The Oklahoma City times. [volume] (Oklahoma City, Okla.) 1908-1984, 1918-10-09
SURVEY REVEALS
THAT WAR MAY
/ END THIS YEAR
AMERICAS Entrance Said TO
I> M&s This Possible


City rimeS)
LONDON. Oct. q-Will it be over
this Year, That is the question which |,
is today on many lips and it behooves |
Us TO give a reasoned reply, not a re-
ply based on vague optimism or upon |
N exaggerated estimate OF the enemyS |
power OF resistance but a reply which !
shall guide our course OF action for the
remainder of the war. Just four years
ago, after the rude shock OF the enc
my's first victories, after the conquest
of Belgium, the retreat from Mons and
the threat to Paris came the miracle
OF the Marne, the enemy's retreat to
the Aisne, and the annihilation OF the
Austrian army at Lemburg This same
question was then asked, and the an
Sset v ter why, yes, these first
successes which the enemy has won
we're merely a flash in the pan The
allies have proved themselves TO he
stronger, as we always thought they
were The PrusSian steam roller has
only Just begun 10 move. The war will
be over by Christmas"
\ The state Of mind which produced
reply did us an lniinity OF harm. II
prevented us from taking off our coats
and getting to business at once. II pre-
vented us from realizing that we were
in for a war which may absorb not
merely the energies Of our navy and
Of our army, but the whole vitality and
resources oi the nation.
Enemys Power Dwindling.
\ This year we have again seen the
enemy win great successes. We have
again been in dire peril, and now again
the enemy is yielding everywhere. This
time we must have a more solid found
atom for our reply than we had in 1914,
and TO get 1t we must make first
careful survey OF the ground.
In the first place there is no qucs-
ton but that the enemy's military
power is dwindlng. His losses since
he started, on July IS, the great Of
fensive which was TO finish the war vic
toriousIy for him. have been enormous.
In those two and a nalf months the
allies have captured $4,000 prisoners
on the western front alone. These
men were all taken on the battle fields,
and with few exceptions would be grade
one men | doubt ii the whole Ger
man annual contingent Of recruits to-
day produces 35OOO grade-one men.
To the prisoners must be added the
losses in killed and wounded, and
these, at a moderate estimate would not
be less than four times g. many as the
prisoners, say one million.
Western Front Reduced.
So in two and a half months Ger
many has lost on the western front not
less than $4,000 men To her annual
contingent OF l9-year-old boys, she can
add only her recovered wounded and
sck and as these are not nearly sui
i.cient to make good these losses, and
keep her armies up TO strength, she has
therefore had to live on her capitaI
since July IS. She has had to break up
twenty-one divisions in order TO fill the
ranks OF the remainder, and at the
same time to reduce the size bi her bat
talions in those remaining divisions
that is, TO say, she has had TO reduce
her military establishment on the
western front by not less than 10000
men
Americans Pour In.
While this has been going on the
Americans have been pouring into
France From reports which VIC have
received we may estimate the number OF
American soldiers\who have completed
heir training and gone 10 the front
during this period OF two and a hall
months at about 10000. The balanc,
of strength has therefore changed II
favor OF the allies to the extent OF ap'
proximately 100000 men, and this pro
cess which will continue until the enc
Of the war the diminution of the en-
emy's forces, is the key 10 what ha'
been happening recently in France anC
Flanders
The Germans, being unable to max,
good their losses, have been forced 4
try 10 reduce their commitments Wher
Foch hurled them back from the Marn,
TO the Aisne they attempted TO shorter
their fronts on the Somme and Flander
hut before they could do this in thei
own time and their own way they wer,
anticipated and defeated by Haig The,
hoped 10 be able 10 stand for tht
winter in the Hindenburg system an,
once more they have been defeated b,
the skill Of the allied leadership and b,
The splendid fighting of the allie,
troops.
British Action Glorious
The part taken by the British arm,
in this fighting is the most gloriou
in lis whole history. Though II
strength considerably less than half o
the total forces OF the allies in IN
vest, our army. which has been fight
ing continuously since August s, ha
retonquered considerably more thai
half the ground won and capturet
more than half OF the prisoners taken
The men who have done this are thos
who In the spring had TO bear the iul
weight OF the enemy attacks, made a
the time when he was at his creates
strength.
The enemy's losses have, in conse
uuenee Of these defeats, been in exees
ni the economies he had made by re
ducing the length OF his front; so tha
at the end OF each retirement he ha
iound himself in no better position a
regards his reserves than he was befor
|, began and he has had to plan new
Withdrawal.
whole Front Pressed.
This new withdrawal is now takinI
piece. Foek by brilliant generalshiI
sa4 with the increasing power at hi
dlpcoal, - more and more American
y rmAa In IL oxsssso. a.. ........ 80. II