The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1918-05-01

{, basis or the English JuulClal system
upon which all free governments rest
insuring justice and the security O.
person and property England gave us
, the common law. the foundation o.
our own Jurisprudence.
Throughout every age of early
English history runs the desire ant
: demand for freedom. by wha
right" Numbered Watt Tyler ava!
back i'll the fourteenth century. "BI
what right are they whom we cal
lords greater folks than wc?". NJ
such question was ever asked il
Prussi
Democracy was born in England
in the town meetings. followed b!
representative government. the frater
nal guilds, the universities and tho
grammar schools. And what a con
tributOn to literature England has
made through Chaucer, Bacon, Mil
ton, burke. Shakespeare. Spencer and
scores Of others. And how the dem
Ocratic spirit of these men stands Out
against the writings of Bernhard
Trcitschkc aud other famous German
literati of the school Of monarchy.
The Importance of American troops
tremendous for in the last analysis
the fate of nations at war is decided
by the impact of infantry against in
fantry. Airplanes, artillery, tanks
trenches, cavalry, all are merely the
means to an end. and that end is the
shock of man against man. From 4
military point of view it is unimport
ant whether the armies fight witt
cannons Or clubs, machine guns Of
bows and arrows. Given equality OF
human material, equipment and gen
eralship, it is weight of numbers that
tell in the long run and battles are
decided nov as always ny the man in
tho ranks.
Man Power Counts.
Long range cannon, fame projec
tors, airplanes, poison gases, in fact
all the branches of military science
are merely means to an end, and tina,
end the breaking down of infantry by
superior force at particular points
The battle of the Marine affords an
illustration. The Germans were at the
gates of Paris. Their line ran from
Paris eastward 1870 miles to the AL
satan frontier. In their front was
the thin line of the French army
The strength of the armies was as
five to three in favor of the Germans
The decisive moment for which Ger
many had long prepared had arrived
All forms of Offense and defense not
ACTUALLY used in hand to hand fighting
had been employed. All that had
gone before was merely preparatory
The armies at last faced each other
for the final test of foot soldier against
foot soldier. Man for man the sol
diers were equal, and with equality
of equipment and generalship, the
| Germans should take Paris shortly
for they had five men for every three
that opposed them. They had superb
GRITTY Of numbers, and without mis-
takes victory was assured.
But a serious mistake occurred. A
mistake that will be recorded in his.
tory as one Of the greatest of mill
tary blunders. Won Kluck commanded
the Germany army on the right in
front of Paris. In his efforts to crush
the French left, which he was doing
1t.le whole German line for sixty miles
was pulled west As the battle be
came more furious German troops
moved west to support Won kluck
in his effort to deal the French who
defended the city final blow. This
pull west weakened the German cen
ter General Foche, who commanded
| the French center, discovered the
weak place in the German line and
drove his army into the gap. The
German line bent back in the center
like the string of bow when the ar
row is drawn. This subjected the line
on either side to flank attacks. In or
der to keep the line straight and save
the army from destruction, the whole
German army, right and left of the
gap, was moved back as Foche push
cd tho center back-and Paris was
saved.
Foche's Strategy.
Here was the impact of man
against man at q particular point. The
Germans had weakened their line at
this particular point. Fochc discover
cd it. strengthened his own forces and
struck. An army inferior in number
won a great battle by striking will,
o superior force at a particular point.
All things else being equal, it is
man power that counts in the end 1t
! is of no value to assemble millions of
inefficient soldiers. History proves
this from the days of XerXes to mod
err Russia Inefficient, unframed
soldiers are useless against an army
whose discipline is superior.
There are two principles that OBJ
tain in warfare. First the prepare
tory; second. the impact of infantry.
HannibaL two hundred years before
Christ. used elephants to break the
enemy's line; the British are now us
ing tanks for the same purpose. Pois-
on gas and heavy artillery are doing
today what arrows and bolts from
singers did ages Notwithstanding the
resistance of foot soldiers upon whom
the main attack by other foot soldiers
is to fall The huge shells now burst
ing on Paris, hurled from seventy-f1ve
miles distance, only differ in degree
from the cataputs of ancient days.
The result is the same. No matter
whether stone walls are smashed
down by long range guns or battering
rams. In all cases these preparatory
activities are for the purpose of clear
ing, the way for the onslaught OF the