New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-07-16

The Situation of the Central Powers
Compared to the Southern Con.
federacy in 1864, When General
Grant Attacked on All Fronts
Simultaneously.
BY FRANK H. SIMONDS.
Author of The Great War"

Author Of "Th
The first week of the last month Of the
secoud year Of the Great War saw Ger
many on the defensive on all fronts-a
circumstance new in the present conflict
end in the view of the Allied commenta-
tors. marking the development of the
as, step in a general concentric attack
ucou the Austro-German alliance.
Go back 10 the Civil War, and there is
parallel that comes easily TO mind.
From 1861 70 1868. from First Bull Run
until the third day of Gettysburg had
ended, the Confederacy fought for a vic
tory BY successive offensives; the North,
with greater numbers, resources, with
command Of the sea, totally failed to CO.
ordinate the movements of its great
armies and 70 obtain the mastery that
permitted it to control the offensive.
In 1864. however, Grant had come East
with one clear conception. He purposed
TO attack on all fronts, and simultaneous
" there was to be equal pressure on all
fronts, continuing casualties, never ending
wastage in men and resources until at
triton, # nothing else, to use his own
grim words. should bring the South back
TO the Union.
Allies Borrow Grants Strategy.
Thus. in 1864, Grant, in Virginia,
Thomas in Tennessee, Sherman from At
lanta 10 the sea, struck, and in a year
came the fall of the Confederacy-it
simply wore out and collapsed under the
strain. Now, in 1916, at the close of the
second year Of the present war, we have
the Central Powers at last on the defen-
sive, attacked on the East by the Rus
SANS, on the South by the Italians and
on the West by the Anglo-French armies.
So far, and only so Tar, the parallel is
plain. We Go not know, we cannot even
guess, that the Central Powers will be
crushed as was the South. What we can
see is that the foes Of the Central Powers
have borrowed the strategy-or, perhaps
better, the war policy-of Grant; they are
Just beginning to apply it. We are only
in the very first days Of the application
and nothing of real decisive value has ye1
occurred.
purpose this week to discuss the Battle
Of the Somme, but before turning TO this
! wish to call attention to the Eastern
field for a moment. Some time ago
pointed out that swo Russian achieve
ments were equally fraught with serious
consequences for the Austro-Germans-
the break in the lines about Lutsk, which
permitted an advance upon Kovel, and the
break in the line south of Tarnopol and
near the Dniester River, which threatened
Lernberg. At that time I also pointed out
that unless both of these were halted
Lemberg would shortly be in danger.
The northern advance was checked in
~ @,11o &C an,
on Sunday, July 9, the Russians, although
advancing again, seem slightly further
from Kovel than they were a month ago.
Nor are they at Brody, to the outskirts
Of which they came about the same time.
But in the south they have overrun Buko-
VIVA, taken Kolomea, cut the railroad from
Lemberg over the Kirlibaba Pass TO
Hungary. and are striking dangerously
at the flank of the Galician army cover
ing Lemberg.
Away 10 the north from Pripet Marshes
70 the Gulf Of Riga, it is also the Russians,
and not the Germans, who are attacking
II IS in this region that military observers
nave expected an offensive by Hlnoenpurg
to relieve the pressure to the south. 1t
may yet come, but it has not come, and the
pressure is increasing steadily.
The Austrian Situation.
To judge by such evidence as we have,
Inc Austrian situation continues had-so
oad as 10 suggest progressive demorah-
dstion wherever Austrian armies are un-
supported by German troops. IL seems
Particularly bad in the southeast, where
NE Bukovina army has been practically
destroyed and the troops along the Dnies-
Ter are giving ground rapidly and again
surrendering in large numbers-as only
austrian troops surrender when the TIDE
Turns against them.
If Russia keeps on for another week IN
ualcia at her present rate and no Ter