Semi-weekly herald., 1915-08-02
PREDICTS VICTORY FOR ALLIES

PREDICTS VICTORY FOR ALLIES.
In face of the Germans continued
success against the Russians-clearing
the Austrian crown lands Of Calicia
and bringing practically all OF Rus
sian Poland under the domination
while at the same time holding the
French, Belgiars and English in check
in Flanders, the unprejudiced observ-
er is inclined to believe that DR.. Guild
the Des Moines surgeon recently re-
turned from services in the field with
the French army Is right, when he
says; "In spite Of prejudice and senti-
ment am seriously questioning the
ability Of the allies to gain a victory
certainly not a decisive one" 1t is
all the more surprising, in the face
of such testimony, to find the well
known war correspondent E. Alexan-
der Powell giving it as his opinion that
the allies will win, that they are, in
fact, upon The upward grade toward
ultimate victory already.
In an enlightening article in the
New York World, Mr.. Powell states
that in the past three months he has
visited every section of that great
line of battle which stretches its
unlovely lcngth acrossEurope, from
the channel to the Alps; like some
monstrous and deadly snake" As
result of personal observations he de-
clares that the war is certain to last
through another winter at least. He
adds this interesting information:
Everyone expects it just as they eX-
pect another winter The allies have
ordered enormous quantities Of vim
ter clothing and in the Argonne and
the Vospes the French soldiers are
already hard at work building warm,
dry winter habitations." This is in
teresting in view of the fact that the
kaiser has been been quoted as say
ing the war viii end in Germany's
favor in October.
Mr.. Powelrs article in the World
is in the form of questions and ans
wers, none more interesting than his
reply to the salf-made query "Why
have the French not taken the often
sive?" He replies:
"Becaue the Germans are 50 strong
ly iutrenched that the cost in lives
of breaking through their lines would
stagger the nation. If necessity re
quired it, such a sacrifice would be
made, but it is felt that it would be
unjustified when shells and patience
will eventually accomplish the same
result. "The duration of the war;"
the general commanding the French
armies in Alsace said to me, ZEN
tirely depends upon how fast we can
kill off the Germans. Their army
has reached and passed its maximum
strength, so that every soldier that
We kill makes it that much weaker.
Our plan, therefore, is to kill as
many as possible Of the enemy, while
at the same time conserving our own
men,"
He adds that while the British are
holding only one-teuth as much Of the
section Of battle lines as the French
theirs, is the most difficult position,
because it lies squarely athwart the
road to the channel ports and it is
to the channel ports that the Germans
are going if men and shells can get
them there.
After all, of course, both DR.. Guild
and Mr. Powell are giving only their
personal impressions. Mr.. Powell's
backed up with probably wider infor-
nation. The past fortnight has found
the Germans wonderfully successful,
although at what cost in human lives
has not yet been disclosed. The kai-
ser may be as ovcr-coufident in say
ing that the war will end in Octo-
Der as Kitchener was last winter when
he replied that he did not know when
the war would end, but he did know
that it would begin in May. May is
now long since passed and the allies
have not startled the world with any
great victories, though the Germans
have.
PRISONERS ENJOY
GREAT FREEDOM !