Evening star., 1939-10-30
Maintaining Morale
OF 0fArmies Problem
Without Offensive
Both Allies and Germons
Face Big Questions
This Winter
BY COL. FREDERICK PALMER,
NotaJ NG;l;%a.,

BY COL. FREDERICK PALMER,
Noted Military Expert.
How are the commands to keep up
the fighting spirit of the huge
armies on the western front if there
is no offensive through the winter,
say until early March, which will
mean they must wait for six months
for the long predicted battle before
it comes? They were sent to the
front for war, and there is hardly
enough war to keep them interested
Soldiers get stale marking time.
With little to do, they are more sub
tect to homesickness. In siege of
boredom, their early impatient Lets
60 to it and have it over with" Is
succeeded by What are we here
for, anyhow" when they might be
back on the farm or in the shop,
with their families and sleeping in
their own beds.
In the first eight weeks of favor
ing weather in this war there has
been less action on the western front
than in any eight weeks of winter
in the World War. Then it was
considered good military doctrine to
stir the enemy up with big trench
raid. or an attack with a limited
objective. not so much to show the
enemy that your side was not hi
bernating as to keep your own men
on their toes There must be no
nodding. Morale must be kept on
q sharp edge.
Offensive Up to Germans.
The problem is usually less diff
cult for the army that is set for
the offensive 1t is assumed that
this will be the Germans. with the
allies depending on the defensive at
the outset.
We hear much talk that the time
element presses Germany to make
an immediate offensive. But we
heard the same talk in 1914-5, on the
basis that the blockade would
starve her out of raw materials, If
not food. before the end of the year
and she fought on until November,
1918. after delivering her greatest
offensive since the Marne on the
western front in the preceding
March.
Only the prospect that Germany
IS unable to sustain war for another
year. or a Hitlerian hunch that
there is no withstanding the Fuehr-
er's army under his magic spell-or
concern lest planes and munitions
from America in addition to the
allies own production should exceed
his own in growing balance against
him--would seem to warrant what
would seem necessarily a prolonged
offensive into winter weather,
against precedent.
OF itself, the massing of more
and more German divisions on the
western front need not be accepted
as a convincing sign Hitler will
strike before early spring. Where
else would he concentrate? Here is
the future battlefield for his legions.
German tradition and practice are
OF the most painstaking preparation
in detail and team play and then
smashing blow. In being trained
Tor the offensive, the German soldier
Will not wonder what to do with
any spare time his military masters
allow him. He does not ask the
reason-at least he knows the pen
atty OF asking-why he has to do
this or that. 1t is enough that he
Is told to do it.
Germans May Also Ask "Why?"
Over again and again, through
the winter, in the docile obedience
OF a drudgery of industry, which
knows no union hours or wage scale,
he will repeat the exercises set for
him to make him a robot of auto
matte precision-encouraged by the
promise of victory, even of Paris,
which will end the war. Yet he, too,
MAY be secretly asking, "Why?" and
his fuehrer be disappointed at the
measure of his fighting spirit under
hurricanes of fire
Surely, the German high command
wants all its troops together under
It's molding hand. together to train
each corps and division for its part,
and all staffs and field officers down
to platoon commanders and SER
geants for their parts. So in CO.
hesion, men, arms, transport and
supply, they will be ready to fit into
the pattern of the secret plan for
swift, facile, sure movement whether
to feint here or there, and for the
major blow, wherever it is to be,
from Switzerland to the Dutch from
tier.
There is another reason. If Hitler
is to find a peace offensive necessary
later, he would hardly be consistent
with his past if he had his troops
scattered in camps instead of massed |
In a powerful threat on the western
front.
Allied Troops to Get Holiday.
Morale for the allies is readiness
In spirit and training on the initial
defensive to meet the shock. Both
French and British troops are to re-
ceive generous leaves. They will
have holidays at home.
BY all manner of means, they will
be prepared for the day when the
guns thunder, 1T has come"
In dull hours, crowded in billets,