The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1916-08-03
THE GERMAN ARMY.
BY Carl w. Alderman.


have been dictated by international
relations. Fighting was framed Il
help the diplomats.
The goal has been victory where pos.
sible and to keep the Allies from win.
ming over neutral powers or starting
| offensives. From this standpoint
the year has been as successful as the
| first year of the war when the mill
| tary strategy was to beat back the
enemy armies in France and Russia.
The first year was one of military
| events for military purposes; the
second year one of military move 90
ments for political purposes.
An army is not supposed to play
| politics but in a Great War there is
| always danger of other nations COM
ing in and the strategy of an army
| must be dictated by the then nation
al aims of the patton. For instance,
instead of invading Servia the armies
used there might have been used
against Russia Riga and even Mos
COW might have been taken. Had
this been done, the military move
would have been against Russia only,
| and the effect would not have been
great outside that country. But the
armies were sent into Servia. Bull
garia joined the Central Powers and
the united offensive kept Roumania
and Greece neutral That campaign
solved for many months the veXing
Balkan problem.
The situation there since has not
materially changed. The Allies have
occupied Salonika. For months they
have had thousands of soldiers there
to feed and pay For the Central
Powers this has been a valuable thing
because it has further divided the
attacking power of the Allies. The
presence of the Allies in Greece,
however, has been a permanent invi-
tation to Rouamnia to join hands with
Russia and cut the line of communi-
cation between Berlin and Constan-
tinople If Roumania did break her
neutrality it might not be difficult
thing for the Allies to bridge the
Balkans between Roumania and
Greece and perhaps force the fall OF
Constantinople via Adrianople
With this possibility continually
confronting the diplomats of Europe;
With Kukarest excited by the in
trigues of the ministers, Roumania
was at times on the brink of declar-
ing war. One of these moments was
last February. At about the same
time the German correspondents at
the west front reported that papers
had been found indicating that the
French were preparing great often
sive on the west front March 18th.
Therefore two birds could be downed
with one stone. If there was a Ger
man offensive on the west front the
French forces could be occupied and
an offensive from that side of the Al
lies could be postponed. At the
same time an impression could be
made in Roumania to show that the
German army was not at the end of
its resources.
Political necessity dictated the bat,
tie of Verdun. The initial success
of this attack encouraged many PEG
pie to expect the early fall of the for
tress but the French were strongly
prepared to resist and the policy of
IN offensive on a large scale was
to a "nibbling." This pro
cess has been continued for three
months, because in the meantime the |
German correspondents reported that !
the French had shifted the time for |
their offensive to May 18th. Since !
hey the German army has attacked |
Verdun continually and kept a large |
French reserve force on the ground, !
a unity of French forces !
It any other part of the front for an |
Allies offensive.
During the last year the Allies have !
asked: But what is Germany gain
ing by all her victories? The far
Their she invades our lands the more
she defeats herself. AS long as we |
control the seas, Germanys military |
victories can gain her nothing. We
are sure to win because we control |
the seas"
This contention of the Allies is
worth careful consideration. If Ger
many gains nothing by her victories
IN land, the war might as well stop,
one might argue. But viewed from
the standpoint that this second year |
Of the war has been year of poIiti-
cal strategy, Germany's gains on land
have had their diplomatic results.
Roumania and Greece at this writing
still are neutral. Italy has been ad-
blow in the Trentino at |
a time when France and England were |
at the height of their lack of interest
and confidence in Italy's campaign
and when Italy was about to stimulate
the public interest in the war
If Germany and her allies did not |
hold so much of the territory of the |
Allies would she be able to get as fay-
Orable terms of peace as she will? If !
the Central Powers had not attacked
and occupied Seryia, could they have |
made the bids for terms in the Bal
kans they can make now? If the |
German army did not occupy Warsaw |
could the German Chancellor state in
the Reichstag that Germany will not |
make peace until there are assurances |
that Poland will not again fall into |
the hands of the Russian govern |
ment? Every mile of land gained by |
the Central Powers from the Allies |
can be checked of against the Allies |
control of the seas and If Germany |
solves her economic problems, the !
loss of the sea routes will not be felt !
any more keenly than the loss Of Bel |
GUM TO the King OF that country or
the occupation OF Servia by the in
terests of Russia and the Ksrageorge-
yich dynasty.
Judging solely from appearances in
Berlin and at the front the close of
the first two years of the war does not
find Germany nor her allies exhaust