Evening star., 1918-07-28
FOURTH WAR YEAR WAS DARK
UNTIL AMERICA TURNED TIDE
French British and Italians All Suffered Defeats and
at No Time Had German Hopes Been Brighter
@.s# Changed by Failure on the Marne

France and Britain could not win the
war; 1t produced a condition in which
the possibility OF a German success
was patent. at least to Germans and
problem of 1914, and in the next
twelve months there was to be re-
peated the German effort Of the
Marine campaign. From August, 1917.
onward the German problem and the
German hope was to organize a new
blow which should crush France and
Britain before America could arrive.
as Germany sought to crush them in
1914 before Russian operations in the
east should demand attention.
Back to Opening Conditions.
In a word. we went back suddenly
Of the war. By the end of last year
Germany was free to strike for Paris
again; before the campaign of 1918
was well opened the peae of Brest-
mated Russia and Rumania. abolished
the eastern front, given to the Ger
mans the mastery Of the Baltic and
Black seas. placed the kaiser's gener-
ais in control of the colossal Russian
carcass and removed from the eastern
flank of a completed MitteleuroSa, the
immediate and apparently even an
eventful menace of Slavdom. The
Teuton seemed to have won his age
long battle with the Slavs, his way
to the Pacific lay open. while he still
commanded the Constantinople bridge
to the nearer east.
When the campaign of 1917 was
over the German could calculate, and
did @ calculate. that he had. with hands
free and resources concentrated upon
the western front. another chance to
win the war in the largest possible
sense. to dispose Of France and Brit
ain before America was ready. and
then to negotiate a favorable peace
with the American foe.
A History Of Misfortune.
The story of the campaign of 1917.
after August 1. is briefly told. For
our allies it is a history replete with
misfortune. In August and Septem-
ber the brilliant but foredoomed
Brusilon offensive in Galicia faded
flight of Russian troops from the field
of victory into the darkness of de-
moralization and disintegration.
There was moment when it seemed
as II Lemberg was again in danger,
we read the old names of towns and
rivers. the scenes of victories by the
Russians in 1914, but in a few brief
hours the Russian offensive in Ga
licia succumbed to the internal dis
eases of the Russian nation. After
gone.
Meantime. in the west the British Of
fensive in Flanders pursued its un-
lucky road to complete failure. 1t had
been the conception of Haig and Rob-
ertson. striking north from Ypres and
out of the famous old salient, to break
the German line, cut OF the troops on
the Belgian seacoast or compel their
retreat. free Ostend and Zeebrugge.
abolish the submarine bases on this
coast, and pressing eastward throw
the Germans behind the Scheldt and
compel their later retirement out of
France from the Lys to the Meuse.
Ended in Costly Failure.
In this effort Plumer had made a
brilliant beginning in June at Mes
sines. But in July and August Cough
later to disappear as a result of the
Picardy defeat of the present year
had so handled affairs that a second
operation had ended in costly failure
and when Plumer resumed the direc-
tion of operation the weather was al
ready changing and the golden mo-
ment had passed. In point of fact, the
campaign of the British was already
sure to fail. for German troops were
fastening westward from Russia.
Yet, doggedly and grimly, the British
generals held their men to their task
and the toll of casualties for the Brit
ish in Flanders rivaled IL it did not
pass that of the Somme the previous
year. while great hopes, excited by a
brief. but brilliant success before
Cambria. gave way to new develop