Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-07-08

This, in military language, is a SIGN
Of tactical impotence.
1t Is fact that on the western
front front the allies superiority is mani
rest from every point of view And
this ought to be well understood, even
though we make every reserve as to
the carrying on and outcome of tho
OFFENSIVE already engaged"
AS to the work which the British
army has been doing. Gen. Malleterre
says 1t is a methodical. slow, deliberate
sapping of the famous Hindenburg line,
which has already cracked at the es-
court-Queant. But he adds:
NO doubt 1t would be a mistake to
think that rupture In that sector
would involve q general dfslocation on
the line to the west of the River Disc.
content with a single line. and he
must have organized at successive in
tervals or 'echelons' backward other
lines. with all his material resources
and improvements in underground
fertilization. and by devastating the
country as he evacuates 1t. But, from
retreat to retreat, under the hammer
ing Of. our big shells, there will be
going on all the time the liberation Of
our unhappy northern provinces and
of Belgium"
So much for German assets. which
What about German liabilities-the
blockade and submarines-and where
does America come in? So far as Ger
many is concerned, 1t is really the
world map against the war map.
While Germany's assets are dimin-
ishing, says Gen. Malleterre, the
blockade is making her liabilities
heavier every day. The map of the
world shows US that all central Europe
is isolated from the rest of the universe.
No German ship leaves ports which
were once head centers of European
commerce.
I'm the Baltic. only precarious rela-
tions can be had with Scandinavian
ports. And the rigor of the blockade
now extends to neutral ports, SO that
frontier countries which till lately re-
provisioned Germany are themselves
isolated. The coming into the war OF
the United States closes Off the remain
ing available sources of supplies. and
the rest of America is following the ex-
ample of the United States"
Since the beginning of the year, this
undeubted effect of the allies blockade
of Germany has been sometimes con-
fused in minds with the very doubtful
exploits Of German submarines. The
French general is quite alive to this
and his conclusion Is enlightening.
'The German submarines are aiding
the general blockade"
Remember what has been happening.
Germany expected SO much from her
submarine war that she did not hesi-
tate to drive into the war against her
100,000.000 Americans. She must have
hoped to finish up with England and
France before Americans could get to
work and do something. 1t is the Same
old story. In August. 1914, the kaiser
risked England's intervention. thinking
that by invading Belgium his armies
could get to Paris and crush France be-
fore the English could do anything. In
Russia, in the same way, he twice
ID .ufo
listers for victory on the eastern front
before the Russian army could pull it
self together. So now with Germanys
trust in submarine war! Whatever the
building and arming capacity Of Ger
many, her submarines come too late.
Her general stan counted too much on
the force of land armies. and they had
to retreat from the Marine. Three hun
bred submarines might have done the
thing.
Let the allies remember this when
peace conditions are signed"
STERLING HEuI0s