The Washington herald., 1917-03-21
What Leading Newspapers
Say on the War Situation
rhe British Victory.
New York Timea)

The battle OF the Somme is won. What
ever NAV be the German plan of defense,
that much Is secured II the Germans
retire no further than their announce
ment promises, the new battle Will be
fought on ground less favorable to them
than that of the Somme. The battle In
which they have been defeated was
fought with the Germans on high ground
which the Allies had to take. They have
given up many intrenchments between
the Ancre and the Aisne, in which they
could have made a defense, but on level
ground. In retiring north Of the Aisne
they get to higher ground, but not so
high. as that which they have given up.
If they mean to make a stand there, they
will have the advantage of needipg fewer
men to defend the new line than they
had to use in defending the old. OF
course, the British and French will need
fewer, too; but the German need Of men
is greater than that of the Allies.
The German Retirement.
New York Tribune)
We shall be able to appraise the Ger
man operation more accurately little
later Now it is only possible to estimate
its immediate possibilities, and in so do
ing it Is wise not to magnify too greatly
the consequences. Germany has begun a
difficult retreat. Her main danger does
not come through the surrender OF terri
tory, but through the possibility that she
will be unable to halt her retreat on the
line chosen or escape some disaster Incl
dent to a retreat under such great pres
sure and on so wide a front. The first
test will come when the retreating Ger
man armies reach the positions on which
their commanders have chosen to stand.
Meantime the great problem remains,
the extent of the retreat and that can be
hest determined by following on the map
the names OF the successive villages and
towns occupied by the Allies. II the Ger
mans mean to stand on the Hfndenburg
line we shall have some new battle names
in short order. and they will be villages
along the great highways leading from
Arras to Douai. Bapaume to Cambria
Peronne to lie Catelet Nesle to st. Quen-
tin. Noyon to La Fere and Scissors to
ILaou.
The Boom in German Spirits.
New, York SUM-
The stan correspondent of the World
in Berlin sends this illuminating bit:
German spirits are enjoying a boom
as the result of an almost unprecedented
run OF good news"
Everything going Germany's way?
Her aly. the Turk has lured the Brit
ish into occupying BaGdad, notoriously
an unsanitGry city.
Her generals on the Somme have sue
ceeded in making the enemy chase Ger
man troops eastward. thus wearing down
the soles of the foes shoes: and leather
is expensive.
Has not TIE cOmmander-in-chief of
Germany's largest adversary been de-
posed?
Isn't 1t true that the size and therefore
the cost of Germans clothes has been
reduced by the simple and delightful
method of national starvation. and that
the burden of drudgery at the stove has
been lifted from the German housewife?
Have not Germany's Prussian governors
succeeded at last in adding to the list of
her antagonists the richest and one of the
most powerful of nations"
Unprecedented run of good news? Why,
it's the millennium,
One or the Other.
New York wOrIdj
1t is not necessary to determine
at this moment where. as between Mr.
Wilson and Mr.. Bryan. the right and the
wrong are to be found; but We know that
both of them cannot be right. II the
President has been right, he is now face
to face with a provocation which he cam
not ignore. II Mr.. Bryan has been right
and the outrages just reported are to be
passed by as immaterial. all of Mr.. Will
sons minatory notes. all his sturdy asser-
tons of national rights and all his
extraordinary defensive measures. such
rs those hurriedly taken yesterday, have
been and are wrong
To submit TO Germany's latest assault
upon American life and property for any
reason would be to adopt the policy OF
Mr.. Bryan and the pacifists. Yet to ac-
cept that policy the President must in
good faith carry it to its logical conclu-
sion. He must order Americans of the
seas. He must command them to put
away their arms. He must even apologize
to Germany for resisting it's naval policy
and for the harsh words which he has
applied to IT,
We can have Mr.. Wilson'S plan or Mr..
Bryan's plan. Logically. We cannot have
both. We must have one or the other
very soon.