The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1917-09-06
Allies Advance Slowly to Save Lives of
Men---Teutons in Ever Tightening Siege
New York SUM

Although substantial advantages
have been obtained during the past
week along the entente lines in
Flanders and in France, as well as on
the Isonzo front, yet the question that
Is being constantly asked by the UNI
initiated is. why the advance against
Germany and her allies should be so
very slow.
In spite of all that has been said to
the contrary Great Britain, France and
Italy have all the men that they need
for the present and in the case Of the
French and English armies, at any
rate, there is no dearth of the requi-
site sort of ammunition, of guns or Of
supplies.
We are now in the fourth year of
the war. Yet the Germans still occupy
almost the whole of Belgium and the
rich coal and ore producing regions
and the great manufacturing districts
and cities of eastern France. Why are
they still there? Why have they been
allowed to remain since the superior
ity of the allies in man power, in gun
power and in treasure is so manifest?
There is an answer to this, and 1t is
one that cannot fail to interest the
people of the United States and may
possibly alleviate in some measure the
very natural anxiety of parents who
have sent their sons and of wives and
sweethearts who have sent their hus-
bands and lovers, to fight for the honor
of the American flag on yonder side
of the ocean on the battlefelds of
France.
War on the Hun a Siege.
The fact of the matter is that the
powers of the entente, in the case of
Germany, are pursuing a policy not of
invasion but of SIEGE in which Pres
ident Wilson is playing role quite as
important as England and France by
his enforcement Of rigorous embargo
on all exports to neutral countries cal
culated to benefit, directly or indirect
ly, our Teuton enemies
Since the enforcement of the Ameri-
can embargo the situation in the do
minions of the kaiser and likewise in
the dual empire has become exceed
ingly critical and is rapidly growing
worse. Hunger has overtaken not only
the masses but the classes. Even the
troops at the front have to fight with
shortened rations or on an empty
stomach, while various epidemics aris-
ing from insufficient nourishment, and
which always follow in the wake of
famine, have broken out in Germany
and In Austria Hungary, the victims
being numerous by reason of their
recuperation.
Indeed, the people of the Hohen-
zollern and Hapsburg monarchies are
undergoing all the horrors of siege,
and cut off from all access to the outer
world, are exactly in the condition of
the inhabitants of beleaguered city.
When a great commander has sur
rounded fortified city with his armies
In such a way as to be secure from
any attack upon his encircling lines
Aiohi tht putSftS ne 10 NoblIoHltu ny
two alternatives. One is to storm the
city without further delay regardless
of he cost of life. The other Is to pur-
sue waiting policy, to abstain from
any attack in force and to possess
himself in patience until the inevitable
surrender
Entente Powers Spare Men.
That Is the course which the allies
after the experience of three years of
warfare and with knowledge of the
real condition in Germany and in Aus
tria- Hungary beyond our ken, have
adopted with regard to our common
enemy, the kaiser They intend to
vanquish him with a minimum of loss
of their own men. With the resources
at their command they could long ago
have driven him out of Belgium, out
of France, probably even out Of Asace
and Lorraine back to the Rhine. But
it would have been at terrific cost in
killed and wounded.
Emperor William has all along
shown himself callously indifferent to
any such considerations. He has per-
sisted In his reckless and altogether
medieval method of mass formation
in attack. thus enabling the French |
and British artillery literally to- NOW
down entire regiments with their |
machine guns and barrage fire He
has never shown any disposition to
spare his men-he sacrificed half a |
million Of them before Verdun-but |
has on the contrary lost no occasion of
impressing upon them that 1t was their
bounden duty to die for him and for
their country-fur kaiser and vater-
land--though he has taken precious
good care to avoid risking his own
life.
His soldiers and officers now know
this. They have become aware that
he regards them as mere pawns in the
game, to be sacrificed without hesita-
ton If chance appears of what might
turn out successful coup. And that
is why their spirit is gone and why
their morale is shattered and why
they are so ready to surrender, any
h s,,.r l.