The Cordova daily times., 1917-10-29
WHAT PREPAREDNESS IS DOING.

The German war lords are seeing the early days of the great world con- flict re-enacted. At the outset, because of the careful preparedness of the Ger mans, 1t was possible for them to walk through Belgium almost without oppo- sition. They came down to the bor- der line of France and crowded we'll over into French territory before the French and English could mass men and guns enough to stop them. There the combined military strength of the allies was sufficient to hold them. Flor three years they have been un- able to make greater progress. For the same three years the allies, still unprepared, have been unable to drive back the Germans.
 Today an example what prepared ness will do is again being given to the world. England, France, Canada Australia and the United States have been gotten ready General Haig daily is demonstrating what this prepared ness means, not only to the allies and the world, but to the Germans Be cause his intuition supply is greater, because he has more guns, more air planes and more men to serve them. General Haig is compelling the Ger mans to give ground, and slowly but surely bending their lines backward out of France and Belgium.
 The progress of the allies today is not so great, day by day, as was that of the Germans three years ago The reason for this is plain. When the Germans began their attack on the Belgian frontier, the world knew little about modern warfare. Three years has served to explode theories built up after previous wars. Three years has served to teach the Germans, as we'll as the allies, 8 great deal in the way of defensive fighting. The Germans today are immeasurably stronger on the defensive than were the allies when the war began. Despite this edu- cation of three years--despite the pre- paration against allied offensives- the Germans are being driven back, mile after mile, and it is not too much to expect that, before long, they will have to come to the end of their de- fensive preparation and a general re- treat of hundred miles or more will be necessary in order to shorten their lines and gain the men required to hold them.
 It is easy, even for the non-militar- ist, to see the objective of the allies. If the Germans can be driven out of Belgium, can be forced back into Ger many, and If the allies can take terri. tory adjacent to the Kiel canal, Ger many will have been completely bot tied up from the sea, and it will be possible to starve the submarines into subjection and eliminate them as a danger to oceanic traffic.
 General Haig is driving along the Belgian coast. The Germans are massed in greatest strength opposite him. The German military machine realizes that it must hold this coast at all odds if it is to continue to be submarine and aerial menace to Great Britain.
 When General Haig has succeeded in driving the Germans out of north ern Belgium, he will have accom- plished more than half of the task of whipping the Germans. When the Ger mans are again on their own soil and they are slowly but surely be- ing pushed back - the kaiser and his ministry will be compelled to go to the people with the truth And when the people learn the truth - when they finally realize the impossibility of ultimate German success - there will be clamor for peace that will not be denied.