The Washington herald., 1917-10-21

front since 1915 have written me,
since our attacks of the last week,
that never since the great first bat
tie of Ypres have the Germans suf-
fered such losses"
II Hindenburg is forced of the
ridge. and the retreat from the
coast begins this autumn with the
British armies on his heels, any
thing may happen, and to attempt
to predict the result of a campaign
in the open would be ridiculous.
What the Germans fear from such a
retreat can be deduced from the
violent and unprecedented efforts
they are making to prevent it.
But that is a glorious eventuality
not counted upon. What is more
likely is that the Germans, at the
cost OF frightful and ever-increas-
ing losses, will succeed in maintain
ing their lines until the bad wealth
er halts the British progress. Bad
weather will not mean, this winter
any more than last, that the con-
slant stream of shells from British
cannon will dry up; and the lot of
the German soldier, conscious of
defeat, shivering in mud and slime
under fire that his own guns cannot
return in anything like the same
volume, is not to be enyied.
II Hindenburg follows the prece-
oent Of last winter, he will retreat
In March. The retirement of this,
there Is every reason to believe, will
De much greater in extent and i'm
portance than the withdrawal after
the Somme. German reserves are
giving out, imperative need exists
TO economic human material so
far as possible; and there is no line
which offers great advantages to
the defending command, short of
Antwerp -Brussels-Namur. This line
would mean the giving up of half
Belgium.
Cannot Hold Coast.
Ore thing that is now certain is
that Germany cannot hold the Bel
| slan coast next spring. But specula-
ton as to the exact positions where
a stand will be made reveals differ
ences of opinion. Perhaps the most
likely hypothesis is that Hindenburg
Will rest his right on the great forl.
ress OF Antwerp. and prepare a line
TO Namur, bulging out in the center
to cover Brussels; the retention of
Brussels as well as Antwerp might
De urged on the ground that no more
German prestige must be sacrificed
IN the spring, than is absolutely nee
essary.
II Hindenburg decides radically to
! shorten his whole western front and
abandon Lille and most of Northern
France. he may stand on the line of
the Meuse, running from Namur
through Dinant and Mezieres and Sc
dan to Verdun. From verdun the line
would presumably continue as at
present to Switzerland. Such a re-
treat, terrible as the blow to German
self esteem would be. may be carried
out, because it would reduce by one
third the length Of the German west
ern front, and in addition provide the
German high command with a much
stronger line C defense than it en-
Joys at present. The military argu-
ments In favor of a great retirement,
II 1t can be carried out in face of
the enemy, are overwhelmingly
| strong; the political reasons against
it are growing weaker with the reaIi-
zation by the Germans that they cam
not hope to retain Belgian or French
| territory
An even further remuneration of
ground next spring is regarded II.
some quarters as not impossible. BY
abandoning Antwerp and Brussels,
and continuing the German line down
the Meuse rom Namur to Lieee and
50 to the Dutch frontier near Mas
trfcht Hindenburg would shorten his
front by forty miles more and the
German Foreign Ofice could make,
great political play with the fact that
Germany had evacuated all Belgium
and all France except that part alb
solutely necessary to defend the soil
OF the Fatherland from violation.
Could Save Men.
II this is done, retirement of the
extreme German left wing in Alsace,