Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1916-09-01
Sees No Danger to Central Pow
erS in Allies Joint
Offensive.
STILL HOLD The INITIATIVE
big Push" Of English and French
Not a Success, Moraht Declares
Russians Have No Definite
Plan Offensive Against
Verdun Is Unimpaired.

Berlin.-The Berlin "%Tageblatt" pub
fishes a long review Of the latest de-
velOpments Of the war by Mai. Ernest
MOraht, the most famous German mill
tury critic. He sees no danger for the
central powers In the present stun
ton, although he comedies that the eff
forts Of tie allies are more serious
than ever before.
In part he says:
Our enemies are iubilant over their
offensive. For the first time, after
muny failures, they have succeeded In
reaching II certain unity of action. but
It is an open question whether the
British did not start their attempt ut
an advance too early and the russians
too late. This question IA only be an
swered definitely when we learn to
what extent the grouping Of the Ger
man forces has been influenced by
the strategy Of the allies.
French and English military crit
iCs are astOnished by the fact that so
far very few transfers Of German
troops have taken place. Indirectly
they admit that the initiative still re-
mains on our side In spite of the often
siye Oveme started against our
lines on all fronts. We are attacking
before Verdun as we did before. and
on the rest OF the western front our
defense has increased In strength since
the allies struck their blow in Picurdy.
S~trategically It matters very little II
IA few dents are knocked into our long
line here and there.
"In the East our defense also is as
powerful as ever. The Russian often
siye has not changed the strategic
situation and 1t will, in my estimation,
not succeed, because II is aimless.
No Definite Plan.
I'VE are told Ia dispatches from Pc
trogrud that Lemberg is TO be recon
quered 10 re-establlsh the prestige of
the Russian armies, but the events OF
the last two months show plainly the
general stan Of the Ear had no definite
plan when the Generals Brusllon and
kurOpatkin received orders to strike.
The military expert OF Budapest
Lloyd sized up the Russian opera
tons properly when he remarked last
week
The colossus mechanically starts
10 move, but the Russian general stan
does not know which direction 1t will
take. That Is left to fate. II the
steam roller seems TO advance In the
direction OF KOyel the Russian strate-
glsts %unounc that they intend TO
capture this Important railroad cen
ter, but as soon as they find their way
barred they decide that Lemberg, the
capital OF Galicia, really Is the object
Of their Efforts
There Is no doubt that the Russirn
offensive was principally undertaken
10 bring relief to the French and Ital.
ians and 10 influence ROumania. The
hope Of the allies TO bring the Rouma.
nian army TO their side will again be
disappointed. however, because the
comparatively unlmportant successes
OF General BrusllOn have made but
little impression on the government Ia
Bucharest.
"The Italians have at least tempo
rarily been saved by the Russian OF,
fensiye against the Austro-Hungarian
front In eastern Gallcla and the BukO-
wilma. The Austrlans were compelled
20 withdraw troops from the Italian
front. TO give up thel- victorious ad.