Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1917-02-04
All Agree There Is to Be
Life and Death Struggle
on the Battlefields of Eu-
rope During the Coming
Spring.
STRATEGISTS PLAN
MOVES IN CAMPAIGN
Admitted at Berlin That the
Country Is Suffering From
Food Scarcity, But Claim
ed That Other Belligerents
Are in Same Condition.
BY CARL W. AckERMAN.
Omitted Press Staff Correspondent,

BY CARL W. AckERMAN.
Omitted Press Staff correspondent.)
Berlin, Jan. 10.-(By maiD-Europe
seems today to expect some big decis-
ion in the war during 1917. Kitchener
once said the war would last three
years or more and Hindenburg is said
never to have had any doubts that this
war would be long one.
! During the summer and fall Of 1916
the hardest, bitterest and most ex-
tensive fighting in the history of the
world was under way. Officers de-
clare that the war is always six
months older than it really is, mean
ing that the campaign plans for the.
war today were mapped out six months
ago and that today the strategistsN
are planning their moves for June and
July, 1917.
! OF course, plans often have to be
changed. Sometimes the strategists
who made the quickest decision won
an unexpected battle but offensvesI
which have succeeded were usually the
ones planned to the minutest detail
months before the first move wasI
\ made.
The greatest war development during
! 1916 was the unification of each set,
of belligerents. Before that each ma
ton on each side made it's own plans
and only advised and consulted with
it's allies. But during 1916 the war
! has resolved itself into a gigantic,
world wide business tug of-war with
England and Germany leading the OPP
| posite sides.
, LIFE AND DEATAH STRUGGLE.
Today there Is no doubt but that
England and Germany are in life
and death struggle for world prestige
and power. The best analogy to what
will take place in 1917 is the old col
lege tug Of wars. In these contests
the sides are about evenly divided
with each side holding one end of a
rope. Then each side pulled and tug
ged until one or the other gave in.
That is what England and Germany
are preparing for during 1917. These
two nations are making the plans.
selecting the grounds, and staging the
big pull the final tug" Eachl
hopes the other will break"
Germany, Austria Hungary, Bulgaria.
and Turkey, at the famous conference
at Great Headquarters in the east last
plans under the direction of Field Mar
shall Won Hindenburg. At that time
the slogan was a Grand Offensive"
| against the Grand Offensive" of the
allies. Hindenburgs plans, the Ger
mans declare, show that he had the
situation judged very accurately.
Not as much land has been lost on
the Somme and Ancre rivers as many
pNnnrta6 fa1y hos fol Fox
sand prisoners and one city, Gortz.
Trieste is still in the hands of Austria
Hungary. Russia went after Lemberg
and Kovel, but these two cities are
still in the central powers hands. Then
Rumania came in against the central
powers and, intoxicated with success
plnndered Pennsylvania cities but was
finally forced to retire.
FALkENHAYN'S OFFENSIVE.
Then Falkenhayn began his often
sive, cooperating with Mackeuzen
and these two German generals at the
head of German, Austrian, Hungarian.
Bulgarian and Turkish troops gained
much more territory, captured many
more prisoners and booty than the all
lies on the Somme, Ancre, at yerdun
and in Volhynia. combined. Hinden-
burgs Grand Offensive" has turned
into a strong offensive, too.
But Germany was not satisfied I'd
leave the situation as ii was When
Hindenburg came in his first order was
to increase ammunition and cannon
When he took charge the French and
English had hundreds more cannon
on the Somme than the Germans, but |
today it is evened
Hindenburg, too, as chief Of the gen
eral staff, Is taking a hand in inter-
nal affairs. In tho reichstag today il |
someone says "Hindenburg wants |
that" why most anything is done. be-
cause the confidence of the public in |
Hindenburg is probably uncqualle1 any |
place In Europe. Field Marshal Paul |
Won HindenburG- Beneckcndorf is all |
ready called with reverence, The ~. |
Paul Of Germany"
THE GERMAN WATCH WORD. |
Germanys watchword: 'Durchal-
ten" meaning Hold Out" will un I
doubtedly become more and more
prominent as the war continues. we
can win IL We hold out" they say here
England wants TO defeat us by starry
ing us" say the people. but well show
them We can't be starved. England |
can make it uncomfortable by pre-
venting us from getting food but we
sre not going to give up because we
are uncomfortable" That's the way
the people talk.
Peace? Yes, they want peace, but
not EnEland's peace. All in all, Ger-
many wants Hindenburg.s peace and
the chancellors peace. and, from indi