New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-05-07


Company and was influential in making
that railroad plan 70 enter Detroit.
A. Barton Hepburn. Of the Chase
National Bank; Pierre du Pont. Fred
erick Delafcld. J.. G.. Kaufman. LOUIS
Worthheim, J. J. Storrow and Charles
Sabin are said TO be backing the plan.
eued that staff work had not been
perfect, that more colossal stores OF
munitions must be accumulated.
Third Effort in September.
After preparation for months. the
third effort was splendidly made last
September in Champagne and at COS
There was no "througs break. After
that the romantic vision OF smashing
IN the cncmy's lines. and launching
masses Of cavalry on his traces TO
complete the work Of destruction died
natural death The lingering ira
dition OF the old wars was buried.
There was now new theory, which
may be called that Of the gradual and
progressive offensive. Though any
thing like sudden complete through
break" - "Durchbruch" had been
proved impossible in the west, all these
after a sufficient bombardment first
and second lines could be stormed AZ
relatively slight loss. Infantry was no
longer to be the sovereign of battles.
The gun was to be the king OF battles
and the infantry its follower. Drum
fire advance moving up the massed
artillery drum-fre again advance
again-this was to be the future
rhythm of the new offensive, slow but
sure. So much for the theory.
Quite unexpectedly. while some keen
minds among the Allies were meditat-
ing this method. the Germans were the
first TO adopt it. They experimental
with tremendous thoroughness at Yer
dun. The preparation this time was Oh
a magnitude before incOnceivable, car
ried out by more than two thousand
guns. nearly half OF which were OF the
heaviest calibrcs and ranged from s
inch to l7-inch.
Thought Problem Solved.
For the first few days the Germans
thought that they had solved the great
problem at last and found the secre'
Of breaking the trench lines IN the
west. Their mighty batteries threat
ened TO act Ike giant feet fattenng
out everything i'm front Of them. II
was dclusiou. Great IS krupps, great
is the gun, but greater IS the uncon-
querable heart of man.
n weight of fro could obliterate re-
sistancc. the Ypres salient, much
smaller and more disadyantaCeoUsl
placed than the Ncrdun circuit, would
have ceased 20 be iu British hands
nearly a year ago Even the inten-
sihed. UNPARALLELED ordeal ar NerdUn
was withstood by tho French New
tactics in defence coIntered the new
offensive. After the frs' rev says the
Germans gained practically nothing.
With al their guns they could not
make progress al the rate Of even a
mile q month. and the attacking in
fantry. go Tar from being saved by the
new recipe. could only occupy with
enormous loss after the first easy
jump TIE mere frinCc8 OF ground
where the defence had been fairly
overwhelmed By tho gun.
The sure sccret Of breaking the
trench lines had not been found even
At Vcrdun. But the grim lesson
worked both ways. The military i'm
pressionists on the side OF the Allies
had TO recognize that when wishes are
fathers 10 the thought-even when the
most ardent wishes are fathers to the
most vivid thoughts-yo you 90 not neces-
sar.iy 1rgender success.
There had been obstinate dreams Of
reaching the Rhine by last spring
then by last June then by last
Christmas. These anticipations had
been shared by experienced as we'll q
by brilliant minds, and By the strong
as well as by the eager characters.
Now all were brought up hard against
the realities of the situation.
When the Germans began their OBJ
icct lesson ~ Verdun they had rela-
tive advantages such rs neither side
possesses elsewhere i'm the west. They
were near Metz, one Of the main mill
tarv bases on their own territory.
They prepared largely under cover OF
the woods. The preliminary surprise
by weight Of fire was complete 10
degree that can hardly recur. The
Germans for manipulating guns and
men had the service Of several main
railways and fourteen light railways,
Of which eleven had been especially
constructed for the attack. just a.
this point the French railway facil-
ties were very scahty by comparison.
Yet the Germans totally failed IN
the main thing. They had made
dent in the French armor, but no
chink. Even If they could secure
after months Of fighting q few more
miles of ground a. a price both
CHASTITY and erotesque so as 10 take
VerGun itself they would not have
made the least progress toward break
ing the Allies line.
Then what is the state Of the same
problem for the Allies, especially IN
Flanders and Artois? The Germans
have the service of a wonderful net
work of main and light railways; their
front is within a few hours run from
their Rhine bridges and their CHIEF
centres Of population. Their equip /
mont i'm machine guns. trench mortars,
and heavy weapons is what we know;
their output of high explosive shells IS
immense. II follows that the sd- !
vantages in favor of the defensive on
this side are still enormous.
The Franco British could only assaii