Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1916-05-15
Recent Military Survey De-
cIares KaiSers Armies Have
foreStaIIed Much-heralded
Allied offensive,
SAYS RUSSIANS AND
ITALIANS HAVE FAILED
ONLY One Attack on Eastern
Front Against TeutonS Has
Brought Results, Is Conten-
ton of Expert,
Associated Press Corrsspondence.)

porIin NAV 3.-The far reaching
significance" of the spring operations
on the western front has, from a Ger
man point of view, been the fact that
u.hile the entente allies had planned
General onset this spring. the Ger
man armies anticipated them and
threw their plans "topsy-turvy," ac-
cording to a general military survey
which * published in the German
nress and which has evidently emf
mated from official quarters.
"Our enemies had been preparing
for this general onset with all the
resources at their disposal" says the
German summary. land they have
never ceased telling us their resources
were inexhaustible. Feeling certain
of victory in advance, they had her
aided their initiative before their own
peoples and everybody else. The
German armies, however, anticipated
them and threw their well-matured
plan topsy-turvy.
Allied Offensive ForestaIled.
~Their operations as seen from the
German side. consisted partly of Of
fensiye and partly Of defensive bat
tes. vet they are all characterized by
the one uniform feature--namely, that
a German spring offensive has come
instead of the offensive planned by
the enemy.
The attacks of the Russians and
th5 Italians at the same time are
only In a tactical sense offensive.
They are really defensive operations
on the largest scale. That finds ex-
preston in the very term relieving
offensive which has the merit Of be-
ing ornamental and pretty. but also
clearly Ineligible. relieving often
sive' is an offensive act with defen-
sye purpose.
Effect on Morale.
What this means in its effects
upon the morals of the troops can be
fully comprehended only by a man
who has himself taken part in this
fighting. The words we are advanc-
ing exercise a magical charm upon
the German troops; they throw a.
spell over every branch of the gigan-
tic organism Of our army. We are
going to attack'-and every man feels
proud and happy to do his share. even
though his own section be assigned to
mere defensive duty. The Germans
fighting on the east front, conscious
Of tho fact that we are debating the
character of the fighting, are just as
much inspired by the offensive spirit
in herocially resisting the onsets OF
the Russians en- masse as their COM
rades., Precisely the troops fighting
in Russia, who enjoyed the good for
tune last summer of pressing forward
lncessantIy and wrestling enormous
stretches of territory from the Rus
sian COLOSSUS, are now looking on
without envy at the attacks of their
comrades in the west, after these had
Tor SO long been condemned to the
self-sacrificing task of trench war
fare
The survey takes up in detail the
various operations ON the western
'front.', but covers the operations only
up to April / and gives but little fur
ther Information than has been con-
tanned in the official communicates
ana other dispatches.
Thinks English Inactive.
kereferring in a general way to the
battles Of the Meuse, 1t declares that
NE most important result was that
french troops were relieved by the
English from Armentieres to Arras.
ana IN the last third of March stu
ilfther southwark to the Sonme.
nut the report adds. the subst
'ulec troops have not developed any
considerable activity. Neither have
.ne English made the slightest at
,einp' to relieve the strain upon their
"dru-pressed ally by making an at
'aek upon their own account"
Inc other two allies Of the French |
Tie russians and ltalians-made |
more earnest efforts to support their |
any, says the survey, and it sums up |
mat these operations were as fol- |
lows:
RUSSIAN Attacks Fail.
!, BEFORE the German east front /
u'fre We're observed since March /, |
uoops III motion which announced |
hlt beginning nf baa..v aftaaks AT (