The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1918-01-02
GERMAN SMASH
POLITICAL MOVE
SECRETARY BAKER SAYS ITAL
IAN DRIVE AsTUTE STRATEGY
OF GERMAN POLITICIANS.
Situation In West Satisfactory, bu
Fear Expressed That Civil War In
Russia Will Allow Teutons to
Send Men to Western Army.

washington.-The effect Of Ger
many's political offensive" against
Russia and Italy upon the task aheae
OF the allies Is recognized in Secretary
Bakers weekly review of military op
erations, issued BY the war depart
ment.
The close INTERROGATION of events OF
all fronts cannot too frequently b<
emphasized" says the review.
The political situation in Russia
made it possible for the enemy to de
tach important continzents in the east
which were speedily transported to the
Italian front
1T is not unlikely that before ini.
tiating their powerful drive against
the Italian forces. the enemy made
painstaking and systematic attempts
to undermine the morale Of the Ital
Ian troops, with a view to breaking
down their resisting power.
This carefully planned political Of
fensive conducted preparatory to their
military offensive reveals clearly the
present methods of the Germans.
Surveying the broader aspects OF
the European situation today. we find
that the enemy in the east is confn
ing his efforts to political propaganda
Along the Italian sector he has recent
~ made desperate attempts to secure
a decision by means of a politico-mili
tary drive In the west, while at
tempting to sap the fighting strength
Of the belligerent peoples, the enemy
has now been compelled to act on the
defensive and is being slowly but
surely driven back.
1t should be borne in mind, how.
ever. that the further disintegration
of the Russian forces viii mean thai
the Germans will be able to thin out
their line along this front. which win
thus automatically contribute to the
stiffening Of their resistance in the
west, as well as render available added
conungeuts to take part in the en-
gagements now proceeding in Italy.
During the week just closed. both
the British and French were able te
record significant tactical gains, the
elimination OF a long series Of pow
er1uiIy driven offenSiyeS.
With Passchendaele securely in
British hands. the first stage of the
operations begun during the last week
OF September have been brought to q
successful conclusion
The French counterpart of the
British success took place north OF
the AiSne- Here the retreat of the
enemy anticipated last week was car
ried out The pressure of the French
offensive. which has grown slowly and
methodically In volume and intensity.
reached a climax when by the recent
French advance in this sector they
were enabled to enfilade the German
lines along the crest of the Chemin-
des-Dames.
For the past three years the pres
ence Of the enemy on this ridge had
been source of anxiety TO the French
To dislodge them was a principal OBJ
jectve of the repeated offenslyes de-
veloped by General Petain- since last
April The sudden forced evacuation
OF some forty square miles of the most
important terrain in this sector of tbs
western front has been the tangible
result achieved.
The importance of this successful
French advance must not be over.
looked 1t means more than a mere
gain OF SO many square miles of ter
'rtory; it means the penetration Of
the powerfully fortified Siegfried line,
hitherto considered by the enemy i'm
pregnsble, and pushes back his main
defensive positions TO within five miles
OF the fortress of Laon and major OBJ