Evening star., 1940-05-16
France Waits as Hitler Attempts Old Knockout Plan
Gemon War Potte Cut Out $50 Ago by Won couewtz;
Solar Plexus Blow Must Fall Along Par isBruseIs
BY MORGAN M. BEATTY,
Associated Press Stan Writer

$50 years ago by a brilliant man
of military letters, the German Karl
Won Clausewitz.
"The pit Of the stomach Of
France" wrote Clausewitz, lies be-
tween Paris and Brussels!"
In other words, q swift, hard, solar
pleXus blow must fall somewhere
along Paris Brussels line, or it
won't knock out France.
And If Clausewitz had been able
to forecast the permanent alliance
Of Great Britain and France that
exists today, he would have extended
his imaginary line to Amsterdam,
and included the British lion in his
prize ring comparison.
For that's the scene of war today,
Just as it was in 1870 and in 1914.
Even as it was when Napoleon was
whipped at Waterloo.
And Clausewitz's pattern of war
is the only one for Western Eu-
rope.
The allied commander in chief
knows it. His country was once
beaten Gin 1870, and again almost
knocked out in 80 days Gin 1910
because it preferred Napoleon to
Clausewitz in this special matter of
the solar plexus blow.
Napoleon on the Shelf.
So today, Gamelin, working with
millions to Napoleon's thousands,
puts no faith in Napoleon's theory
that the best defense is an offense
Instead, he parties the first German
thrust with advance guards and
waits behind the Maginot Line with
his millions and his highly-touted
French artillery. His eyes and his
mind are on the defense of that
line.
Since ClauSewitZ's day have come
many innovations in warfare-long-
range artillery, the French rs, the
gasoline motor, the airplane, motor
blitzkrieg and, now, parachute
troops.
But the No. 1 difference in total
war, 1910 style, and the World War
at its beginning in 1914, is this allied
waiting behind strongly fortified
lines.
The No. 2 difference between 1914
and now is the German advantage
of having but a single front to fight
on. Today there is no Russian bear
at Germany's back. This advantage
is partly Offset by the fact that the
Germans are more desperate now
for food and raw materials.
No. 3-and the sole remaining diff
ference of importance-is mechan-
lied warfare, especially motor and
aerial blitzkrieg.
Allies Have Sea Power.
There are also striking similarities
between then and now. Then, the
striking force of the German Army
was not as large as the allies, but it
was more powerful and unified.
That's true today. Then, as now, the
allies possessed superior naval pow
er, but were forced by German in
itiative to accept battle on land.
The Germans then, and the Ger
mans now, carry close to their hearts
plan Of war that visions q single
great battle, with no need for a pur-
suit and battle again tomorrow.
In a word it is, development"
The Germans have practiced en-
velopment since they beat the
French at Sedan in 1870. That's
what almost won at Charleroi in
1914. That's what swallowed up Po-
land in 1910 and paralyZed Norway.
The idea is to encircle the enemy
in a great crescent of force, then,
when he strikes your center (as he is
supposed to do, for 1t is weak, you
march both ends of the crescents
around to his rear and pour fire into
his back
The French have a very differ
ent idea Of war. They prefer the
business called mass Of maneuver,
where you stagger your great armies
like stair steps, one behind the other,
the you feint. When you detect the
enemy's weak spot, you throw your
greatest force into him there, and
roll up his flanks.
But instead Of attacking the
enemy before his relative strengths
are actually known-the almost fatal
blunder of 1914-the French are re-
vising their conception of this type
of warfare. They still stagger their
armies, posing them for Knockout
blow at the enemy's weakest point,
but they're trying to wait until they
find that point.
Lesson From Papa Joffre.
They hope Gen. Gamelin won't
have to wake up in his headquarters
20 days after the outbreak of war
and find himself beaten general.
That's what happened to Papa Jof-
fre in 1914. He had thrust his great
armies into the southern end of the
western front. He had used up all
his reserves. Still the Germans were
coming at him from Belgium.
He retreated while he rearranged
his stair steps armies. And on the
morning of the First Battle Of the
Marne, he told his men:
Advance. If you cannot advance,
stand and die!"
The gray-clad Kaiser, field glasses
in hand, watched part Of the bat
tie. He saw the dream of German
world power crumble and vanish
before his eyes.
For the French, British and Bel
gian soldiers in that battle ad-
vanced, or they stood and died.
Today another German genius
Adolf Understands on the same
western front. He tells his men that
the fate of the German nation for
1000. years to come depends on
what they are about to do. VIII a
German dream crumble to dust
before Hitler's eyes2 Or will 1t
come true?
The answer lies not alone In
strategy, in blitzkrieg.
1t depends on the stun men are
made of along . thin line Of the
earth's surface extending from Paris
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