The Washington herald., 1916-09-05

positions at Thiepval partly surrounded.
and are winning a few yards day by DAY
northwest of Pozieres, SO that the cap
ture of Thiepval works by this nanking
movement within a few weeks ia. / am
told. assured. The Germans are only
holding out there to infiict the greatest
possible loss before yielding. The super
Tor weight of fire on the allied side Ia
such that the capture of the whole posi-
ton along the ridge running above
Pozieres. through the High Wood, TO
Combles, seems assured before the end
Of the summer. But the reader must
realize that these details Of ground are
comparatively unimportant Whether
Combles or Peronne are taken or are not
taken depends on how much the allies
are willing to pay for them, how much
the Germans ask.
THE laymsn who would understand
the battle of the somme," distinguish
ed officer told me, must divest himself
OF the notion that we are trying 20 break
the German line and win a decisive VIC
tory. Of course, we'd like to do that II
we could, bat this year II is impossible.
and since we knew that when we got
ready for this offensive, we were trying
to do something else"
Tt seems impossible" I said, ito get
people to think OF battles otherwise than
In terms Of ground gained and men and
guns captured"
Yes" he said, that explains these
claims the Germans are putting out that
they have got us stopped OF course
they have. We have bitten out a few
chunks, but we are stopped and have
main stopped-I won't finish that sen
tence My point is that the German
staff knows as well as we do what we
are trying TO do, and that we are doing
It, and that when they tell neutrals that
we are stopped, that we are unable to
take Bapaume, that our plan to break
through and turn to the north and roll
the German armies into the sea has
failed, they are talking nonsense, and
know they are talking nonsense. The
unfortunate thing is that the nonsense
does make an impression on people who
understand nothing of strategy or tao
tics"
Won't you tell me for the information
of the American public" I asked, lust
how we should regard the battle OF the
Somme in order TO understand what is
going on?"
1T is very simple" he answered 80
simple that people overlook the truth in
seeking complicated solutions OF the
problem When the Germans attacked
Verdun, they massed thirty-four divisions.
including most OF their best troops
against our front They figured that
political pressure. the outcry for help
from the French. would compel US 10
attack, at the beginning OF March these
$1,000 crack fighters. with the result that
our armies would be beaten and not worth
much for the rest of the year. We were
not ready then. and they knew It. So
we did not attack, but we set ourselves
at once to prepare this attack on the
Somme, in conjunction with the French
Our plan. which succeeded perfectly.
was to induce Che Germans 10 commit
themselves as thoroughly as possible at
Nerdun- 1t was a cruel plan. cruelty
hard on the French army and the French
people, so cruel that the Germans did
not think the French would stand IT, II
involved holding Verdun TO the last pos
sible moment while we prepared our
great blOw-We were willing TO give ID
the Mouse line II necessary rather than
strike prematurely-but the immoral ef-
feet Of the loss OF the fortress would
have been very great, and the tactical
situation over there would have been
altered very much to our disadvantage
II the crown prince had succeeded So
after Fleury was lost in June, and the
end seemed in sight July was set for
our great attack. to make sure that Yer
dun should be saved.
"Of cows Verdun was not the only
Issue at state. Our offensive here also took
into consideration the Russian attack
which succeeded so brilliantly, ana (which
had been planned at Paris later in the
winter. The great results achieved BY
BrusilofT took US all allies and enemies
alike. somewhat by surprise and we
knew early in June when the danger
at Verdun began to grow that Germany
was fastening things there in order to
rush men and guns to the east and deal
terrible Counterblow that should break
the Russian lines as soon as possible
after Verdun had fallen II was our Job
TO prevent that The date We chose. July
l. gave the Germans time to transfer
some men and guns to the east which
they had TO bring back against US. and
to that extent embarrassed them more
than If they had brought them from
Verdun straight here.
There is one most important point l
must make. I have said that this battle
is not an attempt TO break the German
line. That is true, but only because we
know that the Germans will not allow
US to break # as long as they can help
It, and we know from many sources
that they can help it this year Now this
move Of ours was like a check in chess.
which compels the defending player to
do something to protect his kind We
attacked, threatening If We were not pre-
vented, TO break through the German
lines and win the war in one blow We
thereby compelled the Germans to move
up enough men and guns to make it Ger