The Washington herald., 1917-05-27
American Army VIII Enable
Allies To Employ Reserves
Neither England Nor France Has Thus Far Been
- Able to Throw Into an Offensive All
Available First-Class Troops
BY JOHN L. BALDERsTON.
cOpyrsht. lsH. b. the Mcclure Nswspsps-

sV,6ir.h.l
London, April 2s.-Military opinion.
both here and at the front, Is almost
unanimous that after 30 weary months
the period Of deadlock that supervened
on the West front after the first battle
OF Ypres has come to an end. The rest
OF the war, former pessimists as well as
optimists believe, will consist OF series
Of Allied successes followed by German
retreats, tending to become larger and
more extensive as the summer wears on.
until al length the German empire sur
renders or its troops are driven out OF
France and Belgium and the French and
British soldiers cross the frontier Of the
Fatherland.
My military informants, whose diverg-
ent views have quoted at length during
the past two years. now agree that the
strategical- initiative on the West front
has passed indefinitely and forever out
Of Hindenburg's hands. They admit that
by bringing up his strategic reserves the
German leader may deliver successful
counter-attacks at various points; they
differ as to the ability of the German
armies to continue their retirement so
slowly that they can still dig in on
French or Belgian soil when next winter
halts operations; but they are unanimous
that. having been driven out Of the old
permanent trench systems, no line exists
upon which the German general stan can
hope to stand against the terrible and re-
lentless pressure of the Allied armies and
resume the old war of positions
These judgments are based chiefly upon
the results Of the new artillery and in
fantry tactics, worked out by Generals
Nivelle and Haig, first proved successful
at Verdun last December and since car
ried out with amazingly small losses at
Arras and on the Aisne- But the infiu-
ence upon the strategical situation Of a
non-existent American army is enormous.
This influence exeTts itself in two ways:
Firstly the determination OF the United
States to raise a great field army, and
throw 1t into the scale II Germany con-
tiUues recalcitrant when Il has been
trained, has come as a crushing sur
prise to the German stan, and destroyed
their pet scheme Of wearing down the
French and British armies this year in
the hope that next winter. unable to re-
sumo q great offensive in the spring for
lack OF men. the Allies must agree to a
peace Of exhaustion
Secondly, and even more important,
this potential American army has added,
or will add, hundreds Of thousands of
bayonets to the French and British storm
Ing columns In this campaign
War an Uncertain Science.
For military reasons it Is possible to
discuss this vital point only in the most
general terms. Up to this time neither
England nor France has been in a posi-
ton to throw into an offensive all the
available first-class troops. 1t has been
necessary to keep back a great number
Of men as a strategic reserve. This
course has been forced upon the allied
leaders because war is an uncertain
science; 1t is never possible to calculate
accurately in advance how projected posi-
tons will turn out, and provision must
always be made against disaster IN the
event that campaigns fail to attain the
anticipated result
If. to take a hypothetical case, the
British and French leaders had believed
that by sending every trained man they
had against the Germans this year they
could rOut the enemy armies and force
Germany to surrender before this win
ter. they could not until this month have
assumed the risks involved in doing so.
For If their calculations had missed fire
and the German armies had won VIC
tories and managed to hold out through
1917. and the British and French began
the spring campaign Of 1913 with no re-
serves, HindenbUrg's depleted hosts might
bring swift and sudden disaster on the
allied cause. The chance that this might
happen, however small, could not be
ignored. 1t was necessary to count on
the possibility that the war might drag
into next year. and provide for armies to
take the field next year, at whatever cost
to the 1911 campaign
But now all that has been changed.
The United States has come into the
war. America has the reserves, unor-
ganized and unframed today, to deal the
final blow against Germany in 1913 II the
allies are unable to finish the job this
year. Nivelle and Haig can throw every
thing into the fray now and not worry
about what will happen to their coun-
tries in the next campaign II their hopes
are not fulfilled this summer and autumn.
They will do so; perhaps they are do
ing so; the matter cannot be further dis
cussed in public.
Allies Believe in Uncle SAM
Soldiers are anxious that Americans
should understand the strategical situa-
tiOn as here set forth, and its implica-
tons 1t is such that even II none OF
our troops ever set foot in Europe we
may claim a part Of the credit, a vital
part II not glorious one, for the VIC
tories anticipated this summer. But a
great responsibility also attaches to
America in this connection. The allies
have taken President Wilson and the
American people at their word. and they
know that Uncle Sam will make good.
tered away at home while things went
badly on the western front, II the antici- |
pated legion from across the Atlantic
were not ready next winter when the
call came to save France, Belgium and
England. irremediabIe disaster might re-
suit, defeats that would never have been |
sustained II the United States had not |
come in and the allies armies had there
fore continued to play the war safe"
AZ an American reporter I have been |
able to set forth our responsibilities |
clearly, as a European critic could not !
do without the risk of offense. There Is |
not the slightest fear here that, hav-
ing announced that she enters the war
as a full-fledged ally, and talked about |
raising a great army with the rapidity |
Of Canada and Australia, the United |
States will not make good. II there |
was any such fear, the allied generals |
could not put everything they have into !
this years campaign, as they are doing |
with complete confidence in President |
pledge to the common cause of |
everything we are, everything we have" |
During my own visits to British gen.
eral headquarters and trips along the |
lines In France during the past two years !
have had very many conversations with |
ohcers OF high rank concerning the part |
an American army might play on the
west front I have had similar Discus !
Hons vErfFh t. = |