The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1918-01-26
Only Cloud on Horizon in Opinion
OF Optimistic Leaders of
Teuton Forces.
ALLIES EXPECT TOO MUCH
People Of England and France Think
United States viii Perform MI.
raeles In the Very Near
Future.
BY JOHN LLOYD BALpERsroN

lance Of the coming efforts of fully
aroused America came quickly to both
camps of belligerents when 1t was
known last spring, soon after the break
with Germany, that American troops
would be sent to Europe. But military
events of the past few months have i'm
menSely enhanced the importance Of
the role the United States will be
called upon to play.
Private adviceS received here from
Germany Indicate that the anticipation
OF American force is the dominating
note in the present anxiety of Ger
many's rulers to force peace at any
cost before the next campaign has
been fought out.
At the beginning of this years fight
ing, both Germany and the allies were
optimistic. Germany believed so
strongly that the unrestricted Subma-
rine warfare would bring victory in
IL few months that she did not hest
tate to drag in reluctant America
against her. The allies were almost
Aeuaily confident that the hammer
Blows on the Somme could be followed
up, this year by decisive strokes that
would send the enemy armies scuttling
for the Rhine. Both sides were wrong
Berlin Thinks Situation Good.
Aside from the shadow of the Amer
lean eagle that has fallen over Ger
many, the military situation at present
Is regarded in the highest Berlin quar-
terS as good. Information regarding
recent speeches at the supposedly Sc
cret sessions Of the main committee
of the reichstag, as well as accounts
of views recently expressed in private
by leading men of the empire, indi-
cate that Germans would be more cock
sure than ever that they had won the
war. were it not for the treacherous
behavior OF the never-to-be-sufticientl
strafed Herr Wilson.
From q competent source here have
obtained the gist of a communication
recently privately made to group OF
banking and manufacturing magnates
In Germany, as representing the opin
ion of the general staff, which means
the Hindenburg-Luden combina
ton.
A little over q year ago, this German
summary remarked, the situation was
extremely gloomy. The great attack
on Verdun had failed; after swallow
ing I'D. the summary did not add, the
flower Of the German army. Rouma
MIA had just entered the war. The
French and British were dealing blows
on the SOmme that caused grave un
easiness. Late in the autumn, ROuma
MIA had been defeated by Falkenhayr
and Mackensen, and the danger In tine
east removed, but the British attacks
towards Bapaume, in September, near
" resulted in a disastrous break
through.
One Cloud on Horizon.
The present position, contrastec
with that of last year, Is painted IL
bright cOlors. Thanks to the "Drl
liant and successful" retreat OF Hin
denburg in the SOmme area as the
winter drew towards an end, and tt
the invention Of new tactics which re
moved the possibility of such defeats
MS were narrowly averted on the
Somme, the present year Is represented
as one Of brilliant strategical success
The great allied attacks east OF Arras
in April and May, on the Aisne II
April. and in Flanders later In the
wear are declared to have failed. The
only Fronce-British successes admitted
are the "purely local" setbacks inflict
ed on the Germans at Vimy, the Mes
sines ridge, and Verdun. Russia i
proclaimed out of action, and the west
ern pallies incapable OF undertaking
further offensives on the scale of these
which have failed; the only cloud or
the horizon, the summary concluded, Is
the army of the United States, wnoSt
strength and prowess are written doWr
cautiously as an unknown quantity
That. in spite of what they believe
to be their improved position on the
west front. and the collapse of Russian
resistance in the east, the Germans
should be more anxious for peace thar
they were a year ago, is due TO I'M
German fear of what they may nave
to face from across the Atlantic. 81
much am informed is freely admitted
in the German capital, although TIT
German press has been ordered II
sheer at and belittle in every possible
way the new enemy. The process Il
a familiar one. 1t is the same as tina
employed towards England, while thu
British armies were slowly and pain
fully being called out of the sroun'
and fashioned into shape. The sneer
stopped when the civilian levies strucl
on the Somme, one month less thar
two years after the war began.
Allies Expect Too Much.
But the American pressure on Ger
many is probably more seriously rear
ed because Of its financial and DlocK
AIDE aspects than because OF Washing
toms naval and military preparations
A serious danger exists that the Brit
tsh and French publics may come Z