New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-04-11
Not as Advertised

Luck again was with the Germans.
They were favored by the precocity Of
spring in France and the hardness of
democracy in America.
Taking the weather tirst--it was both
dry and misty "The attack which sue
ceeded.' says Lloyd George, "was made
on that part of the line where under ordi-
nary spring conditions the ground would
have been almost impossible.
But it just happened to be absolutely dry
and firm, and they walked across"
There was solid ground where there
should have been mud. That was luck
for the Germans.
And then there was no American army,
though the Allies had counted on one.
That was greater German luck.
In both cases they took the fullest adj
vantage of the odds in their favor. That
was German Efficiency.
1t is painful to discuss our hardness.
At the end of january Mr.. Baker was
apparently satisfied with the rate at
which we were getting into the war. He
spoke particularly of our expeditionary
SilOILS. hey NtIt cll llletC COulu US SA-
pected. There would be large Ameri-
can army in France to meet the spring
offensive, which even then was generally
expected.
Seven weeks later the German often
sive started 1t turned out to be what is
perhaps the greatest battle in the history
of the world.
And the most serious disappointment
from which the Allies suffered was the
absence of the large American army
which had been counted upon to over
come the additional strength which the
detection of Russia enabled Germany to
bring to bear on the West front!
The authority for this statement Of
the Allied point of view is the most COM
petent there is.
Monday, in a wonderfully panoramic
speech to the House of Commons, Lloyd
George told of having called upon the
President of the United States for per-
mission to employ the American troops
already in France, not as an army, but
as man power; how that permission was
given, and how dramatic it seemed to re-
ceive it in the great emergency. Then
he proceeded to explain:
In .imerica there is Gerry consid-
crablc number of men in the course
Of training, and the lilies looked for
card to hauing large american
army IN france IN the spring.
1t has tahen longer than antici-
pated to turn those soldiers into the
necessary Divisional organisations
If america 7paited to complete these
Divisional organizations 1t 7could not
be possible for these fnc troops IN
any large numbers 10 take part IN
this battle in this campaign, although
1t might be Gerry 7ceiI the dccisiye
battle Of the cur.
This Gas, of course, one Of the
most serious disappointmemts from
7chich the lilies had sufered
1t is no use pretending that 1t gcas
not one of our chief causes Of anriety.
Ne depended upon ii largely to make
up the detection Of Russia. For
many reasons-reayons, perhaps, of
time 1t takes, not merely to train
troops and their officers but To COM
ptete the necessary organi2ation-it
zcas quite impossible to put into
France the number Of decisions cuery
one had confidently erpccted qcould
be there
In another place in the same speech
Lloyd George desires that all recrimina-
ton shall be shut out. He does not even
censure General Cough, under whose
command the brave Fifth Army failed.
His remarks about Americas Hardness
are purely explanatory and full of UNI
derstandng.
Nevertheless, they hurt. 1t is Of no use
to say that we intended to do our utmost.
that we promised with our hearts, that
we encountered unique difficulties, or
that by reason Of the time we took a
great many things will be perfect when
delivered
The fact is that we did not perform
our part as the Allies expected.
Let it be.
Failures, Of which there have been
many On all sides, are historic. We are
not concerned with history.
The enemy, Lloyd George says, "has
definitely decided to seek military 1cci-
sion this year, whatever the consc-
quences 10 himself"
That does not moan the war nee