Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-12-25
WARE ARE FOR 1918
TO Be MORE OPEN
Combination Of Trench Fight
ing and Field Play Pre-
dicted by Officer.
BY HERBERT COREY.

:. PARIS. November ga return to
something approximating open warfare
Is prophesied for next year as a result
of Sir Julian Byng's successes around
Cambria
ut will be combination of trench
fghting and Held play" said an Amer
lean ofiicer But believe that the
old sit-and-take-it style IL done"
Here Is the argument:
The Germans believed their elastic
defense" was tmpregnable. They did
not think the Hindenburg line could
That defense may be summarized as
= series Of very strong gun positions
that no matter how heavily tho line
was bombarded there would stiil be q
take frightful toll when the attacking
force came tntp the open. 81 - ~ II
7. The British nl.ysa the game along
Fthslr SSmbsrdmsnl they p sctuai IL
overplayed their own plon. The ground
was 50 roughed that the troops had diff
iculty in advancing. Days sometimes
forward over the failed terrain. Dur
ing this time the British troops, in the
open without sufficient gun protection,
were sometimes badly cut up.
Tactics Changed at cambrai.
Then they suddenly overturned that
plan In the advance on Cambria. They
attack over clean and level ground at q
pace which was entirely unlocked for.
The tanks smashed the wires and the
footmen followed.
They were on the Germans before the
latter could react. The tanks were not
greatly damaged because an advancing
tank is not easily hit except by direct Ore
The British airmen located with exacti-
tude the position Of batteries which dis
closed themselves In firing on the tanks
There seems but one counter to this
form Of attack. That is, at the moment
there seems but one counter. That is to
that the rushing masses OF infantry can
But il this is done. it means the whole
elastic defense" plan-of thiniy held but
moment the lines are packed with men,
ing ratio.
Whatever may be the case on other
points on the front. there is no doubt that
the British have the upper hand in gun
fire now. They have more guns and they
send more shells over to the gun.
Tne long range German artillery is su-
range gun is an 'extrayagance'' in Brit
ish pariance. unless it's fire is directed by
niers. 1t can be used advantageously
against towns. but not against field posi-
tons.
Well. the German fiers very rarely get
| over the British lines. and never stay
| over. The British hiers held their places
In inferior machines at one time by sheer
| as good as the Germans.
Heaviest Fighting Of War in 1918.
! II this train of argument is correct
next years choice-and all admit thar
the fighting In 1918 will be the most
terrific of the war--wiil be a choice
between competitive slaughter OF
moment positions. or a return to some
form Of the old mobile warfare
| The British believe the old form is tc
return.
| lions in view Of that possibility. Thei,
smashing success at Cambria was due
to the development of those new
| tactics The rifieman is no longer OBJ.
at the first opportunity. Field pieces
| were galloped into position Just as In
| the wars OF atty years ago.
Conceding, as one must. that the Rus.
sian and Italian debacies will release
for the Germans a large number o,
comparatively fresh troops, IL is din.
cult to see that the terms OF the prob.
lem are thereby changed. An Amerf.
can army OF tangible proportions will
be in the field In 1915 Both sides vii
have strengthened their lines. A wa,
of movement. of surprise. of constant
action may take the place Of thu
wearisome holding Of trenches.
1t may be that the Germans will b.
able to put an army superior in mum
bers to those OF the allies on the west
ern front next year. This may be re
garded as practically certain But Il
Is also likely that the allied moral,
will by that time be better than tina,
of the soldiers of the central powers
Already the German soldler gets Ia,
less rest than that of the English OF
French armies, although in theory n,
gets more. But the divisions return Il
4 the front at shorter intervals than 1,
the lighting of a year ago.
4 There is also the practical certafnt,
that by 1918 the allied gun-power vii
be far greater than that of the Ger
4 mans. thanks to the continued drain O
material resources noted in the centra
empires.