Evening star., 1917-10-21
GERMAN POSITION FROM LILLE
TO -VERDUN IS THREATENED BY
PRESENT ADVANCE OF BRITISH

the way OF last years system. The
chendaele ridge. as they took Albert
ridge; they are approaching RoulorA.
as they approached Bapaume. Only
the weather remains the sure Tsutonio
ally; bad last autumn early, II IL worse
this year even earlier.
The British army is at Its best this
year: 1t viii be little weaker next year.
but thereafter its decline will be rsla-
| lively rapid. as its losses exceed its
reserves. Next year the United Slater
can do little: less than the British did
In 1915. much less. But in 1919. II the
war reaches that year. we shall be able
| to deliver the knockout blow. replacing
the British as they have this year re-
placed the French. Next year 1t will
still be the British who will have the
| heat of the day. but our contingent
will be growing. and its aid to France.
| comparatively small though It will be.
| will give the French q greater reserve
! than the Germans can possibly have
| In 1918.
Should Not Make Mistake.
Meantime no one should make the
! mistake OF judging the results from
| the map alone or mainly. Here we are
| in late October. and the campaign of
| 1917 is drawing to a close without
single considerable German success. or
| even a respectfully impressive offensive
| east or west. In 1914 we had the Marne
and the bid for Calais; in 1913, the
great Russian campaign and the push
| through Serbia; in 1916. the drive that
allied hopes of decision last year.
Everywhere on the western front
where there has been action the Ger
| man line has gone back. Nowhere on
any front, save about Riga. has there
been anything like an attack; such
gains as were made in Galicia were
due solely to the collapse Of the Rus
The Russian collapse has set tree
many thousands OF German troops Tor
| use in the west: 1t has released many
guns and huge stocks Of munitions. but
| with all these the Germans have not
been able to hold their own. much less
| attack From verdun to the sea they
i have recoiled before each attack, and
| they are now recoiling on the anniver-
| sary of the opening Of the first battle
| Of Ypres which was to open the road
| to Calais. Germany affected to believe
! Britain would never arrive In time
Britain has arrived and we are coming.
| Meantime there has been no German
p. victory. and Germany. having fought
| France and Russia for more than two
years. while Britain was preparing.
has now to face relatively fresh Brit.
ain. while still a fourth foe. the United
| States is training her millions ana
| eQuipping them.
over the Hills Crest.
| Unmistakably we are over the crest OF
| the hill. Only weakness In spirit now.
| only the failure of those behind the
| front in France, Britain and the United
! States. can prevent the realisation OF
| the fruits of the great sacrifices ana
| the splendid devotion of recent years.
And unless there is a decisive military
| victory over Germany the real goal will
not be attained and the work may have
| to be done again. The German army
| must be decisively beaten upon the bat
tleneld. beaten SO that it's defeat Will
At 49,
elsewhere. Once this has been done
the end OF the war will be within sight.
| 1t Is not necessary to occupy Berlin or
| cross the Rhine: but II the German
| menace to civilization is to be abolished
1t must be abolished by such an allied
victory as will strip the German mill
tary machine of the last claim to in
| vincibility. a claim nowhere recognized
| now save in Germany and among the
faint hearts and pro-German IN allied
| countries.
The Somme deprived the Germans OF
the offensive in the west. The battles OF
Arras and the Aisne this spring. de-
prived them of the power to attack on
any front on considerable scale. The
Ypres campaign has demonstrated un-
mistakably German inferiority in the
field and the rapid decline alike Of Ger
man numbers and Berman morale.
Their machine, the great Prussian mill
itary machine, is slowly but surely go-
ing to pieces.
Defeat Made Certain.
| On the military side the defeat Of
| Germany has been made certain. as cer-
| tain as anything in the future can be. if
the war is continued for another cam
paign. The greatest German retreat
since the Marne has already been made
practically unacceptable, either this fall
or next spring, with the date depend
! ing upon the weather and not upon Ger.
man efforts.
| In the history Of the world war 1917
may not impossibly have the same
value that 1854 had in the history of
our civil war. On the map and In the
mouths of disloyal northerners the civil
war then seemed a deadlock. The Rich
mond newspapers trumpeted forth claims
Identical with those that come from
Berlin today. Yet 1854 broke the back
and the heart of the Confederacy. The
south had not the men to replace Its
| losses in the bloody battles from the
Rapidan to Cold Harbor-battles far
| less satisfactory to Grant than British
struggles this year must be to Haig.
Germany shows equally clear evidences
of failing man-power and decaying ma
terial strength. She has lost much. won
| nothing and talks peace with ever
\ erowinr passion. This is her military
| history in 1917. II one could bring ones
| self to read what the Germans forecast
| before the war for their armies. tne
! extent of the disaster would not Do
| hidden.