The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1918-03-27
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 81, 1918.
THE GREAT OFFENSIVE.


If it never did before, this country
now realizes it is at war. The happen
ings Of the past few days on the bat
tlefelds of France-the engagement Of
great armies in the mightiest of all con
hicts-havc held this country under
spell OF intense interest. Many minds
have given thought time and again to
what would happen when the German
army was finally started ON its great
drive ON the western front, but few
could have visualizcd conflict of such
staggering proportions, OF such ruthless
slaughter. Only the edges Of the thick
screen surrounding the operations have
been lifted, but from that glimpse alone
comes sufficient knowledge to place this
great battle by itself, far removed from
all others in its terrible destructiyeness
of human life. Never before has an en-
gagcment seen such enormous numbers
OF men in action; never before has the
world seen such concentration of death
dealing devices; never before has the
world realized how little matters the life
of a million men.
All the fighting strength OF the central
t empires, all their resources OF men and
material, appear to have been joined I'M
der the command of the German kaiser for
a supreme effort on the western front
which shall either secure a quick and
favorable decision on the battlefield, or
else gain such advantages that will lead
TO a peace dictated by the kaisefs will
That an offensive Of such astounding mag
nitude gained wide territory at the out
set IS not to be wondered at; that it did
not gain more seems almost incredible
Prepared a. the British army. must
have been, it j. unbelievable that any
expectation ever was entertained in tn,
inter-allied war councils dcliberation,
that the kaiser had prepared such blow
] a, he launched last Thursday morning
IN these days OF aerial observation, anC
with the allies having a superior air force
4 il is not 20 be believed that the enormous
I concentration OF men and guns behind tn,
4 Aras-I.a Fore sector was accomplished YIN
\ known to the British and French Tha
. the great blow was coming where it di,
come was not the surprise in the might,
conflict. The German high command hat
previously hurled its troops to an attacl
with utter disregard of casualties, an,
it may reasonably have been expects
that the limit in that direction had bee
reached But il had not even been an
preached. From accounts 80 far reccivcc
meager a. they are Hirdenburg'o div
,jons have advanced in solid living wave
against the guns Of the British, way
upon wave in such vast numbers tina
slaughter beyond comprehension has r,
- suited
Ne studeut OF the game Of war has eve
argued against the theory that an arm
can gain an objective if it, leader Ia
men enough, il he Is willing to sacrifc
aud If the men are willing to be sacrifice
Upon no other theory can the kaiser |
operating The first days of this stagge
- ing battle SO far have proven clearly on
III one OF these conditions-that ne is viii
ing enough to sacrifice his men, 1t is a
most as clear that his men are keyed I
60 the spirit Of sacrifice, for all accolm
Of the battle reflects the highest mora
on the part of the German hordes. b
i it does not seem within the power Of h