The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1915-07-28
GERMAN TROOPS
HOLD THEIR OWN
ON ALL FRONTS
BY CARL w. AckERMAN.
(Star Correspondent United Press..
TktRO STORY.


France and shamed the English
From the outset OF the war. the Ger
mans developed an initiative that
gave them a superiority over their
enemies. and since then no effort OF
the French and British commanders
has been equal to the task Of over
towering the numerically weaker
Teutons.
! Only once has Germany been su.
perior In numbers to her western
opponents. according to9the claim OF
Teutonic authorities. That was dur
ing 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 Marine.
the Germans have had TO fight With
weaker forces than their enemies.
and yet never have they been over
whelmed.
The Germans taught the French
and English the secrets of defensive
entrenching; the Germans revealed
the superiority of siege guns over
the strongest fortresses: the Ger
mans first discovered the modern
necessity for high-powered shells
and machine guns. All these fac
tors Of warfare were introduced by
the Germans In the west. The Ger
mans have kept ahead Of their an.
tagonists as new problem after new
problem has come to the front. and
the years balance Is, therefore.
greatly in their favor.
Only once did the German military
machine miscalculate. That was In
the battle before the gates Of Paris.
Gen. 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
stan did not suppose the French
army had In Gen. Foch a great mill
tary leader capable OF splitting the
Teutonic center east of Paris and
driving IL back to the Aisne. Gen.
Won Moltke. who was a sick man
throughout the summer campaign
was later replaced as chief of the
! general stan. By Gen. Won Falken
hayn. and SINCE then Germany has
been well satfSied with the progress
Of events in the west
The retreat from Paris will &c
down In German history as a bril-
liant feat of arms because of the
manner In which II was checked al
the Aisne. So puzzled were the Al
lies by the German maneuvers that
Sir John French actually reported In
the early days of the Battle OF the
Aisne that IL probably was only a
rearguard action on the part of the
Germans. How the kaiser's painting
troops. almost exhausted after the
Marne 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
completely outmaneuvered their an.
tagonists. II Is customary in Eng.
land to say the Germans are defeat.
ed because they didn't get to Dun.
kirk and Calais. II those Two towns
had been captured. the English
would now be proclaiming victories
for themselves. say the Germans, be
cause Dieppe and Havre were saved
from the kaiser's grasp. AS a mat
ter. of fact. while the capture OF
Dunkirk and Calais would have been
welcomed by the Germans, the Sc
curity Of those seaports Is not a
strategic defeat for the Germans. By
retaining Antwerp and Ostend, the
pressure which Germany can brins
TO bear on England in the peace con
ference after the war will be sum
cient for Germany's purposes.
The French and English were
able TO save Dunkirk and Calais, but
their offensive plans were sadl,
overturned by. the Germans. wher
Gen. Joffre started northward aftei
the Battle Of the Aisne. IL was hi,
intention TO outfiank the Germans
or falling that. to save western Bel
GUM and to prevent the fall of Ant
warp. Sir John French's transfer o.
the British expeditionary force from
Scissors to Ypres was for the ex
press purpose OF preventing the Ger
mans advancing beyond Brussels
The Germans won the campaign for
although they didn't reach Dunkiri
and Calais, they captured ANTWERP
aud Ostend and held the British IN
complete check. The story has ye
to be told OF how the British troop,
were defeated at La Bassee. and how
the British government lied to III
people and deliberately reported 4
defeat az a victory.
Elsewhere In the west, the Ger
mans have more than held their owl
against superior numbers. They
have delivered counterattacks fot
every offensive developed by the en-
emy. and In the minor exchange,
that have occurred since the siege o.
trenches began. the Germans hav,
fully held their own. The most sat
isfactory Of all these encounters Z,
the Germans was the recent battl,
north and east Of Ypres. at whici