Crossville chronicle. [volume] (Crossville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1916-08-09
COMPARISON IMPOSSIBLE
6erman Situation Unlike Any Other Peo'
pIe in Previous Wars.

6erman Situation Unlike ANY utnef REQ
pie in Previous Wars.
The present juncture IN the great
war lends itself readily to comparisons
too interesting to resist. Prophecies
based upon them. however. are dan
gerous, and comparisons are odorous,
as Mrs. Malaprop said. 1t is not diff
cult to see why this is 30 when the
comparisons are analyzed.
General Joffre is reported to have
likened the desperate Germat assault
upon Verdun to the equally desperate
assaults of Lees army at Gettysburg.
Immediately we recall that up to this
point the Confederacy had waged the
more brilliant warfare; that after 1t
came the military genius of Grant and
the invasion OF the south; that an un-
trained northern army had hitherto
fought clumsIly against the more skill
full leaders just as the allies have done
until recently, and that after twenty
months of hammering away the north
ern forces were ready to fight efficient
Iy that after Gettysburg the south's
lack of resources began to show.
NOT ALIKE.
A tempting comparison 1T is-we
might go farther and compare Grant,
simple and efficient, with Joffre, simple
and efficient-but there are obstacles
to hinder the planting of victorious al
lied army in Berlin with Germany un-
der the heel OF the conqueror, as Grant
planted his army in Richmond and held
the south helpless.
DIFFERENT ECONOMICALLY.
We do not know much about the re-
sources and economic conditions OF
Germany today, but we do know that
they cannot be what those of the south
were at the beRinning of the end So
The federal government started the
civil war with control Of both the sea
and OF the nations s industrial centers,
and having the resources of the world
to draw upon. The Teutons have never
vet been so hemmeu IN, despite the
British blockade. They have hammer
ed their way to the east and they still
have some source of supply there.
NOT ORGANIZED.
In the civil war the south was not
organized industrlally. With no labor
except slave labor, 1t raised cotton and
depended upon the northwest for food
supplies and upon the northeast for
mechanical devices. 1t lacked not only
a chance to get munitions from the
outside world, but it had no factories
and knew practically nothing about
manufacture.
GERMANY ORGANIZED.
Germany's wonderful industrial Or
ganizatlon, her capacity tor self sup
port if cut off from the outside world,
IS the converse of this. Moreover, ad'
yances like those of the northern armies
into the southland are not being made
IN the terrific machlne-fought warfare
of today. even against much weaker
enemy, when that enemy knows the
game. Advances now are measured by
yards, not miles.
STRENGTH NOT TESTED.
Indeed, the allies have not yet testec
the powerful defenses within the
fatherland. they have taken the
offensive, but on their own territory
Germany is today IN possession OF mos'
of Belgium, with its manufacturing
centers. They boast that they hold 81
per cent of the French industrial re
gions. They are in Poland, in the Bal
tic Provinces. And Germany has al
lies.
(srema an sympathizers have alread!
countered Jotfre comparison with an
other comparison, that of Germany OF
the defensive now with Prussia on tn
defensive, even invaded by far su
perior force, In the seven years war
when Maria Theresa of Austria. wish
ing to recover Silesia. succeeded II
aligning with Austria against Freder
3 ,ck the Great most of Europe-Russia
, Sweden, Saxony and France.
The battle of Kunnersdorf in It's
-