THE WAR

Evening Post, Volume XCIII, Issue 48, 24 February 1917, Page 4

THE WAR

Germany has sent j. curious unofficial protest to the United States. This message, transmitted through a neutral channel, protests against the American effort to "isolate" Austria, from Germany, that being the German interpretation of America's negotiations with Austria regarding the latter's adherence to the new submarine policy. The result of these negotiations seems to be still quite in doubt, but it is probable that, in." spite of the Emperor Carl's personal views on the point, Austria will finally bo dragooned into avowing partnership in the new piratical scheme. Germany could not easily tolerate one of her allies refusing to recognise the legality of what she declares is now tho main weapon of victory. The unofficial protest also expresses regret for the "preparedness" plans which are now in full swing in tho United States. To express more than regret at this stage would, of course, savour rather too much of truculence; but Germany naturally strongly dislikes the whole affair. America has hitherto been militarily helpless; and that is the condition in which Germany would like her,to remain. The American preparations are "wholly warlike,," «ud jyg _ ijatarjar^tgd aa msaaipg - • mfr -ttie,-

States is "merely seeking an excuse to invite a state of war."

This protest is, of course, a typical German utterance, so typical as to make the report as credible as if it was official. _ It takes no regard of the facts that President Wilson lives in daily expectation of such an "overt act" as will compel him to make war; that Germany has declared and is carrying out a policy which comprises a series of "acts of war" against neutrals; that the United States, like other neutrals, has taken certain military measures which it was,' owing to Germany's own actions, impossible to avoid Every European neutral nation has mobilised a large army to guard its frontiers; why has not their action brought forth a similar protest from Germany? The German protest fails also to notice the master-fact of the European situation for years past. Supposing the European Powers had, say, five years ago, sent Germany a message expressing "regret" that she had seen fit to drill and arm more men* than any other European Power, and to flaunt their invincibility before the world as an insult to the whole of Europe, and interpreting her actions as "wholly warlike" and as meaning that Germany was "merely seeking an excuse for inviting a state of war," what would Germany have said—and done? Yet, if that protest had been made, nothing but the literal truth would have been told. Germany found her excuse, and civilisation is being shattered as the result

One of the three 'American liners which recently set out for Europe, /{he Orleans, has got safely through the Ger-. man blockade zone to French waters, and ought to have reached Bordeaux by now. She at least has avoided the enemy's attack, and shown the United States by. practical proof that there 'are nogotiable holes in the blockade. "Whosoever enters the barred zone perishes," said the German; and the Orleans supplies one of the many answers to the war-cry. There is no word yet of the 19-knot St. Louis, or of the cargo steamer Eochester. But the State Department has another problem before it as the result^ of the sinking of a fine French liner, the Athos, a vessel of 12,600 tons, in the Mediterranean. An American missionary was killed by the work of the submarine, and it will have to be decided whether this fatality can be overlooked as a possible casus belli. It must be admitted that such an incident is not easily brought under the definition of an overt act of war, because, whatever may. be the practice of American travellers, Germany cannot be expected to know of their presence on Allied ships; and notoriously they travel on them at their own risk.

Yon Hindenburg's order relating to the French successes at Verdun (a copy of which document has been captured), is an interesting addition to the war library of the Allies.- "Serious and regrettable losses" is_ the phrase in which he describes the extraordinary set-back which ths Germans suffered in the last quarter of the year, and lie proceeds to castigate the forces for their defeat. Nor can it be denied that the way in which the Germans were robbed, in a few. hours, of what they had fought for like heroes during many months was amazing. Hindenburg refers to the unusually large number of prisoners taken, some without suffering serious losses or offering serious resistance, and charges some at least of the, tJ-oops with being low in moral; This matter, he wrote, is of vital importance, and he' recommends a stiff course of drill as a remedy. Apropos of this report, it is interesting to read .a comment written by Mr. H. Belloc in November on the October success, when Douaumont was given up to the French. He wrote: "After an intensive bombardment not very prolonged, a portion of the German line gave way badly. It lost prisoners at the rate- of one man to the yard (which is as though the enemy should lose 30,000 men in a few hours' general advance on the Somme front). It lost them in an hour or two of fighting—and most of them in the first few minutes of that fighting. It lost them at an expense to tho French of less than half the prisoners they took, and less than 3 per cent, of the French forces engaged, and this includes even the lightest casualties. On the top- of this the enemy tried five times and very hard to recapfrar,e~ what he had lost. It was well worth 1 his while to sacrifice men, because tho positions he had lost were the positions from which he had (nil observation over the ridge down towards the Verdun Valley. Moreover, so long as the Germans held them they forbade direct observation over the German positions on theWoevrs Plain below'; He not only failed to recapture them, but he voluntarily withdrew from Vaux Fort, another observation post over the plain, rather than risk a further great loss of prisoners when it was being surrounded. He foil right back to the foot of the hills. Further, he lost among the ■ prisoners all his superior officers who were present."

Mr. Belloc procgsds to ask why this extraordinary thing happend, and describes it as a complete puzzle, the answer to which is likely to be of much value. At first it was naturally con-, eluded that the German lines had a weak place, which the French had discovered; or at leasfthat there was a local weakness ii) artillery. Bat actually it was found that whereas the French attacked with three divisions, with a fourth in reserve, the Germans had -apparently six divisions, or seventeen regiments, every one of which . was identified. And as to artillery, although it was known that, a good many heavy guns had been sent from Voahm to the Somme, the Germans opened an intense counter-bombard-ment of the "new French "positions within a few hours after they had been won. Mr. Belloc's suggestions for the solving of the riddle are first that the numerous regimental units may have been depleted, and reduced to perhaps single battalions; but more probably that the increased range and power of the French artillery had compelled the CJerma«g to adopt; a very deep formation, as was the case at the Somme. That is, the reserve units had to be kept so far,, back that the front lines were- already smashed before _the reserves could come up. But it might also be a breakdown in moral. It is, of special interest that Yon Hindenburghas supplied hi? answer, and probably the correct ono, to the riddls.