Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-12-30

as yet nothing apparent in the Roose--
welt discussion to interfere.
STRATEGIC POSITION COUNTS.
IDes Moines Register.1
Strategic poshon. not numbers and
not expenditures, has dominated the
question of preparedness for war, as
revealed by the lessons of more than
a Year OF strife in Europe.
| To start with minor illustration,
consider the case of Serbia. That ma
ton was splendidly prepared Tor war.
1t had an efficient army. composed
largely of veterans tested in actual and
VICTORIOUS comoat But its chief
strength was its northern mountains.
For weeks, Austria centered her mill
tarS efforts upon the invasion u
Serbia, Her troops vastly outnum-
Yet one Austrian army after another
was caught in the mountains. and
rolled northwestward into the terrible
pocket made by the junction OF the
Drina an6 save :..::c--S<, ;@f ..s sass;
were overwhelmed, annihilated or
captured, Serbia was saved by her
strategic position.
But the next time Serbia was at
tackled she, was struck both from the
front and the rear. Her strategic
strength was gone. Bulgarian inter-
position completely turned the tables,
the great northern defenses were rem
dered untenable, and the Serb army
was swept out of the country.
Switzerland has been saved BY her
strategic position in the Alpine
mountains. Belgium ruined by her
los Low l,ss ~ nj Of
the war, Switzerland had an army. of
only 2S2, 900 men. Belgium had 3t0,-
0aa. Switzerland had no fortresses.
Belgium had the best in the world.
y successful German attack thru Bel
GUM meant the loss of Paris. but a
successful attack thru Switzerland
would have cut off the whole line of
frontier fortresses from yerdun to Bel
for,. 1t would have struck France to
the heart. Belgium was chosen be-
cause that country had no strategic
strength, and the German attack failed
to accomplish its purpose thru mis-
calculation of Belgian strength. De-
spite her poor strategic position. Bel
GUM held the insufficient armies of
Won Kluck and Won Buelow from Aug.
4 until the British expeditionary army
came into contact with the Germans at
Mons on Aug. %. Had the German
general stan made proper allowances
for Belgian resistance, Paris would
have been captured :
Now consider the general aspects
of the war. Germany has won
great advantage. and is still on the
offensive The superficial observer
%!m conclude that Inc central pow
ers were better, prepared than their
enemies. and that the German victories
were a matter OF men and money. They
were a matter OF strategic position.
When the war broke out. the en-
tente was spending almost three times
as much money annually for war pur-
poses as the central empires. Ger
mahy and Austria together had bud.
get o. $500, The combined
budgets OF Russia, France and Great
Britain amounted to s1,220,4 All .0a5. Exit
the money factor of preparation for
war.
Germany and Austria together had
an army OF 1000. 900 men. Russia,
France, Great Britain. Belgium and
Serbia combined had 12,343,12s. Exit
the question. OF men.
The entente experienced no short
age OF supplies until after Germany
had completed her gains Exit the
question OF munitions.
Nothing is left but strategic posi-
ton. and that tells the story OF the,
success Of the Austro-German armies
The whole German strength was hurled
upon France before Russia had half
million men mobiiized. France lost
5000 square miles. but stood the strain,
aided materially by the tactical error
Of Won kluck In marching his army
eastward before Paris, with its Hank
exposed to the great garrison army and
tins British forces.
The defeat of Russia was matter
Of strategic position. Germany and
Austria enfold Russian Poland in a
double embrace, which needed only
to be frightened to squeeze the Rus
SLAMS out Russia was not short of
arms or munitions. The Germans cap
tured 5000 cannon. millions OF rifles
and enough ammunition to equip the
men who carried them. Russia was
beaten because an advance of sixty
miles from Lyck, East Prussia, was
worth as much as an advance of 400
miles from Posen. in the center. She
was beaten. furthermore. because Ger
man troops were concentrated by the
use OF railways. and Russian troops
had TO march overland to meet them.
I Germany advanced into Russia until
the advantage of the railways and the
bend of the country was lost. and then
| she stopped. The strategic advantage
was gone.
| There are people in the United
States who imagine that this coun-
/ try occupies the same position with
respect to Germany that Belgium
does The fate of Belgium is cited
1 by some os our crazed eastern mill
tarists as a terrible warning for the
United Statesl They either can not,
Tor win not appreciate the fact that
no nation can attack the United
/ States except at distance OF 5000
miles from It's base off supplies and
men, supported by thin naval line
and subject to interruption at sea
and humiliation for any small army
| which might be thrown on our coast
] The European war has not proved
/ that the sea is no longer a barrier
4 to invasion. Il emphasizes our SUI
| preme aioofness from the danger OF
| oversee attack.
4 True Friendship.
/ Two boys. one the possessor OF q
4 naru n Wpre fiShipD ~, a norfa3p 80