The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-09-12
GERMANY PREPARES
NEW MOVE IN EAST
Campaign to Menace India Ex-
pected to Accompany Peace
Offensive.
MAY BANGLE NEW BAIT
Gen. Sidebotham Warns Of
Danger Of Anti-Climax Fol-
. lowing Retreat in France.
Nv II, sIDEBOTHAM.
One Of the Foremost Military Critics OF
Europe.

One Of tho Foremost Military Critics OF
Europe.
Special Gable Despatch 10 THH suS from the
London Times Serrics.
Copprioht 1918; all rights reserred
LONDON. Sept. lit Is necessary to
sound note of warning in regard to
the enemy's retreat. 1t was not volun-
tary any more than his retreat last
spring. In sense the enemy pleased
himself, but undoubtedly he has been
meaning to retire ever since Marshal
Foch's victories last July convinced him
that he had no chance of breaking
through.
Encouraging as our victory has been
II has been only the forcing open OF
door that was ajar, Only now do we
hear the sound OF boiling and barring
along the Sensee and the marshes or
the Canal du Nord All this proves that
the enemy has given up all idea OF a
strategic offence in the west. But how
many times has that been said before.
They said IL in 1915, and again last year.
Zach time the enemy retorted by deal
ing us a serious blow elsewhere---in 1918
at Gorlice, which was the beginning OF
the end In Russia: last year In italy
and by the peace offensive that cuimi-
mated at Brest-Litovsk IT Is true that
we are stronger now our hopes have
mounted from zero and those OF the
enemy are falling from the zenith. Field
Marshal Won Hlndenburg's manifesto
shows that the enenys morale Is low
and the first condition OF victory Is to
convince the Germans that they have
lost.
Bra N Inn IN
But although the complexion and the
covering OF meat are so different the
bones OF the military situation are the
same az before. The enemy now as be-
fore is withdrawing in France in order
to strike elsewhere. Now as before the
problem is--can we hit him hard enough
in France to ncutralize his efforts else
where? Hitherto we have failed to do
that and every victory has ended in an
anti-climax. The first on the Marine and
at Ypres did not save Russia from
Gorlice. nor did the continuous eighteen
months OF the British offensive in 1916
save Italy from attack or Russia from
ruin. What guarantee Is there now that
there will not be another anti-climax?
The Germans have told US that their
policy IN the west is to be the defensive
and we have had several warnings OF
the coming peace offensive. Obviously
what the enemy proposes is to improve
his position In the east while offering
terms to France in the west that will
become more generous the more
ground he is forced to abandon.
Such a peace would he ruinous to
our hopes OF a new world after the war
and would be particularly dangerous to
the British position in Asia. We would
be the losers of this war II Belgium
were saved and Germany were substi-
| tuted for Russia as the rival OF Great
Britain In Asia.
May Fight II Out In Asia.
The idea now gaining ground In Ger
| many Is this: ITO substitute for her
| frontiers In Europe row OF nomnaly
| independent buffer States, and with her
! tanks thus protected to seek compen-
sation in Asia for her failures in France
and to become dangerous neighbor in
| India and 80 have a screw 10 wind up
our friendship or defer our hostility.
We err in Interpreting the military
situation In purely military terms Half
| OF Germanys efforts TO escape retribu-
ton for her crimes will be political. II
necessary---she probably hopes yet It
will not be necessary-she will offer
France TO make Alsace and Lorraine a
neutral State. provided that France
acquesces in the German gains at the
expense OF Russia and in Asia.
I The Qorollary OF the present retreat IS
, a peace offensive embodying these
brides. Whether there will he a mill
tary offensive also depends on c.rcum-
stances. Il may fall in Italy; 1t may
take the form of campaign in support
of the BOlshevists-in other words
against defenceless Russia: It may
threaten our position in the East more
directly. Much depends on the way the
campaign develops in the west and or
the resources that Germany can spare
But nothing in this war is so certain as
that Germany purposes. IL she can. by
peace offensive or by her military
policy or both. to repeat the history OF
last year and insure herself in the East
against prospective losses In the west
We can defeat these projects either
by u successful version of our 1917 OF,
fensive or by the overthrow Of Turkey
there are no other ways. Let us take
these alternatives separately.
BY successful version OF the 1915
offensive is meant the forcing OF tn.
Meuse line. Nothing would more di
rectly menace the security of the faith
erland The breaking of the Hndenburl
line does not. as the map OF the German
lines of defence shows there are other,
behind It. Not until we have broken the
line of the Mouse and directly threaten