Evening star., 1918-02-10
BRITAIN HAS FAITH
IN HER WAR CHIEFS
Confidence Not Disturbed by
Criticism of 1917 Strait
egy and Tactics.
LEADING SOLDIERS VIEW
ax EDWARD PRICE BELL.

BY EDWARD PRICE BELL.
Cablegram to The Sunday Star and
Chicago Daily News. Copyright. 1918
LONDON, February 9-Britain's con-
fdence in its military leaders. SO far as
I can see, has not been disturbed ap-
preciably by the recent criticism OF the
strategy and tactics of Cen Haig and
Cen Robertson in 1917. Indeed it seems
as If this criticism is generally regard
ed as frivolous. For one thing critics
of the higher command, while reprobat-
ing what was done, refer only In the
vaguest terms to what ought to have
been done. One avoids with difficulty
the impression that they think it pos
sible in some mysterious way to con-
Quer the Germans without beating
them
Apparently they object to attacking
the enemy at his strongest point"
seemingly overlooking the fact that the
Germans. by reason Of their central po-
sition and splendid communications,
can make their strongest point at any
place where the allies threaten them.
Every experienced commander with
whom have talked on this subject has
felt that Britain. particularly in view
OF the extreme shortage of ships, must
transmit its power against the enemy
along the shortest possible lines of
communication.
Tonnage Was insufficient.
This principle precluded, of course.
q great British offensive in Italy or the
east There simply was not sufficient
tonnage for distant offensives even II
they had promised larger military re-
suits than did attacks in France and
Flanders Such results they did not
promise. What they did promise was
such a weakening Of the western line
as to expose Paris and the channel
ports quite possibly to a triumphant
Many competent soldiers see far less
IN the idea of the nhisfortunes that
nave befallen the allies as the result
OF "disunited 'front.' than some crit
les see in this idea
Did not Russia help us save ParisE
asked one OF these men of me. did NOT
RUSSIA do everything in her power to
relieve relieve the dangerous pressure on
strike hard again and again in an ef-
Tort to aid Russia when hard pressed?
Rave we not done everything we could
both by Offensive in the west and by |
rushing troops to Italy to prevent a |
conclusive disaster there? Our unifica- |
tion and coordination, Of course, have |
not been as 4eed - we should have |
liked. but they have been as good as we |
could make them In the stress Of Ger |
many's unparalleled assault II we can
make them better now 1t Is only be-
cause of the lessons our peoples and
leaders have learned in these years Of
terrible conflict.
Plight Of Huns Cited,
ITO intimate that I'll prepared and
unorganized as we were at first we
have fought Intellectually is to overlook |
the plight Of the central empires. If
they are In a bad way-and we have |
from comfortable-whyi is it so? Who |
put them in this position il not the al |
lies? Who took the bounce out Of the |
German army with its Quick schedule |
strategy, tactics and fighting power |
nothing to do with these results? If |
the French had omitted their ofren- |
sives in 1917 and had we omitted Arra1I1
Messines and Passchendae1e, would the |
German morale on the west front be |
what 1t Is today and would Germany
want peace as she wants it today?
IT was an American statesman. be-
ments. said that the only way to re-
sumo was to resume. I say that the |
only way to beat the Germans is to
beat them. We cannot beat them by
trailing our armies across the oceans
and through strange lands: we can
beat them only by striking hard at
their heart with as short a reach as
possible. Such blows the French and
British delivered In the west in 1917.
We had casualties. No war, and |
least OF all this war, can be won with |
out casualties Such blows as we deliv- |
cred in 1917 we shall deliver again, and |
by our sides when we next strike will be |
the American Army. By the way is this |
Army handicapping itself with longer |
lines of communication than are neces-
eary? No. 1t is moving its great power
from its vast continental base straight
toward its objective. Our ablest gem
erals-French, Italian, American and
Brttish-are well satisfied with the al
lied dispositions at the moment
Where Britain Will Strike.
We British shall strike where our
national instinct suggests that it is
most reasonable to strike, namely, for |
the defense of the channel, which is
not only vital to our security, but vital
TO the security of the allied cause.
Frances chief concern will be with sec
tors OF her long line which lie opposite
her heart Italy's main preoccupation
naturally will be for herself though in
unison with US all. America will begin
her operations in those regions where
she can fight with the liveliest histor-
1cal and national sense of appropriate-
ness.
Il think we can depend upon the su-
preme war council to have made a plan
whereby all these nations, while strik
Ing In the way most suitable to its ma
tfonal instinct. will strike practfcalIv
as one people in arms"
E00n CnDDTv nvrYYr~Y-a