American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1917-10-26
WINTER CAMPAIGN PLAN.

With the best of intentions, the al
lies plan to continue fighting through
out the winter In France. The French
winter Is no mean foe. 1t is not arctic
In its intensity. It's billiards. are
tame when compared with those that
sweep the plains of the Dakotas, Ne
braska and other prairie states, but
Il has its cunning treacheries, its mists
and its mires. Perhaps the freezing
weather Will help the ground condi-
lions in watery Flanders and make It
possible for the British and French to
advance not only their infantry but
their big gun
There has been some lively battling
in the other winters of the war. For
the most part. however. the winter
lighting has been confined to raids.
No offensives of magnitude have been
attempted. unless we count the Ger
man offensive against Verdun, which
began on February "a. 1916. just as
winter was at its last gasp.
Undoubtedly the allies have been
preparing intensively for a winter
campaign, for 1t would be folly to be-
gin such a campaign without provid-
ing all essentials down to the last de-
tail. II the war were one of open field
lighting and constant motion over wide
areas a winter campaign probably
would be more difficult thar a static
campaign. for most of the work is now
done by the big guns. An advance Of
a mile at a time Is considered note
worthy. To rebuild mile sectors Of
ruined roads Is, OF course, not as
difficult as repairing them for twenty
or thirty miles. There is no battling
obstacle to the moving forward of a
big gun a mile, even In winter.
Life in the forward trenches is sure
10 be a torture. Digging becomes a
heart-rending task, And when the
trenches and dugouts are completed
the cold and damp combine to promote
sickness and disease.
The object of the winter campaign
is to give the enemy no time for rest or
recuperations. To be successful a
war of attrition must apply the pro-
cess Of wearing away without letup.
We see the allies resolutely and per-
sistently attacking the German air
forces day after day. and we do not
have to seek far for an explanation.
II the allies are to maintain supremacy
In the air they must meet construction
with destruction. While the Germans
build the allies must destroy.
The Germans are confronted by the
problem of building not only new air
planes. but new air fighters. The
United States is now engaged in train
ing an army of flyers as numerous.
perhaps, as the whole German aviation
army six months or a year ago. BY
spring the allies will have four great
air armies-the Italian. the French,
the British and the American. Ger
many alone. with a little help from
her allies, must compete with these
four armies and has set about the
work with boldness and determination.
That is why the allies give the Ger
man airmen no respite, but constantly
assail them.
The same process of attrition is
equally effective on the land. II the
allies stopped fighting for three or four
months the Germans would be given
time to r%eorganize their divisions and
to complete the training Of units which
are now wholly unfit for work at the
front. The French and British hope
they can keep the German army dete-
r~iorating constantly. not merely in
numbers. but in skill and morale. A
winter campaign. If feasible, is the
best means of accomplishing this pur-
pose.-Salt Lake Tribune.