The Fargo forum and daily republican., 1918-12-16
BY FRANK n. siMoNDs.
author Of "The World War;" "They
Shall Not Pass"
(Copyright, 1918, New York Tribune
Incl
Ry Erank q. slmnnnnda-.

the problems OF peace are so complex
and SO compelling that, almost with
out realization, the military aspects
OF the great struggle have been dis
missed We have been dimly conscious
or the achievements of the French
commanders, as each in turn entered
q, lost city at the head of a victor
ions army and the batons of French
rnarshals were bestowed upon Petain
and Castelnau, as they had already
been bestowed upon Joffre and Foch
Pershing has had his generous share
OF praise, and his country will con-
tinue TO demonstrate its satisfaction
in his achievement.
But, on the whole, probably with
absolute Justice, the honors of the
celebration OF victory have been d.
vided between the French army and
the British fleet, and while French
troops reoccupied Metz and Strass-
bourg amid the acclaim of the
world, the same audience has wit
messed the incredible spectacle Of the
German battle fleet approaching the
British coasts and surrendering
without a shot, giving itself up still
'undamaged by battle-a spectacle
that has no parallel in modern his
tory.
Mention Due Officers.
SO. between LneS6 Two "OI!-
derfai ana contemporaneous events,
men have forgotten almost completely
the achievements and the individual
clhiTns upon our praise Of the men
who made and led the British army
to ultimate victory after a period
equal in length to that Of our own
Civil War, and filled with the same
disappointments which the North
suffered through that long and terri
Bile time. Yet for Haig and his sub
ordinate army commanders there is
due some mention in the present mo-
n1ent, even when the achievements of
Foch. Petain. Casselnau. Mangtn and
Gourand are still too recent to be
dull memories. And in this article
I mean to review briefly the achieve
ment OF the most conspicuous of the
British generals. -...
OF HaiR 1t Is perhaps hardest TO
write, because all the burden was his
and no man knows now exactly how
great that burden was. Politicians
interfered with him. Last spring
when the heavy blow fell upon his
armies, bringing temporary disaster,
II was political dictation which had
compelled him to stretch his line to
such an extent that 1t was thinly held
at vital points, and 1t was political
influence which had deprived him OF
necessary reserves. So much we
know.
Hais Longest In Service.
Aside from controversial points,
however, certain facts are obvious.
or all allied commanders, Haig Is the
oldest, in point of service as chief,
as he is, believe, the youngest in
years. He came to command in 1915,
when French went home after Loos,
r. I'll. 1,
begun to come to France, and the
real organization of victory was still
to be made. The army that fought at
the first Somme in 1916, in Artois,
Pfcardy and Flanders in 1917, at the
Semme and in FLANDERS in defeat and
then in victory, in supreme victory in
the present year, was Of his making.
Before he commanded armies the
reputation Of Sir Douglas Haig was
made in battle. He was the out
standing figure at the first Ypres,
which was fought mainly under his
immediate direction. When French
went home there was no one else
though of to succeed the Boer vet
eran. In the great Somme cam
padgn Of 1915 the British army, under
Haig's direction, learned its business.
1t was costly lesson, the mistakes
were many. but at the end Of the
campaign the army believed itself su-
pesior to the German: it felt that it
had learned its job.
The next year the opening victory
was complete, Arras was real
achievement Vimy Ridge a genuine
military triumph. But afterward
Haigs campaign was manifestly i'm
peded as he loyalty endeavored to aid
NivelIe, who had failed and was fall
ing. The British campaign was sac
rifIeed, delayed, the blow in Flan-
ders came too late. although 1t began
with the great success of Plumer.
About this Flanders campaign men
talk as they talked about Grants
campaign from the Rapidan to Cold
Hsrbor. 1t was terribly costly 1t did
not bring immediate success.
2 Then Russia collapsed and the Ger
mans came west to Picardy with the
road made easy for them by political
interference. Haig was defeated and
Foch came to command. One day we
heard the memorable appeal of Haig
toshis army, fighting with their backs
to- the WALL the appeal of a general
To his men heard and obeyed. The
Z German wave was halted.
Men said then that Haig should
come home, but the politicians, per-
'haps aware with whom the burden
stay; and after that came, on Aug
ust s, the victory which started the
Germans back from Amiens; next the
success Of Byng, which forbade to
the Germans a stand behind the up
per Somme. Then the blow of Horne,
which broke a portion Of the Hinden-
burg line Finally, the great success
of October s, one of the far-shining
achievements of the whole war, which
smashed the Hindenburg line forev-
er. and began the last phase of the
war, the rapid collapse Of German
resistance.
7Victory Due to Cooperation.
II you take the achievement of the
British army between August and
November H. when 1t forced its way
from the outskirts of Amiens' to
Mons, you viii find upon examination
itefs one of the most splendid records
in all military history.N
am not aseel1ing to opportion
praise, do not pretend to know what
Foeh, did and what Haig did, but un-
der Foch's supreme command the
British army, rallying from terrific
losses and heavy defeats in March
and April, In three glorious months
smashed its way forward over in
Vulnerable obstacles, which included
the far-famed Hindenburg line. 1t is
clear that If Haig had not Loyalty CO.
operated with Foch the victory would
not have been possible. 1t is clear
that however brilliant the strategy
OF Foch, If 1t had not been intelligent
" and efficiently interpreted no such
success would have followed,
Therefore, il the great glory is to
Foeh, as it was In our Civil war to
Grant in the North and Lee in the
south, is seems to me that Haig
1a1assk deserve the praise which we OF
the North gave to Sherman, which