The Mankato free press., 1916-12-29
SUPPLY OF MILITARY
GENIUS IS SURPRISING
FRANCE APPEARS TO HAVE
NO END OF ARTICLE
Review of That Country's Part in the
Great European War During the
Past Twelve Months; Her Financial
Resources and Strong Determination
To Remain At the Front
From Wednesdays Daily.
HENRY WOOD.

HENRY WOOD.
Paris, December 27-[By MALL
During the closing three months Of
1916 three events took place in
France which demonstrated as never
at any previous period of the war the
apparently ineXhaustible resources
of Frances military genius anG
strength, the equally ineXhaustible
resources of her financial and econo-
mic energy, and the absolutely un-
shaken determination both of hel
army and her civil population to con-
| tinue the war to successful close.
Two epic events were the launch
| ing on October "a of the French Of
fensive at Verdun, in which practic-
ally all the ground and positions won
by the crown princes armies in six
months of sanguinary fighting were
reconquered within six hours with g
minimum of losses for the French
and secondly, the subscribing by the
French nation as whole in three
weeks, from October 5 to October 20
of an unprecedented war loan OF
nearly 2,30O,G00,OOO dollars
of Frances cabinet along the lines OF
compactness and efficiency which
David Lloyd George introduced in
England. Premier BRAND remained
at the head of the ministry, and
Joffre, idol of France, and former
generalissimo of her forces, while
still retaining supreme command OF
French forces, became counsellor of
the war council. General Nivelle,
defender of Verdun and one of the
popular heroes of the army, was
made commander of French forces in
the north and northeast.
While the French victory at Yer
dun, taken by itself, stands out as an
unparalleled achievement in the mill
tary history of the world, yet it's real
significance in the present war, is
only apparent when it is viewed in
connection with all that had preced-
ed it.
Was to Deliver Death Blow.
When the Germans launched their
great offensive at Verdun on February
|21, no secret was made of at least
two of the objects which the Ger
mans had in view One of these was
to prevent the allies from starting
the other was to deliver an absolute
death blow to France.
While the Germans failed to reach
Verdun, and while their great effort
failed to prevent the launching of the
allied offensive, yet they openly
boasted that at least one of their OBJ
jectives had been attained-namely
that they had caused France-to bleed
utter exhaustion before Verdun and
that henceforward she would be in
capable of further military effort.
Despite this boast and despite the
losses which France undeniably sus-
on July 1st, in connection with the
English the offensive on the Somme
which has never been checked for q
single instant, and in which, in ad-
dition to all of the villages and
ground regained, all the losses in
dead and wounded inflicted on the
enemy, the French themselves, in
dependent of what the English have
done, have captured over $4,000 pris-
oners, over 800 cannon and over 60(
machine guns,
! 1t was while still conducting this
vigorous offensive on the Somme
which the Germans boasted France
would never be able to launch as {
result of her losses at Verdun, tina
France on October "a, launched ever
a second offensive this time choosing
the Germans own ground at Verdur
where all of Germany's great infantr!
and artillery strength had been con
centrated for eight months.
| Franco Nctcd h.cnc.
This offensive France launched al
alone, without the slightest help from
any of her allies and carried it Il
such successful conclusion that th'
Germans withdrew from the Fort o
Vaux without even fighting.
| While this great operation at Yer
dun revealed to the entire world tn,
present military strength of Franc,
after two years of unprecedentet
warfare, it revealed also to the NOR,
expert eyes of the military critics o
Europe, something equally important
and that is the present military gent
us of France. Almost without excep
ton competent military critics AM
authorities in Europe are unanimou
in declaring the French offensive a
Verdun one of the most remarkable
military operations in the worlds his
tory.
The offensive as planned, include,
the taking of over half a dozen posi-
tions, such as Haudromont Quarries
iThiaumont and Douamount, every on
of which the Germans had beel
weeks and months capturing, an
every one of which would ordinaril
be considered an objective in itsel
for a great offensive movement. TIL
Including of all these objectives in
single movement and the attainmen
Iof them in six hours of fighting, j
conceded by European military cri
tics to have only been possible by tn
attainment of a degree of co-ordina
tion between infantry, artillery an
aerial service never before attaine
and by the development of degre
of genius on the part of the Frenc
commanders which shows Franc
! conclusively at the highest point @
the military power she has develope
, in the present war.
! Morale of the Men.