Arizona republican., 1917-12-17
REPORT
 OFWEEK
 OF WAR
Republican A. p. Leased Wire]

WASHINGTON, Dec. 16.-"No ele- ment in the military situation should lead us to conclude that the initiative in the west has passed from the allies to. the enemy says Secretary Baker in his weekly review of military opera tions, made public tonight.
 During the period of the review (week ending yesterday, the general military situation in the west has re- mained unchanged" the review says.
 "Rumors of great preparations on the part of the Germans, with view to achieving some major strategic success in the west continue to reach us.
 Reports of massed hostile concen- trations in those sectors where the en- emy proposes to break through the French front and roll back the allied line on broad scale are numerous.
 The German higher command seeks peace through victory. The enemy IS apparently very eager to have us be- lieve that he is about to win such victory.
 For the past two years the Ger mans have been on the defensive in the west. The bold advertising of an i'm posing offensive on the part of the enemy, which while in the realm of possibility and therefore should not be neglected or overlooked, must in no wise he interpreted to mean that the increased strength of tue hostile forces will result in any permanent strategic advantage to the Germans.
 Surveying the outlines of the gen. ! eral war strategy on all fronts, we find | that both belligerents have been on | the offensive during the past six months.
 "The central powers have taken the i initiative in the eastern and Italian | theaters; the allies along the major l front in the west. in Palestine, Mesopo- tamia and East Africa.
 The enemy has confined his efforts | to advancing his lines along the Rus sian front, resulting in the capture of Riga, and then by a well conducted offensive in Italy. with the assistance of an intensive drive, gained marked strategic success in this sector
 "The allies, in the principal theateI of operations tthe west) have beer | able to record an almost uninterrupt- ed series of tactical advantages, and in spite of the concentration of a pre- ponderant majority of the most eff. cient German divisions, have gained considerable territory and taken large quota of prisoners.
 Tn the outlying areas of Mesopo'
 tamia and Palestine the British hav'
 driven the enemy before them, an'
 their offensive eliminated during tn
 week in the capture of Jerusalem.
 Though the capture of the Hol.
 City cannot be held a principal mili
 tary objective of the campaign so viz
 orously pursued by General Allenby il this theater, the conquest of Jerusalen will have a wide influence throughout the Turkish empire and will go ia toward reaffirming the prestige of tn . allied powers throughout the Orient. "Germany realizes the danger at ] tendant upon the waning of her influ | ence in the east and will therefore r more anxious than ever to conclude speedy peace before the war map be
 comes less favorable.
 D "The raiding of German towns of tn D interior, more especially the industris
 centers of the Rhineland, by allied air 1, craft, as reprisals for the repeate f bombardment of other towns in Franc
 Continued on Page Two)