South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1917-07-26
LONG STRUGGLE
AHEAD FOR j. s.
Collapse of Russian Fighting
Machine Means Heartbreak-
ina Task For America.

WASHINGTON. July 26.-No at
tempt is made here 10 minimize the
seriousness of the situation in the
war theaters in Europe The United
States is in the war and will go
through with il; but any hope of
short struggle has gone glimmering
with the apparent almost complete
collapse OF the Russian war ma
chine.
The development was not uneX-
pected BY many army officers. When
the offensive of July was started by
the Russian forces the most fire.
quent comment heard here was that
it was probably the dying kick OF
the old Russian machine. Most OBJ
servers We're frankly skeptical that
il could produce any decided result.
For the United States the Russian
collapse may have an immediate and
direct bearing. IL will If the Ger
man general staff presses its advant-
age. and releases additional German
forces TO bolster up the western
front where American troops are 10
be engaged. The German line in the
west has not been seriously impaired
at any point. officers here believe.
They do not claim to know specific
ally the situation all along the battle
front. but they are unable TO see that
the British and French have wrested
from the Germans any key position
of such Importance that it can be
used next year 10 hurl the enemy
back toward the Rhine
Must Turn German Flank.
II has been noted. in fact, that
the one strategic advantage gained
in recent fighting was gained by the
Germans. Many officers here believe
that when "A small sector of the
British line in Belgium was over
whelmed and its defenders nearly all
captured or killed. the Germans i'm
proved the situation on their weak
est front materially. That view is
based on opinion that the only hope
of decisive attachments for the allies
in the west lies in rolling up the
German right flank, where it reaches
the sea in Belgium.
If that could he done. it is argued
that the U-boat bases could be
stamped out and the only offensive
instrument of the Germans be elm
mated entirely, or so seriously i'm
paired as to make it ineffective.
The big question is whether it
could he done. II would require
combined army and navy operations
on that part of the Belgian coast
held by the Germans, for 1t would
be necessary TO force a landing be-
hind their line and force the whole
right flank back from the sea as a
result.
The price of a victory of this ma
ture against the U-boats and the
German shore batteries probably
would be appalling. and there is
nothing to indicate that the effort is
being seriously considered at the
present.
Favor Desperate Move.
II cannot he questioned. however,
that many army men both in Great
Britain and the United States favor
some such desperate attempt 10
bring the struggle 10 a conclusion.
Reports received from France. Of
fetal and unofficial, so far as known.
give no cheering picture Of what
must be done.
There appears 10 be no doubt that
the allied line can stand against any
force Germany can bring against it.
Even the Russian disaster does not
affect that situation. But 10 gather
the necessary strength for a success
full offensive will take time and am
pie sea transportation facilities, if
the United States IS 10 furnish the
needed surplus of men. airplanes.
and food.
The transportation problems be-
fore the United States, both on land
sea, are constantly increasing in
scope 1t seems TO be certain now
that whole railroad systems will
have TO he set up in France 10 give
the American line the flow of war
materials and men that il must have
to press home an attack.
Can't Take Fort Direct.
There is an old military rule that
a fortified position cannot be taken
by direct attack, DuL must pe luTneu
or isolated entirely. Some observers
here say the allied offensive has con-
sisted only of direct attacks against
a line Of fortihcations stronger than
any fort Of former days. The maze
OF trenches. entanglements. armored
strong posts and fortified villages
extends miles back of the front on
both sides, so that in effect a forti-
fed belt stretches from the sea 10
the Swiss border that is perhaps
more than 100 miles wide.
It is the belief Of some military
men here that no breach can he
made for many months through the
German line of sufficient width TO
permit such operations in the rear.
as would force a rolling up Of the
entire German front
Admitting all these points, how
ever. there is no sign of discourage
ment among American officials.
Pres't Wilson's declaration that the
nation. not merely an army, must be
ready for war. is being carried out
determinedly and apparently with
confidence that in time men and
supplies can be gotten 10 France in
r.-~a mako Ca~rafr, 17a