana
'et the latter We're able 70 drive the
nemy back almost at win. Ypres itself
vas saved TO the English by little more
han an accident The British newspapers
we're preparing the public for its evaeua-
lon when more pressing interests de-
handed the attention OF the Germans else
Fhere.
The loss OF the western border OF Al
ace 10 the French Is the only continental
efeat the Germans must acknowledge at
he close Of the first year OF the war. The
antimental importance 70 the French OF
ei2inB a part Of Alsatian territory far
utweighs the military value 70 Germany
{ driving the French across the Vosgea
g present the French hold little more
ban the foothills OF the Vosges. This
hey haYe been able 10 do because the
.isaEan slopes OF the NoEges are so pre-
'pitops that troops coming down hill have
n Immense advantage over those trying (
? 60 uphill But II the war goes far into
2 second year. and II the eastern situa-
on permits. the French win have 10
ifnh back again.