Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-09-02
ITALIAN SUCCESS ON THE ISONZO
MAY BREAK UP TRENCH WARFARE
AND LEAD TO FIGHTING IN OPEN

common knoWle08e That the failure O
the French offensive in the spring "a
achieve great results and the very
heavy casualties that were incurred
produced q depression in France more
extensive and more dangerous than
war. This depression was accentuatsd
by the collapse Of Russia and by the
possibility of separate peace between
Russia and the central powers
this French depression were exaseer-
ated even In the eyes of those who saw
1t most closely. Yet II was Q very real
peril In the minds of the allied coun.
.ries Tor many weeks; and Il was in
nciais cogniIant OF this peril that
President Wilson very wisely and
promptly began the dispatch of Ameri.
can troops to the French front
troops conceded with the beginning Of the
reaseertion Of French determination and
French confidence. Gen. Peaain. who
succeeded to the command OF the French
army. is one Of the few great men the war
has produced. Within q very brief period
OF time his spirit, which was the spirit
which defended verdun. has been Infused
IN the French armies. with results that
are now manifest.
The great German Offensive on the
Chemin -des- Danes, which was one Of the
really impressive operations Of the whole
deLRned n
take advantage Of French depression and
OF suspected breaking down in the morale
OF the French army. As such IL was one
OF the bloodiest defeats in the whole
ssrugsie and one OF the least successful
onensives- Hitherto. in almost every in
stance. the concentration OF a huge park
OF artillery and the lavish use Of men
have enabled the attAcker to gain one,
Chemin -des-Dames. on ground which had
only recently been captured and was not
yet fully organized. the French halted the
German attack in its tracks. lost only \
California and retook these trenches WITH
out delay. The Chemin -des- Danes hattie
VIII yet rank among the important en-.
gagements OF the var. because Il WAS An.
the French to rally in the face Of monen-
tary depression and to hold against odds
and In conditions fully unfavofable.
A Moral verdun.
The Chemin-des- Danes battle was q
moral verdun- II was intended nryt of an
to break the spirit OF France, and. even II
1t failed in its major purpose. to use
up French electives and prevent them
from being employed elsewhere, either in
Flanders or in Lorraine. The French an.
swer was threefold: First, a terrific de.
feat OF the Germans on the Chemin -des-
n,
participation. with the British In the sue
cessful advance about Ypres; and, third.
IN the superb Offensive at verdun, which
not only retook considerable ground. but
chapter. The Germans had denied. and
stu deny. that there was q battle OF the
Marine. but no denial Of the battle and de.
Feat OF verdun could be possible. aftsr
been appraised by the kaiser at the mo.
mene they were taken BY German troops.
have been retaken by French soldiers.
Dead Mans Hin. Hin 500. Forts Douau-
bois OF Verdun. When the kaisers troops
took Douaumont he announced that the
key OF verdun had fallen. Three months
man oniciai statements had Claimed liz
capture and the disintegration OF the
French defense. Dead Mans Hill, when
captured. was celebrated - pillar in the
and Of all these. the fruits Of German
snort, not one now remains in German
hands
Despite an discussion. it is clear that
French. the Italian and the British people
are prepared to 60 forward with the war
through the winter and. II necessary.
II p the net eshmp.,sn It has begun
In Russia the decision win come In the
west. and total Russian collapse Win
not long postpone It. The disinteefaticn
each successive operation along the west
ern front No one believes that this
distntegration win 30 far enough to per-
NIT victory in the present campaign. but
as one by one the stron8holds on the
western front fall the meaning Of the
present situation is revealed.
Three Years After.
1t is sometimes interesting to go
back into the still recent past Of this
war and contrast the situation Of that
time with the present. Three years
ago last week the whole world sud.
denly heard that victorious armies had
broken French and British resistance
along the frontier and were pushing
rapidly on toward Paris. The fourth
week In August. 1914. leading up to the
climax OF Sedan day In the first hours
OF September. saw Germany rushing
forward to seixe the prize Of forty
three years OF preparation. It IL only
three years ago today that the world
was talking seriously Of the fall of
evitable triumph Of Germany. And
now, after three years Of war, one
sees along the whole western front the
slow but sure ebbing Of the German
septe,aber 1. 1si4. and At Meaux SEP.
TENDER 5 is now in the ruins OF st.
Quentin and on the heights before
Laon. The German press. which boast
ed three years ago Of the approach OF
. supreme military triumph. is now
asserting that the German defensive
cannot be broken and that q drawn
battle is assured, while every German
agent and German sympathf4er on the
q prompt peace that may avert . mill
tary disaster and an economic one.
So far we have come in tho frst three
years Of the war. and the events ON the
ka4 L.
the allied nations are still resolved 70
continue.
IlRCEn Tn WIM cnnn ,anss