The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1917-12-12
DEMAND GROWS
FOR ONE LEADER
OF ALLIED ARMY
Conditions Give Impetus to
Agitation for a Supreme
Command.
MUST HAVE REAL UNITY
Mistakes Of Past Pointed To
in Support Of New War
Policy.
Specid; caoie Despd.ch TO THE srs

Copyright. 1871. alb viohts reserved.
PARIS. Dec. II The actual participa-
ton OF French and British troops with
OF the Austro-German offensive, tho re-
linQuishment by the British OF q part
OF their gains at Cambrai. the con-
vict!on that the Allies must prepare
to meet and defeat new great German
drive on the western front have given
a renewed impetus to the agitation for
a supreme single command OF the allied
armies.
British. French and German of'icial
statements all agree that the artillery
and the aerial corps are showing greatly
increased activity OF tho kind which
has nearly always presagcd an impor-
tant offensive. This IS noticeable not
only on the British front but also in
the French sectors TO the south and
on the Ypres and Arras fronts, but
It developed also on the extreme cast
ern section OF tho battlefront IN Alsace,
and there was similar activity In Italy
on both sides OF tho Brenta River and
along the lower Piave. All this is con.
strued here to emphasize the need for
a supreme command.
Mast Have Real Unity.
Dispatches from the different fronts
and editorial and critical articles in the
French newspapers voice the same
opinion. that the Entente military policy
must recognize that only by opposing
real unity of command to the absolute
strategical direction Of Field Marshal
Won lI!ndenburg and Gen. Won Luden'
dorff. his chief OF staff. can the superior
ity of the Allies In men and material bt
exerted with the maximum force.
II Ia pointed out that the Cambra
offensive was purely British. that there
Is no evidence of any arrangement made
for simultaneous pressure on tho French
front, where the only activity was .
local attack near Vcrdun which was not
on a large enough scale to aid the
British.
The German divisions from the Rus
sian front might have been diverted, ir
part at least. from being thrown against
Field Marshal Haig II the French had beer
prepared to act on the moment, or u
they were not read, the British opera
ton under a single command could hav,
been delayed until the coordination o
the activity Of the whole front had beer
assured
The German papers also arc com
inentinE on this lack Of unity of com
mand among the Allies Der Tag says:
Among our enemies, despite an abun
dance OF talk. there Ia no sincere o
profound unity. There are Jealousies
desires, ambitions for the future. Tn
, Italians fear was that some day the!
may have to pay for the aid given b.
their more powerful allies
! Gen. Chertils. military writer II
/ lie Gduiois, after declaring that Anier!c
I possesses the clearest perspective In II
belief that the defeat OF tho Centra
! Empires will he seriously retarded with
out unity Of command. says:
at Ia not likely that the three heade
Supreme War Council at Versailles wi.
solve the problem. nor does /; appea
that the interallied conference realize
the indispcnsabi,ity OF unity OF com
mand. America entered the war disiu
terestedly, fighting for the ideals an
principles of democracy. Cnhsmpere
by particular interests she has the clear
est view. The powerful influence of he
President, which has become the key
stone OF our coalition, makes the Er
tente see the necessity for unity of a
efforts. On the seas "a British high ad
nlira!. in economical direction an Amer
lean statesman, on land a French ger
eralissimo."