Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1919-01-02
FRANZ Il. slMoNps.

problems of peace are so complex and
SO compelling that. Glmost without real
lZation, the military aspects of the
great struggle have been dismissed. We
have been dimly conscious of the
achievements of the French
ers, as each in turn entered u lost city
at me head OF Il victorious army and
the batons of French marshals were
bestowed upon Petain and Castelnau.
as they had already been bestowed
upon Joffre and F'och. Pershing has
had his generous share of praise, and
his country will continue TO demon
strate it's satisfaction in his achieve
ment.
But, on the whole, probably with alb
Solute justice. the honorS of the cele-
Draticn of victory have been divided be-
tween the French army and the British
fleet, and While French troops reoccu-
pied Metz and Stratspurg amid the ac-
claim of the world. the same audience
has witnessed the Incredible spectacle
OF the German battle fleet approaching
the British coasts n surrendering
without a shot, giving itself UP still I'M
damaged by battle-a spectacle that
has no parallel in modern history.
And so, between these two wonderful
and contemporaneous events. men have
forgotten almost completely the
achievements and the Individual claims
upon our praise of the men who made
ana led the British army to victory. Yet
10Y fiaig and his subordinate army
commanders there is due some mention
IN the present moment even when the
achievements of Foch, Petain, Castel-
n-u, Mansin and Gouraud are still too
recent to be dull memories. And in
this article l mean to review briefly the
achievement of the most conspicuous
of the British generals.
or Haig it is perhaps hardest to
write. because all the burden was his
and no man nows know exactly how
great that burden was. Politicians in
terfered with him.. Last spring, when
the heavy blow fell upon his armies,
bringing temporary disaster, it was
political dictation which had COM
PEELED him to stretch his line to such
an extent that it was thiniy held at
vital points, and it was political influ-
ence which a deprived him of neces-
sary reserves. SO much we know.
Hais the Veteran.
Aside from controversial points.
however. certain facts are obvious. OF
all allied commanders Haig is the
1oSot III pOIl!l Ol service as Cll1eI, as
he is | believe the youngest in years.
He came to command in 1915, when
French ven home after Loos, when
the new British army had only be-
gun 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,
Picardy and Flanders in 1917, at the
Somme n in Flanders in defeat aud
then in victory. in supreme victory
in the present year, was of his maxi
ing.
Before he commanded armies the
reputation of Sir Douglas Haig was
made in battle. He was the outstand-
ing figure of the first Ypres. which
was fought mainly under his immedi-
ate direction. When French went
home there was no one else thought
of to succeed the Boer veteran. In
the great Somme campaign of 1915
the British army, under Haig's direc-
ton, learned its business. 1t was a
costly lesson, the mistakes were many,
but at the end Of the campaign the
army believed itself superior to the
German; it felt that 1t a learned
its job.
The next year the opening victory
WAS CoIIpIele, ATTaS was q real
achievement. Nimy ridge a genuine
military triumph. But afterward
Haig's campaign was manifestly i'm
peded as he Loyalty e~ndeavored to aid
Nivelle. who had failed and was fall
ing. The British campaign was sacri-
feed, delayed; the blow in Fladners
came too late, although 1t began with
the great success of Plumer. About
this Flanders campaign men ak as
they talked about Grants campaign
from the Rapidan to Cold Harbor. 1t
was terribly costly; it did not bring
immediate SUCCESS.
Then RussiS 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
to his rmy fighting with their backs
to the wall; the appeal of a general to
his men heard and obeyed. The Ger
man was halted.
Men said then that Haig should
come home, but the politicians. per-
haps aware with whom the burden or
blame rested, permitted him to stay;
and after that came. on August 8, the
Byng, which forbade to tie Germans
back from Amiens: next the success Of
Byng. which forbade to no Germans
q stand behind the upper Somme.
Then the blow Of Horne. which broke
q portion Of the Hindenburg line. FL
nally. the great success of October 8.
one of the far shining achievements
of the whole war. which smashed the
YI;~S,,l,,rr linz forovor onC hono~