New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-07-29
Americas Entrance Great
est Event Of Third Year,
Says Noted Expert
Teutons on Defensive
German Strategists Base Hopes
That U-Boats VIII Force
Cry for Peace

of the great conflict in the opinion Of
Major General Frederick B. Maurice,
Chief Director of Military Operations
at the British War Office, as expressed
in an interview in which he reviewed
the main events of the third year and
summed up the present situation.
To-day" Major General Maurice
said, Germany, whose whole military
gospel was TO prosecute vigorous Of
fensive. is reduced to q pitiful state
of military helplessness in which she
is barely able TO hang on in the hope
that her submarines will force the peo-
pie of the Entente powers to demand
peace at time when Germany has the
big pawns' with which to make Q
bargain.
Speaking from the military point Of
view," said Major General Maurice,
"the greatest event of the third year
of the war is the fact that the Ameri-
can people Joined US. Up TO the pres
ent France and Russia always have
been able to say to their people that
the English power had not yet been
developed to the fullest extent, and
that, when Englands full weight was
in the field, the pressure on the French
and Russians would be somewhat les
sened. That still is true, but only to
a limited extent. Even England is get
ting near the point where she must say
that she cannot extend her work much
further in France. Meanwhile the
strain in the Continental countries Is
becoming greater and greater, and the
French are In real need of more and
more support.
"Of course, the same Is true and
probably in far greater measure in
enemy quarters.
ALLIES Lean on United States
"But the whole lesson Of the three
years OF warfare is TO emphasize the
military maxim that the man with the
last reserves is going to win, and we
still have got the whole power Of the
United States to draw upon. The
United States is to-day the general re-
serve of the Entente. With that re-
serve intact, We may look the fourth
year in the face with entire confidence
Germany has made the same mis-
take with regard 20 the United States,
as three years ago she made with re-
gard to England. She argued, we do
not believe England will come in, but
if she does come In. she is not a mill
tary nation and cannot become a mill
tary power soon enough TO play any
part In this war We proved that the
DRY wrong, as you will prove her the
cries regarding the United States
what was IL that led Germany
into war with the United States? She
found she could not win on land 1t
was necessary to try U-boat warfare.
This said the German theorists, will
defeat England and bring the reign of
the Entente to an end. We do not be-
lieve the United States will come in.
but IL she does she Is an unmilitary
nation, has no army, cannot create one
for many months, perhaps years, GER
tainly cannot become a military factor
soon enough to play any part in this
war;
THAT reasoning sounds unbelievable
TO US, but q drowning man clutches at
q straw. We believe the German the
orists will be proved as wrong in their
estimates Of the United States as they
were In their estimates Of England.
First Three Years. Results
"You ask me what Is the outlook
at the opening of the fourth year of
the war. First, let me give you in
epitome the history of the first three
years as l understand It.
"The first year, broadly speaking, was
an attempt by Germany to put into
effect elaborate plans which her mill
tary strategists had been preparing
over the space OF many long years.
The first phase was concentrated at
tack on France and Belgium during a
certain allotted period Of time, in which
the Germans estimated II would be i'm
possible for Russia to disturb them in
the East.
1.-THE attack on France was checked,
first on the Marne, later on the User
and at Ypres, although France and Bel
GUM suffered severely in the process.
Germany then, according TO her
plan, took the defensive on the West
ern front and turned her offensive eff
fort eastward in an effort TO knock out
Russia. Here again she failed, al
though her attack enormously weak
ened Russia's offensive power
an the autumn Of 1915 Germany
definitely abandoned her old pre-war
strategic scheme and started in on a
new plan developed since the war be-
gan, namely, an effort TO upbuild
'Mitteleuropa' as a great block COM
posed Of four so-called Central Powers
which would command the road to the
East. The autumn campaign of 1915
consisted, in essence, Of the further
ance OF this scheme by conquering
Serbia, bringing in Bulgaria and
hating our Dardanelles effort by
rushing munitions, supplies and SOL
diers TO the assistance II the Turks.
Germany at Height In 1918
"By the winter of 1915 Germany had
gone a long way toward realization
OF her own ambition, and this point
represents 10 my mind the grand
climax Of Germsny's offensive power.
All this time Great Britain had been
building up armies, and with the be-
ginning of 1915 we, for the first time.
had real army in the field.
During the whole third year Of the
war Germany and her allies have at
tempted nothing on land. They every
where have been on the defensive. The
Turks lost Bagdad and the Sinai PEN
insula. On Germany's Eastern frontier,
although the Russian revolution enor-
mously weakened Russia's military
power, Germany was incapable Of TAX
ing advantage of the situation. On the
Austrian front the Italians got in
powerful blows. In the West the Brit
ish and French struck repeatedly. and
the Germans have been powerless to
answer back.
inns IL the pitiful state 70 which
we have reduced tho great power whose
whole military gospel vas summed up
in the phrase vigorous offensive Ger
msny's military helplessness, owing to
the long strain on her man-power, ma
terial and resources, is such that to-
day she barely is able TO hang on, and
her only hope Is that she may find
some way OF similarly wearing US down
IL Of ha haf
we get up momentum to drive her back.
"At nrpsent GarmanY Ia banking on