The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-08-28
RY CARL w. ACKERMAN.

Strausberg, Germany, Aug. 2S.-In
eight weeks of tremendous effort with
lavish expenditure of human flesh and
blood and ammunition. the allies not
only have failed to break the German
line on the Somme. but have not even
badly bent it, Gen. Alexander Won
Kluck, who commanded the German
right in the great advance to the gates
of Paris. said today.
I'm eight weeks of fighting they
have gained a few kiIometers at ter
rfbIe losses said the German war
hero. The English have accomplish
ed practically nothing. They have
only exposed themselves to our coun-
ter attacks. which will certainly
come"
We were seated in the smoking room
Of Wilkendorf castle, near Strausberg.
Before us was a map of the Somme
battle line. General Won Kluck first
explained the positions held by his
army when he was in command on
this front. before he was wounded.
The territory the allies are now try
ing to break thru is the same ground
across which Won Kluck hurried with
his army during the first advance into
France in the fall of 1914. After
twenty-five months of fighting, the
battle line at this point shows little
change except that the Germans have
been pushed back a few kilometers.
D1SncdrICnS Troops.
"The English losses on the Somme
have been terrible" continued Won
kluck They have been much great
er than ours. The English had to put
new men into each attack. Their
losses must exceed ours by at least
100000"
is that many for the large army
England is reported to have?" he was
asked.
''The decisive thing is always to
have plenty of men," he replied. But
when there is a great offensive like
this Anglo-Frenc movement and lit
tie progress is made; when the losses
are great and no progress is evident,
the spirit of the troops weakens and
that weakens the offensive"
1T is reported abroad that Ger
many is facing a great military crisis
several fronts and it is even rumored
that it will not be long before she
viii collapse" he was told.
You can see for yourself that there
is no crisis" the general :aughingly
replied. Eight weeks have passed
since the Anglo-French offensive be-
san. The preparations for it mus
be called immense. England brought
armies that might never have been
expected of that country, thanks to
Kitchener's labor-and it was Kitch-
ener's labors. France. despite her
serious losses at Verdun, had put the
last reserves of her thirty fighting
years (meaning thirty classes) togeth-
err The industries of France, Eng
land. the United States and Japan
worked feverishly to supply the al
lied armies with tremendous amounts
Of war material for a general often
give on all fronts
The moment of attack seemed well
chosen, because Germany, during the
weeks before, was supposed to be sui.
fering under shortages caused by the
blockade. Before the possibilities Of
a splendid harvest became known tc
the Allies, they became convinced thai
only a great military success wa:
needed to bring the wavering spirit OF
Germany-wavering as they supposed
Ito her knees.
The battle of the Somme has nov
ragged for several weeks. Despite {
tremendous use of ammunition anC
repeated stores of human material
the result of the general offensive i.
now unimportant when compared tt
the great waste of physical and mora
force. The German front on tn,
Somme stands mistaken despite tn,
hardest forward and backward fight
ing. where the opposing armies ar,
locked in struggle like two stays
"A change has taken place in tn,
former victorious tone of the French
press of a few weeks ago. The French
newspapers now exhort their reader
TO be patient and not expect too much
"On the front of the German arm,
and turnout the country contidenc,
and belief in victory grows. A pres
dispatch from Verdun spoke OF tn,
moral power of the German troops