The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1917-12-24
FLANK BRITISH
SEA P'0WERIS
GERMANS HOPE
Expert Sees Menace to
Eastern Mediterranean
in Foes Tactics.
By ARTHUR. s. DRAPER.
Special Cable to Washington Herald
and New York Tribune.

and New York Tribune.
London. Dec. 23.-"This is a war
Of Turkish succession" says the
Manchester Guardians military ex-
pert. That's the tangible and ma
terial object. The other objects
are symbols"
With this drastic and UNIQUE
declaration of allied war aims this
usually far-sighted critic advances
the extreme arguments Of the "east-
ern'' school and insists a reconsidera-
tion of allied strategy is necessary.
"A break through in the west,- he
says, has become a matter of less
immediate Importance. This object is
postponed and the immediate object
before us Is securing our position in
the east.
First, by Strengthening the resist
ance OF Italy, for IL Italy goes our sea
power in the eastern Mediterranean is
seriously menaced.
Secondly, as corollary 60 this gen
orally defensive policy in the west and
Italy and a vigorous prosecution ir
the east by diplomatic as well as nili-
tary and naval measures OF our Of.
fensive.
Predicts Attack on Greece.
''The new German move will not b,
an attempt to break through in the
West. 1t will be a movement whics
Is beginning by driving in the ItaIiar
left and will lead up to an attack o.
Greece and the defeat Of France. II
II can be achieved it will establish the
Germans on the flank Of our sea
power in the western Mediterranean.
"A friendly Italy and Greece are
conditions of our retention of Egypt
and our communications with Indls
and the East
"A hostile Italy and Greece, which
were so far under the control Of ia,
enemy as to give him their islands a,
submarine bases would make our re.
tention of Egypt and our other pos.
cessions in the East extremely prc-
carious. The issue cannot be put tou
broadly.
BY her campaign against italy and
her prospective campaign agains,
Greece Germany is seeking to threaten
our sea communication with the
East
Urges One Commander,
Another expert, Major Civrieux
writing in the Paris Matin urges :
change in allied policy and pre-.
sents one OF the most ingeniou.
arguments in favor OF a singl,
generalisimo in the West,
Tomorrow in a battle which will
be perhaps unequal in violence, but
continuous in its successive mani.
festations, and which will be en-.
gagged in from Flanders TO Alsace
immediate exchanges of battalion,
and batteries may appear to b,
necessary between the main French
and British armies.
1T Is always a question, not o.
being stronger everywhere. Cwhicl
is impossible), but Of being strong
er at a given moment and at a Civ,
en- point.
Who will direct these exchanC
es. the vafue OF which will depenC
on the all-important nature of tn,
order of the supreme chief VIII,
connects in his brain the tangle,
threads of the formidable net
work.
Critical hours are passing which
viii never return. Before the dc
cisive thunder of the big guns. ;
commander-in-chief is needed 70
the heroic soldiers in the west. Flu
ture history must not be vain I,
say their sacrifices which are ma $
counting have been vain becaus
the essential principle of victor,
mad not been complied with"