The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-10-27

seems inevitable. The salient which
General Petain liz driving into the
lines OF the Crown Prince near Laon
menaces the German line north Is
tar as Ypres. There the Ypres salient
on which General Haig is working, is
direct menace to the line from
Ypres to the coast.
1t Is a critical situation. Unless
they are greatly hampered by the
weather, the Allies can make an
extensive retreat a terribly costly
maneuver for the Germans. The
retreating army would have the adj
vantage Of carefully prepared roads
and railways. while the Allies wouHI
have to advance over ground swept
and devastated by artillery, but un-
less the rains make this ground an
impossible morass. the Allies will be
able to keep the retreating Germans
under constant fire. II they now
have a complete double line OF artil-
lery, one line could be kept firing
while the other was moved forward,
in the manner outlined by Private
Peate during his visit to Fargo. II
the engineers could build roads and
bridges rapidly enough, the retreat
might be turned into a rout and a
very costly one in men and materials
for the Germans. That retreat when
1t comes. should prove one of the
most critical stages OF the entire war.
No Attempt at Pstroarad.
Little further has been heard Of
the German operations in the Gulf
Of Riga, with the exception of the
brief dispatches telling of the with
drawal Of the German forces on the
mainland. These troops have re-
treated so far that they are no long,
er in touch with the Russians. They
are destroying roads and bridges as
they retire. This would confirm the
belief that no land attack on Petro-
grad Is contemplated this fall, If at
all. Such an offensive would require
a force which Germany could i'll af-
ford, and 1t would serve no military
purpose. It would tremendously
lengthen the German line. and this
would not be offset by any results
the fall Of the Russian capital might
have.
o@e OF Wars Mysteries.
There has also been little refer
ence to the failure Of the British
fleet to take the German fleet in the
Baltic in the rear and force a naval
engagement. One brief dispatch from
Stockholm reported that the Germak:
were busily mining the entrance to
the Baltic and preparing for such a
movement on the part of the British.
There may have been some very
good reason for the British not
making the attempt. which is not
known to anyone outside the Brit
ish admiralty. 1t is not impossible
that the activities OF the German
fleet were but trap, and that the
Germans had aimed their real coup
at the British instead of the Rus
SLAMS. England is not taking I'M
necessary chances with her navy.
Some Of her own people are saying
the navy is not taking the chances
it should. but one of the interesting
mysteries OF the war which remains
to be explained. is why the Allied
fleets did not take the Germans in
the rear. cut off their escape into the
Baltic and force a crucial naval bat
tie.
The toll OF the submarine losses
again showed an increase for the
week, and the only really favorable
news was that from Flanders. 1t was
the most unsatisfactory week from
the standpoint Of the Allies. since
early in the summer. But it may off,
set the tendency to believe the war is
all over but the finishing touches.
The German war machine is on the
decline, but it is far from being
smashed yet.