Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-01-30
THE DEFERRED OFFENSIVE.

Ihere has Tor many weeks been a lnasslng OF forces
on the battle line that extends from the North Sea to
the Swiss border. The east front has been pretty well
depleted, and German troops from that section have been
transferred by the hundred thousand to the French
front. and with the men have come vast quantities OF
munitions and great numbers of guns. The Allies main
tanned a vigorous offensive during most of the summer,
but the closing in of winter, coupled with the strength
enins of the enemy's lines, brought their operations to a
standstill. Everywhere there has been the feeling OF
certainty that Germany was planning a great stroke. The
logic of the situation demanded it. Germanys only hope
is in a powerful and successful blow, with new peace pro.
posals made while the Allies are trying to recover from
their punishment. No military authority doubts that
Germany can make quite extensive inroads on the Al.
lied defenses. No military authority questions the ability
of either party to bend back the lines of the other a,
about whatever point is chosen for the operation. 1t Is
a question of how many men a commander is willing to
sacrifice in such an enterprise, and whether or not he
believes that the gain will be commensurate with the
expenditure.
Germany cannot, by the sacrifice of any conceivable
number of men, make gains which will benefit her great.
ly in a military way. She can drive wedges into the 20.
sitions of her adversaries if she chooses to pay the price
She will be willing to pay the price in men if, as a result
she can obtain peace terms that are to her liking. Ger.
many is fighting for peace. She wishes to end the wa,
as quickly as possible. But the peace which she seeks
is a peace which will leave her in command of the situa.
ton. and which will leave her free to pursue her polio,
of agsrandizement afterwards with the practical certain,
ty Of success.
In striking such a blow as must be struck to pro.
duce the tremendous moral effect for which She hopes
Germany would lose great numbers of men, and shs
would also run the risk Of defeating her own object b,
laying herself open to attack which, in turn, would b.
disastrous to her. If her aims can be accomplished with
out taking those chances, all the better. And it is rea
|sonable to suppose that these considerations, as well a
the material obstacles interposed by weather condition,
and the presence of a powerful and alert enemy, having
impelled her thus far to postpone the blow for which sh.
has long been preparing. 20
Germany is seeking now to obtain by politica
Vaccinations that which she is not sure she can obtair
by force or arms. Her political schemes have met with
some success. They appear to have been decidedly sue
cessful in Russia. They were partially successful in Italy
They failed in France, but even in France they produced
some very grave and menacing situations. She is ap
parently using her great military preparations to rein
force her political plotting. When she has gained al
that she thinks she can gain from political tricks ant
schemes we may expect her to launch her armies il
what is likely to be her supreme effort.