The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1918-01-19

vasion ana lrstratIuu; ami those y. ~
know Tie German people a"ft :i.G IT.
most >angUinC tnuI under dcfeu1 they
will set up a democracy are most pos
tive that no German would dream u
0us,inS his rulers-if those rulers we're
successful.
Heres Not Eca;zcd.
T. is ~ secret that 1T one tim" tn'>
ycur very high hopes were hnld n
NHo'a ana AID france f." the ofltnsiyeS
un lie Western fronts. I@nortant a.
u" Successes gained in those attacks
have boon. cruel rs are the losses IN
Ntctcd upon the enemy, it is now evi-
drut u thc world that the wider
strategic .,iSion which looked forward
t, great il not decisive results in Tie
field have proved too optimistic, or at
tho least premature.
The complete collapse of the Rus
sian armies fortunately took place at
n date too late to permit the Germans
TO reap the full benefit of their cheap
II bought successes by transferring
troOps to the west. The full effect Of
the notwithstanding situation in the
east will not be felt until spring in the
west. when however, military men are
agreed the increased strength Ger
many draws from the east will not en-
able her to undertake great often
sive with the slightest prospect o. sue
cess. It will however stiffen the stub
born defensive which, in the light o.,
the present European situation ami I'll"
strength of the rival armies, seems
Germany'S best as 1t is her only card.
New Divisions TO West.
Russia however, decisiEely inttu'
enced the fate of the western cam
pafgns in 1917 Even though few troops
were actually transferred from The
east frcnt, all the new divisions form
cd III Germany went to the west, While
the great Russian offensive tlat W2S
part Of the 1917 war plan broke down
almost before it got started.
Incredible quantities Of A2ni5i"2:
and guns were sent by tho allies t.
Russia; the use made of them can
he imagined. Had al the manufacture
ING resources Of the entente ana Amer
lea hcen poured into France AMI ftaE-
ders. The pressure upon the German!
lines would have been greatly intrn>i-
fed. Germany was able to bring :"
the west front hundreds Of batteries
and millions of shells that under Tor
nal conditions must have gone to
the east.
The result of the Russian break
down, then, made itself felt in the Wpst
even as early as the battle OF Arraa
and the French offensive of April OF
the Aisne. The enemy poured shells
upon the allies positions with prodl-
gality hitherto unknown, and the
French and British commands knew
even then that one shell out of every
three that came over their lines had
been destined by the Germans for the
Russian front in the enemy plans for
this wear made before the revolution.
British Have Done Wonders.
When the battle of Flanders began
the process Of transfer Of metal il not
men from the east has been in full
stream for many months. Under th"S"
the wonder is not that
the heroic British infantry, with the
rain and the mud against them. did not
accomplish more. 1t is miracle that
they did so much, and the German
field grays have never had such 4
pounding. not even on the Somme.
But all the heroism in the world Will
not alter such facts rs those which the
Russian collapse has placed before the
allies. It is the brutal truth that
decision on the west front in all hui
man probability depends on the num-
Der of American troops that can DE
nut into line while the allies are able
to hold out: it is equally true that IN
less that decision is obtained, or Ger
many surrenders beforehand, the wa"
will not be q draw. Germany VIII