The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1917-12-10
GERMANS PLAN
MIGHTY DRIVE
ON WEST FRONT
Teutons Have Massed the Great
est Army on French Line
Since War Started
SECRETARY BAKER IN
APPEAL STATES CASE
Counter Move Has Won Back One
third of Ground Lost in the
Byng Offensive
TAKE 200 PRISONERS.

Berlin, Dec. 1o.-Hunearian in.
fantry in the Piave Delta yester.
day stormed the Italian bridoe.
head on the sile river, east Of
caposiIe, and took prisoners more
than 200 Italians, it was officially
announced today by the German
war office.
Military officials Of the central
powers have signed an armistice
with the Russian and Rumanjan
armies on the Rumanian front,
between the Dnister river and the
mouth Of the Danube, the war Of
flee officially announced today.
Washington, Dec. 1O.-Germany has
massed on the western front her
greatest army of the war, Secretary
of War Baker declared in his weekly
war review made public today. TO
meet this menace the United States
must speed up its military prepare.
tions, the secretary adds, with a warn.
ing that the enemy is preparing to
put into execution in France plans he
has been maturing since the defeat
OF the Russian armies at Tannenberg
early in the war. The peace negotia.
tiOns with Russia have permitted the
massing OF men on the western front
for that purpose.
1.-THE united nation must stand
squarely behind our soldiers" the sec.
retary says 1t is not sufficient to
prepare to fight We must prepare
to win" .ag- Il. 4, -...... 49,.
b, The review asserts the German
counter offensive on, the Cambria front
has been successful in winning back
less than Onethird of the territory
captured by General Byng. The state.
lneer troops Exchanging shovels for
rifles, fought off the enemy, side by
side with the British" lIad "hi ''''
,U The lesson of the German exhibition
OF strength IS then taken up. 'l&N'
German PAIRING thrust, the
most powerful and successful blow
aimed at the British during the last
two and half years, coming as it
did, Immediately after the British vic
tory in the same area, serves to en-
phasize the reviving strength of" the
Germans in the west.
1--WE must recognize plainly the sit
uation the eastern theater has brought
about very decided change in the
stragetic possibilities Of the military
situation in the west.
Germany, by leaving only skeleton
divisions in the western area, by con.
centrating all available guns and mu-
nitions in the west, has been able to
mass a relatively greater force than
she has ever been able to mob0lize
in France in the past"
"This explains the success which
the enemy was able to achieve in
driving the British back from Cam.
brai. 1t would not do for US to mini
mize its importance.
"For a long time past she has been
preparing his plans for just such even
Qualities which would arise when Rus
sia entered upon negotiations for
separate peace.
"The magnitude of the task before
US can be more fully realized when
measured by the success the enemy is
able to regain.
Speed Up Efforts.
1T means we must speed up our ef'
forts. The united nation must stand
squarely behind the soldiers. 1t is
not sufficient to prepare to fight; we
must prepare to win"
The>review also hints at an expect
ed German thrust against the French
front. The statement describes events
on the Italian front without adding to
the public information as to what was
transpiring thee, or an attempt to
predict the outcome OF various Austro'
German thrusts. 1t adds significantly:
"Our declaration of war against
Austria Hungary now associates us i'm
mediately with the struggle going on
in italy"
Regarding the struggle going on
the Russian front, the statement says
the agreement covers the entire line
from the Baltic to the Black sea, as
we'll as the region of the Caucasus"