New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-04-08

ourselves IL is certain, and IL eoulu
not be otherwise, that at the outset
our troops and the country ltseIl sun
remained under the impression or the
defeats OF 1870. The victory OF me
Marine. confirmed by the victory OIL
Flanders; the impossible barrier sc,
up against the most formidable eHorI
which has ever been attempted III inc
military history of the world nave
created a feeling OF security Whlch
grows stronger every day.
Every one is aware that IN oruer
to gain the day against the coalitioh
which incloses her Germany needed
rapid success. This rapid success
lacking, her defeat Is certain. IL lor
the last three months the French com,
mand has not engaged IN genera
offensive, 1t has had three decisive rea-
sons for this. The first is that, having
time on its side, IL intends 10 make lts
efforts only after 1t has assembled an
the means upon which 1t can rely,
within a more or less near interval OF
time. with absolute certainty. Inc
second il that the example of the Ger
mans at Ypres has shown US what may
be the price OF an offensive, vigorous
indeed. but insuihcientiy prepared
has been almost incessantly bad.
1--WE have seen that the French army
is strengthening itself every day IN
heavy artillery, in explosive weapons
for the trenches and IN prOJectlles. IL
is known that the British army III
France, which at first consisted OF -FOUR
divisions, Is to-day composed OF ten
British divisions. two Indian DIVISIONS
and two cavalry corps, WIN wv guns
of which 100 pieces are OF heavy artl-
lery. II is known also that the number
of troops now with the colors and be-
ing trained in England is very large.
ut is known that the Belgian army,
which is reconstituting itself, Will
shortly have six divisions OF infantry
and two divisions Of cavalry. IL Is
known that the Serbian army suPphed
afresh with material and munitions Is
once again prepared to show IT'S spleh
did qualities. II is known, nnaily' 'hal
Russia continues TO draw upon the I'M
mense reservoir of her recruits, having
nm TO the present utilized only the
twentieth part. These are the reasons
why the French command has not hur-
ried and awaits the hour which IT. con-
siders favorable. These reasons, based
on precise motives, which are easy 10
test, are entirely irrefutable.
French Superiorities.
IF. then. we turn to the future we
note that:
The wastage Of the German army is
in all respects greater than that OF the
French army. The principal cause OIL
this is the superiority of our artillery
and the lighting methods OF the Ger
man infantry. which attacks IN closer
formation than does ours. 1t IS no"
certain that the losses of our adyer-
sares are double ours.
"The possibilities of the German
army from the point OF view OF enec,
tives will go on decreasing more ana
more. The German population capaDIe
of bearing arms is IN comparison WIN
the French population IN the proper
ton of three to two. At the present
time, Landsturm included, GERMANY 70
EMPLOYING on the French front mum
Der Of men representing two-thirdS OF
her resources, against one-thlrd on the
Russian front. On account Of the Aus
trian defeats Germany will be obliged TO
strengthen her forces against RUSSIA
more and more. The number OF troops
opposed TO France will therefore con
tinually decrease. Our position VIII De
improved By this circumstance, as also
bv the number of German losses, when
Will always remain larger than ours
and. finally, By the large reinforce
ments which the British between no"
and July will send 20 the Continent
"The capacities Of the German army
in the matter of regimental organ "a
ton. already inferior TO ours are Pc
coming so still more. Granted thac
our adversaries at the beginning OF
the war had more cadres than our
selves. the textbooks show that their
superiority in this respect was con
sidernbly less ;han their superiority
in men. 1t was not as much as lhIec
TO ten. Now il is an established TACT
that the German losses IN ohcers are
greater than ours. We shall Therefore
certainly have the advantage from th's
point of view, if indeed we have 1t not
already.
Offensive Faith of French Army.
"Out of all these elements has been
born the offensive faith OF the Ffench
army and its leaders. We have before
us two systems. The one, the German
system, demanded a rapid success al
the opening Of the campaign. sue
cess against France before the kuS-
slams could come upon the field, before
the British reserves could intervene,
before the economic trouble couId
make itself felt Hence the creation
in all haste of new corps, whether or
/ not they could be kept up for long
/ time. BY predetcrminaton the victory
was TO be immediate. Now this neces-
sary victory the Germans did not have
The other system, the French sys-
/ TEN. consists, with the advantage OF
/ the freedom Of the seas, in MAINTAIN
/ ing in good and complete form NUM-
Der of sufficient formations and IN
! creating new ones only IN the measure
in which they can with certainty be
kept UP and suitably and durab!y
equipped with regimental orEaniza-
ton.
This system is established with a
view to a prolonged war. OF these two
systems, which after six months or
trial shall triumph? To put the ques-
ton il to answer 1t. The Germans can
no longer oppose US with forces su-
perior TO ours. They will therefore
not be able to do in the future what
they could not do IN the past, when
they were oue-third more numerous
than ourselves. Consequently, our
final victory must follow by the i'm
perious necessity of the concordant
force of facts and figures. Our effort,
too, is from now onward directed
toward that offensive which we shall
take at our own good time, and the
issue of which cannot be in doubt.
French Prepared for Advance.
"Our reinforcements are being
trained In the instruction camps with
- 40 IN sFrg