The Washington herald., 1917-08-23
SAYS j. 5. DUTY
LIES IN EAST
Hobson Points Way to Win
Great Military Offensive
Operation.
by RICHMOND PEARSON HOBsoN


Americans would do well to take a
war inventory of both sides. census
of the war elements. personnel and
material, methods and results, up to
date
Only by looking facts in the face can
we make effective use OF the full
resources Of the United States in the
fourth year of the war just begun.
The enemy powers, not counting
subject peoples. comprise over one
hundred and fifty millions of contigu-
Gus population, stretching like an iron
hand without Leak across the heart
of Europe and well on toward the heart
of Asia. This vast population Occu-
pies an interior position that cleaves
the allied populations in twain and
enjoys railroads. carefully constructed
in advance, for concentrating their
forces on one front or the other and
for quickly transferring them. The
facility with which these transfers
have been made constitute one of the
marvels of military history.
The allied powers whose populations
have appeared on the front. not in
Guiding Asiatic Russia. or subject peo-
pies. count in population in the ratio
of eight to FIVE. The physical barriers
lNdht II ll dCllCdllN llllpOSSAblt "
transfer allied troops from one front
to the other. The enemy populations
have maintained a united front from
the start.
The birth rate in the enemy Powers
is very large. An examination of cas-
Ualty lists shows that the enemy
has carefully husbanded his man
power The young men reaching mill
tary age since the war began almost
if not completely, make up for the
soldiers killed in battle.
From the standpoint OF personnel in
numbers and morale the enemy armies
have not vet reached their maximum
OF strength.
Glory of France.
For sustained fighting gallant
France in this way has set the high
water mark for all nations for all
time. The Battle of the Marne. where
the French forces compared TO the
German were about as five to eight,
viii stand out in history not only as
the most mOmentous of all worlds :
battles. but as the most brilliant vic
tory every won by an inferior force
over a superior force. The one blot
upon that fateful battle was the fail
ure of the British contingent, COM
posed Of the bravest soldiers badly di-
reCted. to do its allotted part and en-
gage Van Kluk's forces as they ad-
vanCed south of the Marine.
The elements of our true war policy
are plain. The armies in reserve in
England. Italy and Japan should take
the responsibility for the Western
front. while America takes the re-
sponsility Of the Eastern front.
We should take over the task by
submarine offensives blocking the L
boats at thci. bases: We should pro-
Ceed to gain supremacy in the air;
we should proceed to build merchant
vessels and war ships for maritime
supremacy: as our armies are formed
and prepared. We should send them
to Russia: we should send a COM
mission and a host of instructors to
help organize and drill the armies
of China, bearing the expense of in
s,ruCtOrs ourselves: We should or
ganize and assemble Chinese. Rus
sian and American armies and fleets
to cut Russia's way to the Mediter-
ranean. so the three great demcra-
Cies can join hands around the world.
Each of the five Great Lakes is
lower than the last ten years aver
age. However, as Superior is only
IS feet below the high stage of