The Detroit times., 1916-09-21
BY HERBERT COREY

Copyright. 1915. by Herbert CoreyD
PARIS. Sept. 20.-The Big Drive
should begin about Oct. /.
Even the well-informed portion of
the public has been IN the habit of
referring TO the combined French
British offensive on the Somme as
the Big Drive" Ii has never been
entitled to that label. II has been n
most successful hig drive. In which
the Allies proved their ability to
smash into the German lines when
ever and almost wherever they
pleased. IL has been aA overture TO
the Big Drive. Ii has been 3 trial
beat, In which the great new war
machine was warmed and gagged
and Jolted down TO It's work. But
the Big Drive itself il a far more
comprehensive AFFAIR that battle
on a 25-kilometer front. IL Is TO be
an attack east and west. in which
every nation OF the Allies will exert
every pound Of weight against the
powers OF the center.
The big drive is an affgir OF poll
tics and commerce as we'll as arti-
lery. It's aim IL not merely 10
smash the military strength OF the
Central powers, but TO shackie them
so that, even after peace Is declared.
they shall be reduced and impotent
bulgaria has asked for peace and
has been refused Either Greece will
Join the Allies or there will be rev
olution In Greece Rumania has
been promised those provinces of
Austria which are Rumanian by
blood"
Those statements rest upon high
authority. But 10 properly seize the
immensity OF the Rig Drive one must
approach il piecemeal II Is per
haps easier. 10 consider hrst tho
purely military operations on the
western front There may be no
distinct line OF demarcation between
the little drive OF today and the Big
Drive which Is 10 start II may
merely be that there Viii be few
more hundred guns firing and a few
more thousand men employed and q
little more speed shown In the giant
operation. In all probability II will
be only an intnHsiAcatioH and pro-
longation OF the present offensive
Its aim f. not 10 "hreak the line 4"
although break in the German line
would be welcome The plan has 2
CHASTITY simplicity II ~ only 70
drive the Germans hack and kill as
many OF then as possible IN the
driving
Ordinarily the drive should end
about the middle Of September by
that time the best 81 the weather
has passed and rain and wind may
We anticipated as an item in the &C
count Of most weeks This hampers
aerial observations. binders artillery
observation. and calls for An exirav-
agant expenditure OF shells 20 &C
compllsh a desired end n the Al
lies were stu inferior In artillery
power 20 the Germans-as they had
been up 20 Sept lit ia proba BILE
that the drive would dwindle into
comparative stagnation by the tinp
the first snow flies Rut the Allies
are no longer inferior They are
today on practically even terms
Their supplies and reserves are In.
creasing every day. whole those Of
the Germans do not show any ap-
parent growth
BY the middle Of October tho Al
lies should have a definite superior.
ity in gunhre--they may he firing siv
shells 10 fve--and that superiority
should show a steady increase every
month the war lasts
This war VIII be won hy artil
lery," according 20 the statement 81
the general commanding the German
forces in the west I'm an Interview
given a New York paper. | am quot.
Ing by memory from the excerpts ap-
nearing in The Paris papers "In the
long run tho most shells and biggest
guns will tell the tale"
The Rig Drive was planned ~ that
council Of war presided over by "
Aristlde BRAND IN Paris some
months ago and was largely shaped
by that gentleman At the time the
scheme was 10 wait until each Al
lied nation was NJ The ton ~ Us