Grand Forks herald., 1917-03-24
WAR STRATEGY.

fate as befell Madero in Mexico.
WAR STRATEGY.
The German retreat has been adver-
tised in Germany and throughout the
world as great German success. The
Germans, we are told officially, have
sprung a great surprise on the enc
my; they have removed the kernel Of
the nut intact. leaving for their an
tagonists nothing but the empty shell;
they have removed to new and more
advantageous positions from which q
victorious attack is shortly to be issu-
ed: they have rendered futile all the
enemy's elaborate plans for fighting
by leaving them nothing to fight. We
are to understand from this that the
allied commanders on the French
front stand amazed, discouraged, baf-
fled and helpless because the Ger
mans have gone without fighting in
the direction in which it was proposed
to force them by fighting.
In this connection the war article
in the London Observer Of March 4
makes interesting reading. The pa
per. 1t will be noted. was published
Just after the German retreat up the
valley Of the Ancre, and before there
was any hint Of the present extended
retrograde movement. The writer
discusses the causes of the Ancre re-
treat, and the possibility Of more
extended movement Of the same char
acter, together with the various de-
velopments which may accompany or
follow such a movement. The follow
ing are excerpts from this exceedingly
interesting article:
$50 much for the method Of the
German retreat. It was beyond ques-
tion mastery. Though the
enemy>managed his affairs to admira-
ton. he went because he had to 60;
he surrendered ground which he could
not hope to hold. He saved his man
power and bis guns. Next
the enemy turned a local necessity to
a tactical advantage. He falls back
on still better railway communications
IIL0'AA 14C ldu DSlOTS. we,
on the contrary, have to advance be-
yond our railroads. Our main attack
is probably delayed. We have to car
ry our railway lines forward for some
miles; to bring up our guns slowly
through sea Of mud; to make new
sidings and ammunition shelters; to
carry out a careful study of the enc
my's new positions; to revise all our
preparations for battle.
"The carpers forget the elementary
fact that all arrangements have nee
essarily been made for pushing for
ward our railway mechanism and 9TH
er means of bombardment and assault.
We expected to advance by fighting.
We have advanced without fighting.
But, II we had gained ground in battle
we would have had to carry our whole
military organization onward exactly
as we shall have to now. In that re-
spect the situation is normal.
Unless all apparent indications
mislead, there will be an immense
drama Of thrust and counter-thrust.
There will be more German attempts
at retirement from sectors which the
enemy can no longer hope to hold.
But also Hindenburg is likely to
launch sudden offensives Of his own
In his attempt to turn against the al
lies themselves the other edge Of Cen
eral Nivelle's method. Between the
sea and the Vosges several great bat
ties may rage simultaneously on DIFF
ferent sectors. And all this may lead
up to the most tremendous thing of
all-the opening Of an inconceivable
war Of movement between these op-
posing hosts and their millions Of men
and prodigious masses Of artillery.
The French and British armies
alike would hail with immense conf
dence and exultation the prospect of
open and continued battle. II a war
movement comes on that scale it will,
Of course, be the top Of Armageddo on,
and the most terrific thing in the
worlds history"
| That was published a week or ten
days before the general retreat on the
| "Os AAVAaS oSSdH. publication
shows that the probability Of such a
movement. its probable purpose, and
the various developments which mixh,
result therefrom we're matters Of cur
rent comment and discussion in the
public press and among laymen in the
allied countries It is unlikely that
able military men were ignorant of
that concerning which. the general
public was 30 well informed. on the
contrary, 1t isquite certain that the
whole situation has been combed over
that every possible movement Of the
Germans has been considered, and
that provision has been made for an
answering movement Whether or no,
the possibilities have been accurately
weighed and the preparations havs
bssn adequate. only the event can dc.
tsFmine. s
KmKWALL ON DAvY JONES.
The American stsamsr vidiaucia
which was sunk . few. days aso by Z
l0srnan submarine, had bssn snsax.,
tsd q ne ssnsraI carrying trals. Ear.
! Her III ~ War ~ hSd ma IL x.vs:,.,