Evening star., 1939-09-14
StaIemate on Western
Front May Draw
u. ). Into War
Observer Sees Bottle
On Defense Lines Should
Poland Fail to Hold
Nv COL. FREDERICK PALMER.

DIV OOL. r AANkLHNs
There is no escaping the question
1t is being asked even more often in
private than public talk, from inner
circles in Washington to the ends of
the land. Shall we be drawn into
the war? Drawn in against our de-
sire and predetermination, when all
of us are on guard lest we be subject
to certain forms of propaganda
which brought us in in 1917?
Let us consider the developing pat
tern OF the present war in relation to
the situation in the World War in
1916-17. 1t may be construed as a
fatalistic warning that we shall be
drawn in. In case we are, what shall
be our part? The continuance OF
the parallel suggests that we may
have again to send an army abroad.
In the winter of 1867 the trench
line of the Western Front was ap-
proximately in the same position as
in the winters of 1914-15-16. Fur
ther away than the measure OF
lapsed years was the German dream
of August, 1914, that the cOncentra-
ton of the German Army against
France would overwhelm the French
Army in six weeks, or two months at
most. Then the German Army would
Join the Austrian, which had held or
defeated the Russian, and compel a
prompt peace.
Views of French Staff.
Far back was the conclusion of the
French Army staff, in talks with the
British staff before the outbreak of
the World War that France was not
much interested in a British Army
in France, since the French and
Russian armies could take care of
the German. And far back, too, in
1916, was the business as usual
slogan in Britain.
In 1916 the British had close to
two million soldiers in France,
augmenting the French Army. All
offensives by either side, at gi-
gantic cost of lives, had failed to
dent that long trench line with
any vital strategic gain. 1t seemed
to be engraved indelibly on the
hap as a stalemate. The Itali-
ans, who had been neutral at
the start, were grimly dug in to
hold the small segment of heights
they had won, and the Rumanians
had been badly mauled after their
entry.
Far back, when we entered the
war, was the slogan, HE kept us
out of the war" in favor of Presi-
dent Wilson's reelection; and fur
ther back, forgotten, our aloofness
and horror in 1914 over Europe S
insane orgy, regarded as in no way
our affair.
Before our entry the allies as
sured us that our economic aid
would drop the weight in the bal
ance. Then after the disastrous Nj
velle offensive and when it was ap-
parent Russia was out of the war
we were asked to send few troops
to France to show the flag. On
Armistice Day, 1918, we had two
millions of soldiers in France.
present HlctuTe D1H cIent.
Today Russia is out. 1t Is left to
crystal-ball gazers to say on which
side she will be if she enters the
war Italy is neutral. The German
staff dreams of a quick conquest
not of France as in 1914, but oi
Poland. Marshal Goering set to.
day as the day when the job Woule
be finished.
The race for allies by both side:
has begun. That is one reason why
the Germans allow correspondents
to tour the stretches of conquered
ground. They have something te
show in proof of their invincibil-
ity as threat to Hungary, Ru-
mania and Yugoslavia, which Brit
ain and France would win to theil
side.
The French Army counts gains by
rods where the Germans count theirs
in Poland by miles. 1t has rela-
lively little ground to show CORE
spondents, all probably under long.
range gun fire. Compared to the
long trench line of earth of 1914-18
with few concrete pillboxes in the
final period, there is the short line
of concrete fortresses, with which al
the world is now familiar.
AS French chief of staff, Gen
Gamelin has a tough task. The
French cannot too far exhaust theil
army in an offensive if they woulo
be prepared against counter-attack
by German divisions released from
Poland in case the Poles cannot hole
the Vistula- -San-Bug line. But the
French Maginot line seems impreg-
nable If the British and French safe
guard reserve strength behind it.
What, then, in case of another
stalemate on the Western fronti
How reach the German Army with
decisive blow? Through the Medi-
terranean? Will the submarine
again be so effective that our de.
stroyers will have to join the British
to protect world shipping? Oul
sympathies and conviction of self.
interest established with the Alliec
cause, will we again have to sene
vast reinforcements for their eX.
hausted armies to compel the deci.
sion?
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