Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1918-01-24
BY FRANK H. sIMoNDs.

(copyr,oht. 1913. Tribune Association.)
The campaign OF 1918 opens with
certain very clearly marked problems
In all minds. BY reason of the Russian
collapse and the Italian disaster, the
Germans a ~regained the offensive,
the initiative. Theirs is now the OPP
p%ortunity nnd h power to strike. For
their nemie the riddle is now: Where
will the next German blow fall? In
the weat. IN Saioniki, in Asia? In add
dition. there il the problem of the 1tal-
ian campaign. which is still proceeding.
Will tho Germans and their Austrian
allies Who are doing most of the work.
be abte u press their advantage to the
extent of compelling the |.alianS, now
supported by the French and the Brit
ish. to fall back to the line of the Adige,
surrenderins Venice, NicenZa and Pa
duap
1t is perhaps worth while At the out
set to examine for a the con-
ditions out of which the present Ger
mar advantage has grown. At the out
set of he last campaign, that of 1917,
the German situation was. on the sur
face, almost desperate. Russia, France.
Britain and italy. with their minor al
lies. possessed a combined force vastly
in excess OF the troops of Germany and
Austrian The central powers We're
outnumbered on every front. and, by
contrast with their condition in the
previous year. they no longer possessed
q strategic reserve like that used
against Verdun.
Beginning in June, July and August.
1916. when French and British troops
at the Sornme. Italian troops along the
Isonzo and Russian troops in Galicia
had developed a c~oncentric and, in a
measure. co-ordinated offensive, the
Germans had been compelled to &C
cept the defensive, and on all fronts
they had lost ground, prisoners and adj
vantage. which were not to be con-
cealed or counterbalonced by the sue
cessfui offensive made against Ruma-
mia Just AS the campaign closed. an OF
fensive which was actually SUCCESSFUL
Rumania was sold out by the
Russian ruling faction, betrayed. and
thus abandoned to destruction.
Germany had found herself hard
pressed all through the latter half OF
1916. and her enemies might reasonably
have expected at this time last year
that with the renewal of a concentric
attack in 1917 Germany would be
forced TO shorten her lines east and
west. or court the disaster which came
70 Lee when he endeayored to hold a
front too extended for his numers in
the last days of the confederacy.
The concentric attack was resumed.
nut after q preliminary round of allied
successes. French and British. on the
- LIOfil, lldlIdH OH Liz ISOi!LO dIl0
Russian In Galicia. Russia suddenly COL
iapsed. n from that onward
rapidly disa peared as a factor in the
situation. With the disappearance of
Russia the allies lost their advantage
in numbers. Conceiveabiy. they were
still more numerous. but they had no
longer a decisive advantage. Moreover.
since the western fronth has only a lin
tied extent. Germany at once acquired
a reserve to be used on this line when
there vas need. although she did not
make and has not as yet made any large
draft upon il.
Russ Fiaseo Spelled Failure.
The failure OF the allied offensive in
1877 was assured the moment Russia
dropped out, and Germany was hence
forth in a position to level a new blow.
She had the numbers on the line and
behind 1T 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
a portion OF them. a small fraction,
certainly less than 100. 900. i'm an Of
ifensive against Italy. whose lsonzo
attack was becoming dangerous to
Austrian safety. The result was the
italian disaster and the loss By Italy
of $4,000 prisoners. half of all her ar
,iiiery n more than half Of all her
military accumulation in stores and
munitions.
The Italian disaster completed the
ruin OF allied prospects which the Rus
sian collapse had begun. Italy now be-
came a liability. and it 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 allies were obliged to detach two
armies from the western front to serve
tn italy. And with this action they lost
all advantage of numbers on the west.
The recent British attack at Cambrai,
which might nave resulted in one OF
the decisive battles of the war had
Haig been able to support Byng with
the corps sent under Plumer to Italy
ended IN a bitter disappointment and
a dashing of all British hopes.
As the new ear opens the, Germans
ace able to put on the western front
substantially as many troops as the
British and the French. l do not think
that even Austrian aid Will give the
Germans any decisive advantage in the
matter Of numbers. They are able to
concentrate IN the west most of the
guns hitherto used against. the Rus
slams. all those captured from the
Italians. and 1t is not impossible tina,
some Of the Russian artillery will pres
entity find it's way to the German lines
in h west. In this situation any allied
offensive on a large scale becomes, II
not impossible. altogether unlikely.
40 attack now would mean for the
allies huge losses. with relatively small
possibility Of a supreme success. I,
would risk exhaustion without common.
surate promise of victory. On the Other
hand. to wait. to accept h defensive
is to. enable the United States to bring
Up Its forces. OF which no large portion
can be effective I'm sI1lS. but perhap.
1000 900 will be reGdy to take part II
the campaignSGf 1919. Hence the allies