The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1917-07-18
SimOnds on the Wars Latest Phase.

The present month will see the end
of the third year of the world war.
AS we approach the new milestone is
there any promise of peace? Certain
ly not in the events of June, for that
month has been marked by pause,
which can only suggest that the great
offensive operations Of the spring have
failed to give any promise of a de-
cision in 1917.
Last month there was plain evil
dence that the French offensive had
failed to attain any but local results.
The British operation about Arras
continued, but was no longer an i'm
mediate threat to German positions on
the whole western front. Since that
time the Italian offensive has followed
the course of the French-it has pass
ed it's crest, has been beaten down
by an Austrian counter offensive and
come to dead halt.
We have had the brilliant and To-
cally successful British blow, which
constitutes the Third Battle of Ypres,
but this for reasons which shall set
forth in a moment, seems rather an
indication of q prolOngation of the
war than speedy determination. AS
/ see it, the British, finding that they
NIL a1x 70 1tC
at Arras and change thereby the
whole German position in the West,
made a splendid attack to enable them
to hold the Ypres Salient at less cost
to themselves. Third Ypres is COM
parable, to my mind, with the French
operations about Verdun last year,
which were to give them elbow room,
not to break the German lines.
And save for Ypres. we have had
no major operation in the West up to
June 20. Bear in mind that the
weather is good, the season for n
great campaign in full swing, and that
the campaign of tho spring opened
with great local triumphs and it is
plain that the pause is significant.
1t means. i think. that the allies
have recognized that there can be
no decision this year, that with Rus
sia out of the war for the present
Germany is still strong enough to
hold her western lines and enforce
casualties that make a grand general
attack, such as the French essayed
between scissors and Louvain, a thing
| Il not absolutely impossible, inadvis-
able, under present circumstances.
We may accept the statement Of
French and British military authori-
ties that they have deprived the Ger
mans Of all chance Of making a wes-
tern offensive this year as probably
correct. This is the real achieve
mcnt of the British and French at
tacks. They have consumed Ger
man reserves in great quantities. per-
haps in sufficient numbers to keep the
Germans on the defensive in the
West. Not improbably the Italians
have done the same in the case of
Austria.
But, on the other hand, we may
accept the German assertion that
their position in the West has, de-
spite local fractures, endured the
great storm of the Anglo-French at
tack. The preparations Of more than
six months have not suflced to per-
NIT the allies to get a decision in the
West, for the very simple reason that
German numbers and munitions re-
main adequate to hold the western
front
In my judgment. we shall not see
this year any renewal by the French
and British Of combined and gran
diose cffort-nOt to break through
the German lines at given point
to be sure, but SO to weaken German
numbers and positions as to compel a
wide retirement Immediately. Only "a
great Russian offensive would seem
to justify the new trial, and l do not
expect such an Offensi;o.
We shall see. / believe. one or two
more blows like that struck at Arras
and that later delivered at Yprcs, one
quite probably about La Bassee. The
Arras blow was so successful at the
outset that it led the British forward
into sustained effort prohtabl be
cause of the losses imposed u, the
Germans, but bringing no subseouent
progress to warrant insistence.
ON the other hand, the Ypres blow,