New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-01-01

| the Editor OF ] ne litDuh's
Sir: The recent articles OF Mr.. Simonds
in the columns Of The Tribune urging that
"as far as the mere military factors are con
cerned the war will end in draw seem 70
the writer TO present curious paralel 70
the contentious Of those who sought to bring
about pence in 1864 on like grounds. There
i, much foundation for the belief that pres
emit conditions bear a much closer similarity
20 the conditions here In 1s63-'64 than tney
do 10 the other wars cited by Mr.. simohos
in his article published on December a.
For here We have again the coming INTO play
Of vast reserve power on one side
In hi, disappointment over the INVASION
Of Rumania feat 80 far bearing a certain
resemblance 10 the earlier part OF Bragg
Chickamauga and Chattanooga campaign
which. it must not be forgotten, followed
after Gettysburg and Ntcksburg has ho'
Mr.. Simonds failed 10 note that the ku-
manian success, though undoubtedly an I'm
portant one, is but single item to Ger
many's credit on the vast balance sheet o.
lel6-and failed to weigh important items
to the credit OF the Allies for the year
So FAR from demonstrating that the AiIles
cannot defeat the Germans on the western
front, does not the campaign on the Somme'
carefully studied, rather show and appear 70
have demonstrated to the German STAT That
tn. Somme offers almost a repetition OF our
own lons-drawn-out Wilderness campaign
and siege Of Petersburg, where the struggle
Tor so long seemingly vain and costIy' m
duced the Democratic party TO the belleI
that the war was failure, that the North
could never conquer the South, and that
peace must, therefore, be made, Vhen tne
real fact was that this very campaign was
actually e1hausting tn. Souths powers Of
r..i,tapce? The contrast between the stead
fast soul OF Lincoln and the more or less
mercurial temperament Of those who then
sought and even demanded peace still CLOVIS
in that wonderful correspondence Of the
greatest % our Presidents. Has not the
Allied strategy been that Of Grant? And Is
il not (for the reason given above more
enlighteninS to make comparisons with that
precedent rather than with the wars Of
Louis XIV?
German Gains and Losses
What does tn. balance sheet OF 1916 show?
Take only the greatest items.
First-The Russian conquest Of Armenia
cutting almost half across the Turkish I'm
pire.
Second Including Armenia and the re,
gained territory in Galicia, Nolhynia and
Bukowna, the capture OF territory by kus-
STA not only vastly exceeding but IN IN
portance outweghing all the Teutonie &C
QUESTIONS in Rumana.
Third-The overwhelming defeat st Yer
dun which resulted in the destruction OF
much of the flower Of the German troops,
even without considering the moral effect.
Fourth-The defeat and repulse Of the
Austrian invasion OF Northern italy.
Fifth-The capture Of Gorilla and the
steadily advancing thrust over the Carso
toward Trieste, the vital port OF the Teutons
on the Adriatic.
Sixth-The battles OF the Somme, Of which
more in another connection, resulting IN
steady defeats for the German troops and
German loss Of about half a million men,
on top OF the even greater loss at Nerdun.
Seventh-The substantial disappearance OF
the last Of the German colonies factor Of
no small Importance.
Eighth-The recapture or MonsStir, I'm %
portsnt politically, and OF military i'm
portance that seems curiously belittled, in
volving. As it does, control Of the direct
lines OF communication between Salonica
and Avlors. and giving Sarrail strong de-
fensive position, with direct railroad COM
munication between all the sections Of his
army, while the armies opposed to him are
forced 20 rely on a single line Of railroad,
perpendicular to their front. down the Var
dar. and the sections OF the Teuto-Bulgar
army are in a most difficult position, their
line split by the mountain masses east and
west Of the Cerns into at least three sec
tions with no iuter-communication except by
the poorest Of mountain roads, without go
ing back to the one railroad line along the
Vardar River. Incidentally | may ask, Can
the position Of the Bulgarian army in the
Moglenica Valley be regarded as at all de-
sirable? Has not the capture OF Monastir
also put spirit OF resurrection into the
Serbs?
Ninth Against all these stands the Ger