Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-03-25
TARDEU SEES FIGHT
AS ANOTHER VERDUN
every Mediocre Result" is
Achieved by Germans,
Says Commissioner

New York. March 25.--There Is moth.
ing IN tho current news from overseas
TO warrant any dlsauletudc ON the part
of the American public or any OF the
national allied against Germany, bclives
Captain Andre Tardcu French high
commissioner in tho United States,
In statement issued hero he coun-
sclcd the fastening of preparations In
this country TO deal the enemy "blow
for blow" and the maintenance by
Americans at home Of the Same calm
confidence" in tho ultimate issue Of the
war as has been manifested by tho ma &.
lions troops in France
Gcrinany's long distance lombard
ment Of Paris can havo no significance
from a military viewpoint, Captain Tar
dieu asserted Tho damage resulting
from this gunfirc, he said, evidently had
been even less than that Incidental TO
all aerial bomb attack.
The British retirement near st ouen-
tin. OIL the western front. the high com
missioner believed, was move psral-
telling that Of the French during the
nTSt lNo GdN vs. Ol I've pdttLC VI NSluuH'
similar TO yerdup Fight
Captain Tardieu advised that Amer
leans be critics of tho war news and
warned against the forming Of con-
clusions until tho net result of the new
German move was determined. lie
added.
'"rho German attack seems to have cx-
ceeded in violence, by the number of
guns as well AS by the number of men
all previous attacks, but insist that this
which have already been repulsed. The
two first days seem to me to be abso.
lutely similar TO the first two days OF
battle at Nerdun In February, 1916. The
| British retirement near st. Quentin Is
not moro important relatively than the
French retirement at the beginning ot
| the Netdun engagement
Ten days later at Nerdun VIC hac
ceased TO retire and the result was Of
/ negligible value to Germany. We hav,
every right to think that tho outcom,
will be the same this time. The Ger
/ mans may benefit by the increase q
power resulting from the Russian trea
| son in abandoning the cause of demoC
raCy. | think the numerical superiorit!
Of Germany Is six to five, but the British
and French are much stronger anC
much better armed now than at Nerdui
Therefore. there Is no cause for anxiety
Notwithstanding the tremendou
weight OF troops and fighting machiner.
employed, the results of the last tw,
days are not superior 10 those W
achieved ourselves in the first two day
OF our offensive on the Somme In 1916
You must also keep in mind that the FEY
miles which the Germans have take
! with the sacrifice of thousands upo
thousands of men constitute only SINAI
part of tho territory they evacuated 4
1917.
Calls Results Mediocre
TN their official communiquo of thi
morning the Germans say that the frs
stage Of the great battle has ended. Thi
is a very mediocre result. What wi
follow we shall see, and 7 do not choos
to be prophet, but ] have a convictio
that the beginning Of this baltic hold
nothing that should be disquieting to tn
Allies. Our gallant snd bravo conrade
of the British army will be able to
now what we have done In Verdun, an,
side by side with the British, the Frenc
army is ready to render the enemy bio
for blow.
"As regards the bombardment of Par
by long-range guns, the bombardmer
does not seem to have hurt Paris q
much as is usual in a bombing by ali
planes. I have only one word regarc
| ing this firing on Paris: II there real
exists such gun, the initial speed
, the shell must be such that the gu
will not be able to work after Yer
limited number of shots. We mus
, therefore, maintain the same atttud
, that the Parisians have held-there mu'
: be complete calm.
FINALLY, ! ask our American frienc
to draw from the first two days Of bait
only two conclusions: First, the necei
sity of keeping cool and making then
selves the critics of the nows AM
second, the necessity to act rapidly an
, increase with all haste the preparatio
: of the American help. In such gros
, battle as this we must see the who
thing and not only part of II.
/ In the last two days I have notice
) "A tendency now and then OF the part {
the American press and the America
| public to be a little nervous. Americ
, is in the war. American boys are on II
front. The American public in the rea
, must keep as calm as tho American ooS
Oh the lighting line"