The Washington times., 1917-12-02

sister nations. Canada, Australia. and
others. have now ave and q half mil
lion armed men.
But the necessity for this exertion
was brought home to the English
people only after months OF exhor-
tatiou and even objurEation. after the
little band who knew had almost ex-
hausted itself in the struggle against
those who could not see, and those
who did not want to see, that we were
drifting into q desperate position. We
were saved from disaster just IN time.
Once awake, our people showed the
grit and energy which lie at the base
Of their character and have always
been called into evidence when they
were really needed. Canada. Australia,
New Zealand. South Africa, respond
ed with as much devotion as the Old
Country. The men were found, the
munitions were manufactured in
quantities before undreamed Of. Su-
periority In heavy guns passed from
the enemy to the allies. The French
F"seventy-five" field gun had always
been the best in the war. II was no
longer the allied gunners who had to
be told, BE sparinE with shells.
That order was now issued to the
German artillery, while ours had as
much as It could use.
The consequence OF this was seen
early last summer in the transfer Of
the Initiative from the Germans to the
French and English on the western
front, while on all other fronts the
forces OF the central powers were
either on the defensive or, As In Ga
licia. retreating and suffering heavy
loss.
vear a0o tharoSo-. a.. ..,.Io...
was favorable for the allies. II seem
ed clear that as soon as they could
nlGn and execute a combined often |
sive, attacking the enemy on all |
fronts at the same moment, the vic |
tory must be theirs.
EnmlaatIon Of Russia.
That situation has been affected by
the changed spirit OF a certain number |
OF the Russian troops. Their foolish |
yielding to the craze of wind-baK ideal |
lists. melted and organized by traitors |
in the pay OF Prussia. has made Il i'm
possible to hope for the combined Of |
fensive. We may trust still that the |
Russians will recover sufficient vigor |
to keep our enemy forces nailed down |
to the eastern front. The mass Of the
Russian people is sound in mind, and 1
the danger to Russia Of let |
ting the Germans dominate and exploit |
her. as they did commercially and as !,
they tried to do politically before the |
war. We may hope that a sharp lesson |
will be taught to the small number Of |
Russians who are deluded into the be- |
lief that the lion and the lamb can lie |
down together in any other fashion |
than with the lamb inside the lion. But |
so far as We can Judge. Russia is not /
likely to be again an active partner in |
II ~.
may prevent the Austrians and a GER
tain few German divisions from being |
used elsewhere
However, In spite Of this disappolnt-
ment, the land position remains so /
favorable to the allies that, with the
knowledge OF American armies on their |
way, we could await the end with con-
ndence and with certainty that II would /
come soon. say next autumn, If-and |
here in this conditional change we come |
upon the complication which threatens
a long continuance OF hostiliues-lf the /
land war we're all.
On Offensive Tive Year..
Except for a slight retirement at
Nleuport recently Sir Douglas HaIg's
armies have been attacking for near
Iy two years and attacking with sue
cess owing to the gigantic power
which the British artillery has now
The French have main
,aIned themselves In their trenches
against many violent attacks without
Giving up any important eIementa
Except for counter attacks, the Ger
mans have scarcely attempted any Of
yensive operations since Verdun. II
a they who have been steadily los.
ing lives, which are far more Impor-
tant than ground. II IL they who
have been compelled to abandon their
fortressss. supposed TO
be impreEnable: positions IN which
their troops had been told they would
end the war; so vast. some OF than
which have seen, that big New York
buildings could be placed In than
- with aaaA