The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1917-07-31

What faces the American army to-
day, as the great was swings into
the beginning of it's fourth year?
What Is. the strategic and tactical
situation before the allies, and what
part can Pershing's force play in the
storming of the German citadel that
has been preached at some points,
but still remains untaken.
1t is possible to put into simple
words the military situation at this
| moment
Let us imagine the Central Power
groupl-Germany, Austria-Hungary,
Bulgaria and Turkey--as a great fort
! ress, which is besieged on all sides.
1.-the kaiser in the "castle keep" at
Eerlin-like a feudal lord Of the mid,
die ages-decided to grab his neigh
bors' land, and extend the walls OF
his fortress to dominate them.
Instead of walls of stone, this mod
ern Teutonic fortress" has walls OF
men. There are two main keeps
or castles-at the ends of the fort
ress. At one end are Germany and
Austria-Hungary; at the other is
As1atfc turkey. - n.y. .. iE",-...
Projecting from this great fortress
and protecting its main walls, are
"outworks," which serve to hold of
the allied armies. 80 H'. @-.~.-4.
These "Outworks'' were built in the
first year of the war 1t was the
! German year" For the last two
years, allied "storming parties" have
been at work reducing an outwork
here, preaching a 'bastion"- or front
there, and pushing ever closer to the
main keeps.
The problem was to breach
those walls. Tactics CHANGE;
strategy remains immutable. The
ancient Egyptians made their at.
tack upon walled city for ex-
actly the same strategic object
as Haig or Petain make their
attacks. Hannibal, when he
started his war against Rome by
capturing saguntum, proceeded
as Pershing will have to proceed
in France. The difference is one
OF tactics-not strategy. In the
days Of Egypt and Rome and
Carthage the problem was to at
tack a walled city; now an army
must attack walled nation; 4
walled in with human beinge. *
The problem before the ancient
general was to make a breach in the
walls and pour his archers and spear.
men into the TANKS of the defenders,
sweep them along, and attack them
in the rear. It wall was preached,
the defenders built a new wall be.
hind the breach, and made sallies out
to strike the attackers on the fnak
The allies human battering rams
have attacked the kaiser's fortress al
seven points as shown on the accom-
panying sketch, with these results;
1. Russia has captured the Cali
clan fronts of Bukovina and Lutsk,
but the remainder of the large Pc.
land-Volhynian outwork remains in.
tact.
2. Russia has reduced the Cauca,
sus front and joined hands with the
British-Indian army.
3. The British-Indian army has
captured the ,Mesopotamian front by
reducing Bagdad. -..
4. The British-Egyptian army has
reached the Syrian front.
5. The defenders of the Gallipoli
front have driven away the storming
party at this point. -.
g.. Sarrairs army has preached the
Salonika front, but the defenders
cling to their second line.
Z. The Italian army has preached
the Carso front, but the temporary
second line of walls holds.
s. The British-French-Be ar
mics have driven the defenders COM
pletely out of the Vimy, Peronne,
Loan and %Maronvillers fronts, and
broken down long piece Of the
walls of the French-Belgian "out-
work." and the second line of temper