Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1917-12-17
Secretary Baker Reviews
Status of War in Weekly
Statement Nothing War
rants Discouragement,
GERMANS ADVERTISE
PROPOSED OFFENSIVE
Belief Is That Hindenburg Is
BIuffing, but Entente Forces
Are to Be Prepared Against
Possible Drive.

tss aosS'ss JOURNAL SPECIAL ls.sso w,..,
| washington, Dec. 16.-"No element
IN the military situation should lend
us to conclude that the initiative in tho
west has passed from the allies to the
| enemy" says Secretary Baker In his
weekly review of military operations
made public tonight.
During the period of the review
week ending yesterday the general
military situation In the west has re-
mained unchanged" the review saws.
fumors of great preparations on
the part of the Germans, with view
to achieving some major strategetic
success in the west, continues to reach
us.
reports of massed hostile concen-
trations in those sectors where the
enemy proposes to break through the
french front and roll back the allied
llhe on broad scale are numerous.
the German higher command
seeks peace through victory The en-
emy is apparently very eager to have
us believe that he is about to win such
victory
app huCI ADVERTISING.
For the past two years the Ger
mans have been on the defensive in
the west. The bold advertising of an
imposing offensive on the part of the
enemy, while In the realm of possi-
bility and therefore should not be
neglected or overlooked, must in no.
wise be interpreted to mean that the
increased strength of the hostile forces
VIII result in any permanent strate-
lgetie advantage to the Germans.
Surveying the outlines of the gem
eral war strategy on all fronts we
find that both belligerents have been
on the offensive during the past six
months.
The central powers have taken the
initiative in the eastern and Italian
theaters; the allies along the major
front in the west, in Palestine, Meso-
potamia and East Africa.
TWo Teuton Successes.
THE enemy has confined his efforts
TO advancing his lines along the Rus
sian front. resulting in the capture OF
Riga, and then by we'll conducted
offensive In Italy, with the assistance
OF an intensive drive, gained a marked
strategetic success in this sector.
The allies, in the principal theater
of operations, the west, have been
able to record an almost uninter-
rupted series OF tactical advantages
and in spite of the concentration of a
preponderant majority of the most
efficient German divisions, have gain
p1 ~ n
large quota OF prisoners.
"ln the outlying areas of Meso-
potamia and Palestine the British
have driven the enemy before them,
and their offensive eliminated during
the week in the capture of Jerusalem.
Capture of Jerusalem.
Though the capture of the Holy
City cannot be held principal mill
tary objective of the campaign so Wig
orously pursued by General Allenby
in this theater the conquest of Jeru-
salem will have wide influence
throughout the Turkish empire, and
VIII go far towards re-affirming the
prestige of the allied powers through
out the Orient
oSihidhS itdiiItS tle udHBeT at
tendant upon the waning Of her infiu-
ence in the east and will therefore be-
more anxious than ever to conclude a
speedy peace before the war map
becomes less favorable.
Air Reprisals Effective.
The bombing of German towns
from the air by allied aircraft, as re-
prisals for the repeated bombardment
of open towns in France and Great
Britain by the Germans, has been
successfully initiated.
Reports of observers recently out
of Germany, who were present during
previous air raids state that these
raids have had very depressing ef-
feet on the civilian population and
have heightened the growing discon-
tent among the German people, who
now for the first time are being
brought face to face with real war
conditions.
The armistiCca concluded by The
Russians with the enemy now includes
| IBa eql uIoLJ luoLJ uJ9lse9 sIpus sul
tic to the Black sea. Negotiations are
not proceeding smoothly. The Ger
man demands as reported to US, spe-
city among other points. the imme-
diate opening up of channels of COM
| mercial intercourse between Russia
and Germany.