Evening star., 1917-10-28


The present is then perhaps an appro-
pirate time for reviewing the fourth cam
paign of the war. and since the fourth
campaign has been the main operation OF
the war a review should serve to indicate
the promise of the conflict up to the pres
ent moment.
Looking backward for a moment, 1t will
be recalled that the first great campaign
in the west saw the German offensive
broken at the Marne, with the dslocation
of all German strategical combinations
for the immediate destruction of French
military power. and saw subsequently the
utter defeat OF the German second drive.
directed at Calais and intended to gain
control OF the channel ports. Thereafter
Germany was pinned down to the trenches
from Nieuport to Switzerland. and while
still possessing superior numbers. superior
ma terial and superior resources. was con-
demned to sterile trench war. These
two great conflicts. which will make the
1914 campaign in the west forever memo
ra BILE, ended in substantial victory for the
allies. since one of the German attacks
was broken and rolled back for many
miles and the other stopped almost at the
point OF its origin before Ypres.
Germany Turns to East.
The second campaign of the war. that
of 1919. saw Germany deliberately accept
ing defensive on the west while she
sought and succeeded in breaking Russian
military power in the east and. later. in
opening a highway to Turkey in Asia. In
this campaign. the allies tried TO pass to
the offensive and break the German de-
fensve by spring operations in Cham
Il in, IT
combined attack in Champagne and at
l.oos III September All allied otfensives
in the west in this period failed in every
thing bat local and incidental gains.
While Germany conquered 10000 square
miles of Russia. destroyed Serbia. created
Mitteleuropa. the French and the British
took trenches, some thousands OF prison.
erS and some guns, but were held up ne
fore the German reserve positions both in
Champagne and in Artois AS the cam
paign in 1914 had been defeat OF the
German offensive. the campaign OF 1S1o
was a defeat for allied efforts to pass TO
an effective offensive.
The campaign of 1916 opened with the
colossal German attack upon NeFdun-
It was designed to accomplish in the
west what had been achieved in the
east 1t was the second attempt to
dispose of France before England could
aid. and when it was begun, IN Feb
ruary, England was still unable to
render effective aid to her ally. Hav
ing disposed of her eastern foe and
united her southern allies. Germany en-
deavored from February to July to deal
such a blow at France as would put
France definitely out of the war. Dur
ing this time the French were con-
demned to costly defensive. and the
new British armies were incapable OF
effective cooperation.
British Take Offensive.
But on the lst of July. the British
army on the Somme, together with the
French, passed to the offensive and
slowly but surely wrested the suprem-
acv in the west from the Germans.
com mpelling the Germans to give over
their attack at Nerdun and TO strive
in a desperate defensive to check the
Rri.ish at the Somme This defensive
failed 10 prevent British advances.
which ultimately compelled the gen
eral German retirement from Arras TO
scissors in the following spring. and
in the closing days of 1916 the French
were able to pass to the offensive be,
fore Nerdun and retake Naux ana
Douaumont and most of the important
lost ground ~
defensive in the west and sending
many divisions to support the Aus
,rians struggling in the face OF the
final Russian offensive. which threat
ened the whole Austrian military es-
iablishment, the Germans We're still
shle 10 throw q strategic reserve ana
a considerable mass OF artillery against
Rumania and TO crush this it'll" Latin
state. partly through the efficiency OF
the German military establishment and
partlv through the betrayal OF Ru-
mania bv the Germanophile cons sp.ga-
tors in control Of Petrograd.
The destrust9T ur,d to ot the reaa ssn 1oa
cance of the campaign of 1915. Not even
the German peace proposal of the au-
tumn served to make manifest the 1act
IL - tN1, I1,t &1,o
that the Germans had dennlteiE lost the
offensive in the west and were ap-
proaching the exhaustion OF their re-
servee Yet looking backward in the
light of present events II is clear that
1916 in the west saw the shipwreck OF
the second and last great German bid
for complete victory-frst in the re-
pulses at Nerdun and second in the
colossal collapse of the Somme oefen-
SiVe.
Yields French Territory.
The campaign of 1917 in the west
opened with a great German retreat
the most considerable since the Marine
"a retreat which surrendered more
than 1000 square miles Of French ter
ritory and revealed unmistakably the
defeat of the Somme. Before the Ger
mans could complete this great retreat
and take the offensive; as they mad
planned to do. both the French and the
British attacked. The British won the
greatest victory in the west since the
User about Arras: the French. while
taking valuable ground north of the
Aisne, were held UP and paid a large
price in casualties for a comparatively
small gain in territory. III the two
battles-that OF Arras and that along
the Aisne---the Germans lost more than
500 guns. many of them heavy: more
than 10000 prisoners. and some of the
most strongly fortified points on the
whole western front.
The pause Of tho French offensive,
due to great losses. led the Germans toi