Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1915-07-28
One Year of Great War
GERMANY's GREAT SUCCESSES
BY Carl w. Ackerman


war in the west has crippled France and
shamed the English, From the outset
of the war, the Germans developed an
initiative that gave them superiority
over their enemies, and since then. no
effort of the French and British com.
manders, has been equal to the task
of overpowering the numerically weaker
Teutons.
Only once has Germany been superior
in numbers to her western opponents,
according to the claim of Tcuton au.
thorities. That was during 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 large army to the continent.
From the days OF the Battle Of the
Marne, 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
trenching; the Germans revealed the SUI
periority of siege guns over the strong.
est fortresses; the Germans first dis.
covered the modern necessity for high
powered shells and machine guns. An
these factors of warfare were intro.
duced by the Germans in the west. The
Germans 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.
eral Won Kluck was not informed tho
field army had been hidden away in
Paris, prepared to strike at his flank,
and the German gencrui staff did not
suppose the French army had in General
Foch a great military leader capable
of splitting the Teutonic center east of
Paris and driving il back to the Aisne
General Won Moltke, who was sick
man throughout the summer campaign
was later replaced as chief of the gen
eral staff by General Won FalkenhOyn
and since then, Germany has been well
satisfied with the progress Of events il
the west
The retreat from Paris viii 60 dOwr
in German history as brilliant feat OF
arms because Of the manner in which il
was checked at the Aisnc So puzzlct
were the allies by the German maneuv
ers that Sir John French actually re
ported in the early days Of the battl,
of the Aisne that II probably was only
rearguard action on the part o.
the Germans. How the kaiser Z
painting troops, almost eyhauste,
after the MOnc fighting, wer,
able to save themselves at tn,
the heric tables which this year viii
give TO history,
In the conflicts that followed th
batte of the Aisnc, the Germans com
pletely outmaneuvered their antagon
lists. IL is customary in England I
say the Germans are defeated bccnus
they didn Z get 10 Dunkirk and Calai'
If those two towns had been captured
the English would now be procluimin
victories for themselves, say the Gen
mais because Dieppe and HuNrc wcr
saved from the kuser's grasp. As
matter of fact, while the capture o
Duukirk and Calais would have bee
welcomed by the Germans, the securt
of those seaports is not q strategic d,
feat for the Germans. By rctainin
Antwerp and Ostend, the pressure whic
Germany can bring to bear on Euglnn
in ,he peace conference after the wa
viii be sufficient for Gcrmuny's pun
pose.
The French and English were able {
save Dunkirk and Calais, but their Of
fensivc plans were sadly overturned b
the Germans When General Joffr
started northWard after the Battle d
the Aisne, it was his intention to ouI
flank the Germans, or failing that {
save western Belgium and 10 preveu
the fail Of Antwerp. Sir John French
transfer Of the British expcditionnr
force from S0issous TO Ypres was 70
the express purpose Of preventing III
Germans advancing beyond Brussel
The Germans won the campaign 70
although they didn't reach Duukr
and Calais, they captured Antwerp an
Ostend and held the British in complet
check. The story has yet 20 be toll
Of how the British troops were defeatc
az La Bassec, and how the British gol
eminent lied TO is people aud delibei
ately reported O defeat as victory.
Elsewhere IN the west, the German
have more than held their own ngains
superior numbers They have dcliycrc
counter attacks for every offensive d,
veloped by the enemy, and in the mino
exchanges that have occurred since tb
siege Of trenches began, the German
have fully held their own. The moi
satisfactory Of OH these encounters I
the Germans was the recent battl
north and east Of Yprcs, nt which th
English were forced 20 give ground an
were pot on the defensive. This ei
gagement followed soon after the dat
fixed by Lord Kitchener for the lon
promised English offensive 20 begin
May 1T. The Germans believed mi
second battle OF Ypres has done nor
20 confuse the Lnglish and create di
content among them than any 9th,
event Of the war BY every law Of wal
fare the British ought greatly 20 hay
outnumbefed the Germans, and yet th
latter were ah.f 20 drive the euem
back almost % vill Ypres itself wa
saved 10 the English by little MOI
than an accident The British neWspi
pers were preparing the public for Il
evacuation when more pressing inte
csts demanded the attention Of the Gc
mans elsewhere.
The loss of the western border q
ar.-.. A.. I..r.I O.. -. 80. 49,.