Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1916-03-04
THE vEnDuN DRIVE.

The Germans are pounding furi-
ously at Verdun. and it is quite pos
siblo that they may succeed in taxi
ing It, though according to the cx-
perts Of the allies victory there would
not be worth the price paid for II.
Evidently the Germans view the sit
uatlon differently. The crown prince
has not been a successful commander
in the past, and IL is Just possible
that much has been staked in the
hope of gaining prestige for the house
OF lIohenzollern. The capture OF
Verdun would relnstate Frederick
William In the good graees of the
German people. would make hero
of the eon who Is to succeed the kaiser
on the throne. While Won Moltke
commanded, the crown prince Of that
time bore a conspicuous part in the
prusslan war; and it was his
cloek-work precision in carrying out
the scheme Of the chief of staff that
enabled the Germans to bag the
French army and emperor AT Sedan
hut the wonder Is that, with such
vast forces concentrated by the Ger
mans at Verdun, tho British are so
inactive In Flanders and the Russians
SO quiet on tho eastern front whore
the Teuton lines must be considerably
thinned. Since the beginning of the
war. for some unexplained reason.
there has been lack Of teamwork
among the allies, Also there has been
lack Of good generolship.
/ Suwnrrow. the Russian, was n mas
tor of tactics in his eighties, MeltHe,
the German. In his seventies, and Tur-
enne, the Frenehman, In his sixties.
! But commonly the great captain Is
at his best in his fortics. All Of the
commanders Of this war are old mon,
which may account for so much bru-
tai fighting so much ruthless sacri-
flee Of human life that gets nowhere.
+ II will be remembered that our own
Sheridan had learned the lessons OF
war IN his thlrties as had lionaparte
in his twonties and Condo in his teens,
II Is true that today the profess
sion of war is more matter OF study
and the practice Of years than OF the
inmitive erasping OF genius because
lit has been perfected through gencr-
ations OF able opponents and by the
leNperinco OF many great wars, he
cause also the Instruments OF war
have become highly technical. and the
equipment ana supply Of vast citizen
armies the business OF lifelong cx-
ports.
The British have hgun 20 learn
these facts. The retirement of Gem
, eral sir John French in his sixty-fifth
wear aud the substitution of Sir
Douglas Haig, in his forty-fourth, As
IN the line Of past experience. Haig
Is young man, as we're Grant and
sherman, as was tho Prussian Red
/. Prince as was Arthur wellcsiy when
ho landed in Portugal.
The Russian. Skobeleff, scarcely
thirty-threc. invented the new tactics
Of assault that took plevna. lie
evolved those new tactics from study
! OF the American civil war. especially
of stonewall Jackson. The European
war has been directed, so far, BY
highly trained masters OF the military
profession. rather than by captains
Of genius. No German general Is a
Prince Frederick Charles. no Russian,
Skobeleff. no Frenchman. a Mar
shall Devoust; no Englishman. Wei.
ineton
After the failure Of the furious
! drive Of von Kluok. the Germans have
rcsorted TO the tactics Of trying 10
( blast their way through enemy fronts
? by means OF artillery fire followed