The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1915-07-28
One Year Of the Great War
As Seen in England Germany and France United Press
Feature Series of Stories for This Week

developed an initiative that give
them a superiority over their enemies
and since then, no effort OF the
I French and British commanders has
been equal to the task OF overpower
ing the numerically weaker teutons-
Only once has Germany been SUI
perior in numbers to her western
| opponents, according to the claim OF
| the rush through Belgium and to
Paris The superiority at that time
was due to the slow mobilization OF
| the French and the breakdown Of the
English plans for hurrying a large
army to the continent. From the
days OF the battle of the Marne. the
Germans have had to fight with weak
er forces than their enemies. and yet
never have they been overwhelmed
The Germans taught the French
and English the secrets OF defensive
entrenching; tho Germans revealed
the superiority of siege guns over the
strongest fortresses: the Germans
first discovered the modern necessity
for high powered shells and machine
guns All these factors of warfare
were introduced by the Germans In
the west. The Germans have kept
ahead OF their antagonists as new
problem after problem has come to
the front, and the years balance is.
therefore. greatly in their favor.
Only once did the German mill
tary machine miscaIculate. That was
in the battle before the gates of
Paris. General von Kluck was not in
formed that field army had been
hidden away in Paris. prepared to
strike at his flank, and the German
general staff did not suppose the
French army had in General Foch a
great military leader, capable OF split
ting the teutonic centre east of Paris
and driving 1t back to the A1sne. Gen.
eral Won Moltke. who was a sick
man throughout the summer cam
paign, was replaced as chief Of the
general staff by General Won Falken-
hayn. and since then, Germany has
been well satisfied with the progress
of the events in the west
The retreat from Paris win go
down In German history as brilliant
feat OF arms because of the manner
in which It was checked at the Aisne.
So puzzled were the allies by the Ger
man maneuvers that Sir John French
actually reported in the early days of
ably was only rear guard action on
the part of the Germans. How the
saiser's painting troops. almost ex-
hausted after the Marine fighting,
were able to save themselves at the |
Aisne, will find a permanent place in |
the heroic tales which this war will |
give to history.
In the conflicts that followed the
Battle of the Aisne, the Germans COM
pletely outmaneuvered their antagon- |
lists. It is customary in England to |
say the Germans are defeated be-
cause they didn't get to Dunkirk and |
Calais. II those two towns had been |
captured, the English would now bei
victories for themselves, |
say the Germans, because Dieppe |
and Hayre were saved from the kais-
erss grasp. As a matter OF fact. |
while the capture of Dunkirk and |
Calais would have been welcomed by |
the Germans. the security Of those
seaports is not strategic defeat for
the Germans. By retaining Antwerp |
and Ostend, the pressure which Ger
many can bring to bear on England |
in the peace conference after the war |
will be sufficient for Germany's pur-
poses.
The French and English were able
to save Dunkirk and Calais, but their
offensive plans were sadly over
turned by the Germans. When Gen.
sral Joffre started northward after
the battle of the Aisne, it was his in
tention to outfIank the Germans. or
falling that to save western Belgium
and to prevent the fall of Antwerp. |
Sir John French's transfer of the |,
British expedftionary force from Soils.
SONS to Ypres was for the express
purpose of preventing the Germans
beyond Brussels. The Ger
mans won the campaign for although
they did not reach Dunkirk and Ca
ais. they captured Antwerp and Os-
Tend and held the British in com.
olete check. The story has yet to be
.old of how the British troops were
defeated at La Bassee, and how the
British government lied to its PEG.
pie and deliberately reported a de.
eat as victory.
Elsewhere in the west. the Ger