The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1918-01-05

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decisive advantage. Moreover, since
the Western front has only a limited
extent, Germany at once acquired a
reserve to be used on this line when
there was need, although she did not
make and has not as yet made any
large draft upon it.
The failure of the Allied offensive
in 1917 was assured the moment
Russia dropped out, and Germany
was henceforth in a position to level
a new blow. She had the numbers
on the line and behind it to make
the security Of the Western front
absolute, despite minor fluctuations.
What should she do with her new
reserves acquired through Russian
detection? She elected to use o por-
ton Of them, small fraction, cer-
tainly less than 100000. in an offens-
i've against Italy, whose Isonzo at
tack was becoming dangerous to Aus
TRAN safety The result was the
Italian disaster and the loss by italy
Of $50 900 prisoners half of all her
artillery and more than half of all
her military accumulation in stores
and munitions.
The italian disaster completed the
Iu4h Oh kAAAAEA pAV0PN~N7 WAAANAA 49,
Russian collapse had begun. Italy
now became a liability and 1t was
necessary to send men and guns at
once to save her. At the moment
when the Germans were beginning
to transfer their troops from the
Eastern to the western front the Al
lies were obliged to detach two arm
les from the Western front to serve
in Italy. And with this action they
lost all advantage of numbers on the
West. The recent British attack at
Cambria which might have resulted
in one OF the decisive battles of the
war had Haig been able to support
Byng with the corps sent under Plum
er to Italy, ended in a bitter disap-
pointment and a dashing Of all Britt
fsh hopes.
As the New Year opens the Ger
mans are able to put on the Western
front substantially as many troops
as the British and the French. do
not think that even Austrian aid will
give the Germans any decisive adj
vantage in the matter Of numbers,
They arc able to concentrate in the
West most Of the guns hitherto used
against the Russians, all those cap
tured from the Italians. and it is not
impossible that some of the Russian
artillery will presently find its way
to the German lines in the West. IN
this situation any Allied offensive
on large scale becomes, il not inn
possible, altogether unlikely.
To attack now would mean for the
Allies huge losses, with relatively
small possibility OF a supreme sue
cess. 1t would risk exhaustion with
nF vic
tory. On the other hand, to wait, TO
accept the defensive, is to enable the
United States to bring up it's forces,
of which no large portion can be
effective in 1918, but perhaps a mil-
lion will be ready to take part in the
campaign OF 1919. Hence the Allies
since the submarine warfare does not
threaten them with famine or defeat
in the next sixteen months, are bound
to accept the defensive and let Ger
many risk exhaustion by the attack.
Now, as the situation stands to-
day, Germany has the men and the
material for an attack. But she cam
not wait. No great new ally is get
ting behind her guns, as we are pre-
pairing behind the French and Brit
ish armies. Her prospects next year
will certainly be worse than they are
now. But far and away beyond the
military are the economic questions.
Every month the war continues the
world is becoming insensibly but I'M
mistakably organized industrtally,
economically, financially against the
German; the hostility to Germany is
spreading and the task Of regaining
the old markets and establishing the
old commercial relations Is becoming
more difficult. Thus, IL Germany has
the opportunity to strike, she has
also the necessity Of making prompt
EFFORTS to close the war, which Is no
longer merely a problem Of military
factors.
But where will she striker This is
the question which is filling the press
az the world today. VIII she strike
in Asia Minor to regain Bagdad and
Jerusalem, restore her dream OF a
Berlin ~Byzantium- Bagdad railway,
regain her old sallyport against Brit
ish Egypt and the Suez Canal which
a Turkish Palestine suppied2 VIII
she attack the heterogeneous force
now defending Ealonica and Offering
the sole European obstacle to the
completion Of Mitteleuropa, Waliing
on this vast Teutonic creation from
the Aegean and from the natural
outlet OF the Central Empire at the
south?
or win the Germans make one
more colossal effort in the West3
They failed at the Marnes they failed
at the User and aboot Ypres, they
failed at Verdun; and II these three
attempts they had ali the advantages
that numbers. preparation munitions