Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1916-05-28
lHeS Apply Verdn's Lessons In Planning Big Movement

that none OF our generals would imi
tate. The whole course OF the wal
has shown that the German military
system is superior TO ours; II is only
I 10y reason Of greater numbers and re-
sources that ". have any hope of win
ming in the end. Since, therefore, tho
Germans could not break through
though they employed greatly super
ior numbers In the Verdun sector
what chance have we to succeed In
our turn2"
The men who believe that the west
.ern 'front.' is n permanent deadlock go
further and say that the tactics
evolved by this war make impossible
a successful offensive against a pre-
pared opponent who can man trench
lines along his whole frontier which
cannot be turned. The machine gun
and modern quick firing cannon and
the advantages conferred by aerial
reconnaissance have killed the at
tack, they say and the German vic
tories against Russia have been due
to the fact that warfare on the eastern
front has not been brought "up to
date" Russia. the defending power,
has not had enough machinery and
enough munitions to construct such
an iwprernablc barrier as France,
England and Germany between them
have built from Switzerland to the
North sea.
\ Soldiers Opinion.
have said that this opinion is pri-
narily civilian, but at least one great
soldier whose name if published in
his connection would create a scnsa-
ion. warmly upholds it in private
lie takes comfort in one
ihasc of the situation, rCmdrklng that
while Germany cannot be beaten IN
he field, the overwhelming advantage
low possessed by the defensive VIII
make another attack by Germany on
Ter ncighhOrs impossible, at least
until the tactics f Warcfare have been
altered.
Were il permissible | could con-
rast with the view Just cited the
opposite opinions of a |
eading British general whom | met /
ecently at his headquarters in France. /
'he opinions of the school this man /.
cprcscuts. the optimist school as OPP !
'osed to the pcssimist school. were |
ummcd up for me as follows:
"rhc course which the present war .
las taken, tying down millions of men .
o trench positions and forcing the !
ulk of the artillery of both sides to
ide in specially constructed shelters .
rom which il can bc removed with .
ifficulty and not at all in a hurry, !
as brought with 1t terrible dangers.
For "A long time those dangers .
threatened us and not the enemy,
hen they threatened both sides. but |
ow, after the failure of the Nerdun
tack, they threaten the enemy alone. /
We are safe, for the Germans no
lnger command the requisite num-
ers OF good infantry to carry out "A
lccessful attack on our lines.
ITO understand what is going to
appen to the Germans, II is necessary
, realize why our offensiVes last year
'ere relatively unsuccessful. At
Ieuve Chapellc the British and at
uChcz the French won some ground,
ut the attack was delivered on a
-ont SO narrow that the guns of tho !,
nemy were able, from both sides. to /
nfilado our troops who had poured
lrough the gaps and cause them very l.
eriOus losses. In addition to this, we
ndercstimatcd the power of resist
nee to artillery attack possessed by l.
gSouts and even sandhags, and the /
ermans were nearly always able to
old up our men with a few surviving
lachine guns before barbed wire
hich our shells had not destroyed.
Had Learned "a Lesson.
In the autumn, our capture OF
oos was made by troops advancing
4 front Of less than two miles. and
some extent the same difficulties
ere met there. But that fact doesn't
can that the high commands had
1t learned the lessons of the previous
ring. but that great part of the
signed infantry attack along a front
nearly ten miles was unable to get {
'ing, owing TO the peculiar strength
the German Notifications in this ;
strict OF Stag heaps which are al {
ost proof against artillery fire The {
rench attack in Champagne was l
ade along front Of twenty miles |
that If the infantry broke through {
g advancing troops could not be en-
aded hN field guns on either side
nat attack was successful up to c