The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1917-11-14
Officials at War Department
Convinced of Inefficacy
of Trench Warfare.
DIRECT FRONTAL.
ATTACK NEEDED
Would Cost Thousands and
Thousands of Lives, But
Would Get Result.

Washington, d. c., Nov. 13.-Ofi-
cials of the War Department who
have carefully examined the reports
of the military observers of the Unit
ed States army with the allied forces
and with General Pershing's units in
France and others who have returned
from several months experience on
the western front are convinced that
the march to Berlin will never be
accomplished until the present sys-
tenn of trench warfare on the western
battle front in France is abandoned
and direct, tremendous and insistent
frontal attack made and continued
against the German lines.
With all due regard and apprecia-
ton for the great task the French
and British armies have accomplished
in stemming the sweep Of the Ger
man armies in France and their sue
cess in driving them back to their
own territory foot by foot, the strate-
gists of the American army are Of the
opinion that the allied forces In
France have gotten into q rut and
that the only chance Of q big success
is to storm the German lines with
frontal attack.
Such ssbig push will cost thous-
ands and thousands of lives, they ad-
viii in l HE fen end Be no more costly aea1 f6an
the present method of driving the
Germans inch by inch at a rate that
will take years and years before the
Kaiser's forces can be thrown back
across the Rhine.
This opinion which has been grow
ing at the War Department ever since
the United States entered the war
makes it quite likely that when
America get ready to make her force
felt along the western battle line the
fighting will be along. old American
traditional lines-a direct, pell-mell
attack like the charge of Pickett S
men at Gettysburg and other famous
charge in the Civil war, Roosevelt's
charge up San Juan hill, and similar
staggering attack that liven the
pages of American history.
The digging in system is admir-
able for defense, but an open charge
with infantry and cavalry is the only
thing that will crack the German de-
fense even though it takes a heavy
toll of lives to make hole from which
swiftly moving attack can be
launched, it is held
American officers who have recently
returned from the western front and
are now attached to the General Staff
in an advisory capacity are all SAID
to entertain this view. 1t is there
fore most likely that the plans for
placing General Pershing's forces in
action will be drawn with the idea
of putting every ounce Of American
manhood that can be assembled on the
western front into one big avalanche
like, old-fashioned frontal charge.
American army officers are not
quite willing to accept the opinion of
the British and French experts that
it is impossible to make a successful
attack in the face of barbed wire en-
tanglements and other obstacles.
One of the striking opinions formed
by American army observers is that
the barrage fire, used invariably by
the allied armies before an attack,
has the effect Of sapping the courage
of the fighters. Through a series of
months and months of small attacks
protected by barrage fire the mer
have become wholly dependent on that
instrument of protection and have
formed the habit of stopping their