The Washington herald., 1917-12-16

{ 16. 1917.
has not been met in the past and
that discordant counsels have led to
mistakes OF omission and commits.
sion.
Winter Offers Barrier.
THE winter months that lie before
US will throw a severe strain on
the patriotism and self-sacrifice OF
the belligerent peoples. But for the
intervention OF America the present
situation might well appear gloomy
In the extreme; but huge new forces
OF many kinds are being brought into
play, and their effect is already felt.
The immense activities now in full
progress across the Atlantic will
steadily materialize in terms Of ma
val, military and air force, together
with the tonnage on which the sup
ply OF the beligerents and the rate
OF transport Of men and munitions
from the East depend. The strenu
Gus attempts OF the enemy to obtain
decisive success by stirring up rev.
SaeStSh III hHC countries are
the measure Of his fear Of the vast
reserve forces represented by the bes,
manhood and the outpoured wealth
OF America"
A military authority of high repu-
tation who Is an obstinate Eastern
er" and does not believe in the con-
centration Of all effort on the French
front analyzed the present situation
and defended the new war council
as follows:'
There has been a great deal OF
discussion on the new war council
much OF which has wandered fal
from the issue. The proposal is mis-.
represented as an attempt to put
British troops under foreign com.
mand, as an attack on the chief oi
stan. Sir William Robertson, and or
Sir Douglas Haig. There is no rea.
son In the nature Of things why
our criticism should be confined tc
our political chiefs; soldiers as well
as politicians suffer in an atmosphere
OF bated breath and stuffy compli.
ment. But, in fact, there need be
no personalities at all.
Premier Is Attacked.
The premier is attacking the ex.
cesslVe preoccupation with the West
which its indiscreet supporters choos,
to SADDLE on the general staff, but 4,
any one really prepared to 20 on say,
ing after what has happened Never
mind what happens in Serbia or in Ru
mania or in Austria or in Italy; we've
got Passchendaele and in a few
months We may have the Belgian
coast. and nothing else matters
That is -provincialism run mad. The
Germans could defeat it by 'obstinat,
evacuation" Of Belgium and France
while all the while they were building
up their equivalents somewhere else
Supposing we did get all of Belgium
and France as far as the Meuse ant
in the mentime the Austians recovered
Venetia, the Germans occupied Fin
land and Petrograi and nothing mucf
happened in Turkey. should we cal
that victory? We mist treat all thC
fronts as one.
There are three alternatives before
coalition. First each member car
go as 1t pleases and trust to luck to
sort out the results. This m1lcs the
coalition a bundle Of sticks withou
even a string around It. The SECOND
lOT all EllCiIlDaCIE o
the coalition to place themselves un
der the Napoleon Of the horr. but We
have no Napoleon. so that alternative
is out of the question. The third al
ternative-and it is the one actually
adopted-is voluntary association o
the members with a view to forming {
single strategical plan. The old ide;
was that you could do this by occa
sional conferences. by Stitching to
gether' the strategical plans OF til,
several allies. The new idea is t
have a Joint council in permanent ses
sion. so that the several staffs may
not merely come to the truly collect
i've view of the military situation. bu
have the collective view brought Il
them, and by a responsible body which
can speak with authority.
Work of Stan.
How can anyone say after what
has happened. Leave it to the STAINS
they will come to the right view OF
their own accord? Obviously they
have not come to the right view OF
else we should have nothing to be
dissatisfied with. Or is il proposed
to go on bearing with satisfaction al
this best of all possible wars"
A view diametrically opposed tc
those of the two authorities l have
quoted was expressed by A. G. Gar
diner. the famous Liberal editor OF
the Daily News. who secs extreme
peril in the proposal to secure great
er unity of control and fears disaster
il the Importance OF the Western
front be underestimated by the new
war council. There are" said the
veteran fighter. whose pen Is almost
as caustic as that Of his colleague
the editor. Clemenceau. now FrencR
prime minister, two main objects in
view.
THE first is to change the character
OF the war. I will embark on the
sea Of controversy that has ragged
between the Westerners and the
Fasteners. except to put a few con-
siderations that are obvious. The
suggestion that We have done badly
because we have fought in the West
instead OF in the East is foolish
Have we not fought in the East, fr
Messopotamia, in Egypt. in Gal