Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1917-01-21

nave been light, but there ~ every
reason To suppose that the British
during the last five months have in
flicted casualties upon their enemies
which will affect the 1917 campaign,
and no French authority would deny
that the results obtained on the
Sommc that count in military sense
are In great measure to be credited to
the British armies. whatever the map
may show In ground gained.
The failure to break thru the Ger
man lines and compel "A retreat inn
presses the civilian i'm Britain. altho
thruout the whole campaign | have
been repeatedly told that competent
military opinion did not think such n
result could he obtained this year.
The argument in vogue at present
runs as follows: I'VE have lost the
flower of our army and have put
dent in the German. When we at
tack next spring we can do one of
two things. Wa can continue the at
tack IN the salient we have created
on the Somme. where we have forced
the Germans into Il Instantaneous
position and where they cannot con-
struct during the winter defenses as
strong as those along the rest of the
front But If we do this the Germans
Will retire to a new line which they
are now preparing since they must
expect the Somme attack to be kept
up, and our prime object which is
10 keep them on the move when they
once start going back. may not he
attained. on the other hand. If we
attack at some new point on the
front where they do not expect an
, offensive We could prevent them from
/ nl al Nru y 200
/ II We ever broke thru cleanly. but we
will find their defense'as strong as the
] first line system was on the Somme.
the cost will be equally great. and
3 there seems to he no reason to sup
pose we should have any better sue
cess next year TINA we had this" 1t
/ Is not easy for that rare bird, the
. optimist. TO meet this reasoning. eX-
cept by pointing out that the wear
and tear on the German armies must
he taken into account, that British has
more men than Germany can send Ia
the British front while she has the
French, Russians and Rumanians To
take care of and that next year the
artillery superiority of the allies In
the west will be much greater than II
is at present
Perish Cursing England.
On top OF the Englishmans feel
ing that the horrible losses on the
Somme have not led to any com
mcnsurate results has como the
tragedy OF Rumania to plunge him
still further into tho dumps. "1n 1914
we urged Belgium to stand up against
tho Germans and she did SO and
went down-in 1915 we promised 10
aid Serbia and restrained her from
1 attacking Bulgaria while there was
yet time. and she ohcyed us and went
down-in 1915 we persuaded Rumania
with subsidies and promises To come
/ In. and sho is going down-in 1917
what small nation will perish cursing
! England?" said a member of parlia-
ment to me bitterly,
Tho acquisition by Germany of
| Rumanian wheat and oil Il 'ds, which
| Il is feared will neutralize to large
extent the effect OF the British block
ade IL they can be held. is n serious
blow 10 the prospects OF the allies, but
Il Is not this phase OF the Danube
campaign that most affects sentiment
In this country. The cry have Just
quoted. while most unfair to Eng
land. is typical of British feeling Just
now. People are ashamed and indig-
nant at the inability of the great en-
pire ~ save Its small ally, and the ac-
ton Of . band Of militant surfragets