Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-02-24
GERMANY's NEW ATTACK

Since February Germany has executed
an overpowsring series Of attacks on the
that Germany's resources are at high water
Indicate that Germany is being forced TO a
decision She has been wonderfully success
full, but with every success weakness has
been exposed.
ON THE western front the Allies lost
" the offensive February s. Since that time
Germany has been striking with deadly pre-
cision, never twice in the same place. always
! where her enemy's resistance was at low ebb,
! until now tremendous battle is being waged
| in which the whole line, from the User to
! Alsace is engaged. There are reasons for be-
! lieving that this series Of attacks is of more
| significance than the spasmodic efforts made
by both armies since last September. The
ture of the attack and the underlying forces
which caused It to be made at this time both
must be considered.
From the sudden and successful concentra-
ton of forces at points which served from
different sources of supply It must be assumed
that Germany has acquired extraordinary
mobile strength in both men and munitions.
To understand the record of attacks in the
past fortnight it Is necessary to remember only
that the western line begins at the North Sea,
south of Ostend Belgium, and continues in a
low inward curve through France, bending
outward again along the River Aisne to it's
most easterly point in Alsace. The entire
length of line, following the contours of the
entrenchments, is over 500 miles. Yet along
this front the Germans have attacked as
follows:
February o. Capture of first line French
\ position at Nimy Artois south Of the Flan-
ders position)
February 10. Further gains in the same
region.
February If. Attacks in the Somme dis.
trct South of previous points.
February 13. Fierce attacks in Flanders
(the furthest sector north) accompanied by
violent thrusts in Artos, south of the
Somme on the Aisne, in Champagne and In
the Yosges. CThe entire front is now
gaged)
February IA. Terrific struggle about Hill
140, Artois Paris admits loss of ground in
Alsace and gains at the Butte Tahure (scene
of the fighting in September, when the Allies
almost carried this important positon(
February 15 Germans carry 500 yards
of trenches Ypres belgium again the
scene, the British now being defeated)
February II. CThis is the date of the fall
of Erzerum and with it the defeat of many
Teutonic plans in the East and South)
February 81. Further offensive against
the British along the Yser.
February 90 Development in battle
around Verdun. German successes First
and second lines of defense pierced. Further
thrusts in the Artols
February 49, French line breaks under
German artillery and six miles of trenches
falls into their hands
That is the record. It indicates the convic-
ton, in the German High Command that the
deadlock on land be broken, a belief held |
by few since the Allied attacks last fall proved |
so expensive and so nconclusive. 1t was said |
that the enemy line must be pierced deep |
that the attacking force could roll up both |
sides of the opposing forces. The German at
tack is frontal. It's object up to this time has |
been to push back, not to roll away, the |
enemy. In effect the entire operation is the
September 1914, the attempt to destroy one
enemy before turning to the other.
That is why the date February II is the |
most important in the chronicle above. The |
fall of Erzerum was triple blow at Germany. |
1t weakened her moral position with her allies, |
Bulgaria and Turkey, and with the neutrals. |
Rumania and Greece. 1t broke the back OF |
her threat against Egypt 1t exposed her to
actual danger in the field. since it left Russia |
free to continue her nibblng offensive in the |
East. Meantime the same harrying tactics |
had been going on in the west. Their con- |
tinuance without setback for the French |
meant eventual success for Joffre's mordant |
policy. The forward sweep of her troops, ever
dependable as an answer TO every question is
Germany's triple warning. To her allies she |
commands steadfast loyalty, to her enemies
she announces that her strength is not yet |
gone, TO neutrals she sends terrible warning.
In the first year and half of war Germany
beat the dog to scare the lion. Now she must
face the lion the three lions which crouch
in her path. A defeat for Russia at this time
would be as meaningless the defeat of last
August. In the Balkans political considera.
tions and the great defenses about Salonica
make action inadvisable To strike at France
by land and at England by sea, TO strike
swiftly because the end is coming is Ger.
many's only way out. And nothing could be
more absurd than TO consider the new sub
marine warfare of Germany apart from this
movement on land.
1t is Germanys grievous misfortune that
her very successes indicate her fundamental
weakness In her opening drive she failed and
taught her enemies how TO meet her. In the
Russian campaign she magnihcently her
need Of Dead Sea fruit. Conquerng Serbia,
she heightened her line intolerably. Now
breaking through the French line, twisting
this way and that to find points of attack
summoning men and methods and munitions
OF unequaled numbers and calibre she con-
fesses that her war is reaching its climax
Confined by Englands seas, gyved by Russia,
hampered by the Balkans, with no new sources
she stands crushed against the wall OF the
western defenses OF France. Just now the wall
is giving. But il Germany is not yet done,