New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-09-03
ObHque Defeat
To the Editor Of The Tribune.

Sir: Professor Roland G. Usher. author
of Pan Germanism," has written sequel
thereto, entitled "The Winning of the
War" His prophecies however, are not
of victory. He asserts that the conspicu-
Gus failure to achieve military victory for
the Allies has led many competent OBJ
servers to conclude that victory can be in
dubitable only if the Allies can obtain the
aid and cooperation of the people of the
Central Empires themselves; also that a
military victory in Europe of sufficient ex-
tent is believed by these eminent authori-
ties to be impossible opp 2e8-o).
He reaches the natural conclusion that
the people of Pan Gcrmania will not turn
against their government while it is sue
cesful, at least not unsuccessful. lie
further says:
"The collapse of Russia made the victory
which the Allies originally determined to
win not only impossible, but inexpedient
and most certainly incapable of the ex-
pected effect" (p. 1861
1.-THE true defensive and offensive weapon
of the Atlantic powers is not armies, but
sea power. The German feet is
valueless" opp. Sod.
"a relatively limited victory in France
or in Italy is all that is either necessary
or expedient' (p. 376)
"To gain Belgium and Alsace-Lorraine
by the defamation of French and British
man power would be to insure defeat. to
throw away the secure defence which the
Atlantic powers can always organize in
time and destroy the defensive and no.
of tbo
Central Europe. No other defeat can he
dangerous; none other conclusive. BY it
alone can the Central Empires win more
than the empty prize Of the control Of I'M
developed Eastern Europe" (p. 373).
1T is imperative that the French army
should be taken out of the trenches "a
completely and as soon as possible. It has
thus far borne the brunt of the war. and
ITS losses have been fully as great as
france can afford TO bear, if she is to re-
tam her proper strength after the war"
(p. 37S).
IF the aim of the war was to free AUS
'r'a-Hungary from the heavy hand of The
army and bureaucracy, so as to liherata
'he true impulses of the people for democ-
racy, nothing short of destruction Of mill
tarlsm could achieve it' (p. 375).
III the offensive for the time being can
be abandoned and a purely defensive u,or
fought with minimum expenditure of ma
terial 1t will greatly increase the chances
OF victory ard the ease with which tho
Aimed countries themselves can continue
'"e war That means defensive
war Tor perhaps two years" (p. 37o)
mere Is absolutely no hurry. The Cer-
mans cannot win more than we allow +bon,
to have In the West; they already have wor
more than we can probably take awav from,
'hem IN the East True, the Allies canro+
neglect the value of time. but five ~ 49,.
years can be provided for on a defensive
basis" opp. 377-s).
NO crushing of the Austro- German arr,r
or extirpation of militarism is feas;hla -.
imperative" Up. 375).
o interfere with the domestic admin
's'rahon Of united Germany and ,o,a,
Austra-Hungary will require not noro,,,
victory but conquest, maintained for
generation by military occupation of bo+h
countries" (p. 376). '0'A
10 paraphrasc the title Of tho .h.
entitled Defeat Through victorvn 49,
au'hor seems to think that the road ~
Allied victory runs through defe,+ "
HENRY A. FORSTER
rev York, Aug IA. 1918