Newspapers / The Asheville Times (Asheville, … / Nov. 25, 1917, edition 1 / Page 11
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SUNDAY, NOV. 25, 1917 THE ASHEVILLE . TIMES.- W PAGE ELEVEN. Italian Disaster Prolongs War Allies Look to America to Fill Up the Gaps Caused By Heavy Losses on Italian FrontWhen mil War End?" Answered By There Experts. By JOIIN L BALDERSTON ITho reader should remember that the following article on the military situation in Europe was written by John L. Balderaton in London on Nevember 3, before, the British drove a wedge through the Hindenburg lino last Tuesday and before the KerenSky govern ment In Russia was overthrown. Mr. Balderston calculated, and rightly, that the allies must take some troops from the west front to the "aid of Italy. He did not foresee that the Germans would also detach some of their best troops from the west for the Ital ian campaign. Above all, he could not foretell the astonishing results of the grand assault of the tanks supported by Infantry and cavalry in the Cambrai seotor. After he wrote this story the Rus sian situation grew worse; but the driving power of the British army is in no wise diminished, appar ently, by the Italian collapse and the consequent need of reinforce ments for the protection of Pied mont and Lombard . . , (Copyright, 1917, by the McClure Syndicate) THE disaster that has fallen up on the Italian armies has pro longed the war, if the war is to end in a victory for' the al lies. All the dreams of peace during the winter or early spring, which until' last week were enter tained even in high quarters here, have vanished. - British and French statesmen and soldiers, who had already thrown in to the scale every ounce of weight, military and economic, that they could bring to bear, are forced by the new and perilous situation to look to the United States for help. In the last resort, It is America who must make good the losses, on 'the Italian front. . England and France can do no more than they are doing now They are transferring part of their' Rrmies to Italy; but, since all their force was alreday being ex pended, this means that the ability of the western allies to press for a decision on' the main western front has been weakened in proportion to the amount of strength they have been compelled to detach to save the armies of Cadorna in the Venetian pjnin. America must make up the deficiency, and fill the places of the divisions that aro sent to Italy. The hard logic of the situation is Inexorable. The United States is not even at war with Austria; but the victories won by Germans and Aus trians in the gorges of the Isonzo, the foothills of the Carnie Alps and the plains of the Tagliamento increase the burden that America must bear. Unless the United -States is willing, and able, to replace the lost Italian lesions., with their mountains of cap tured material and acres of abandoned cannon, in addition to carrying out Washington's plana for warfare in EuiWPe mada before the Isonzo dis. aster, it will not be possible to win the- war. And that, as Euclid says, is absurd.. Not Ayhamed to Call for Help. It is a high tribute to the efforts already made by America that no doubt of her is felt in the compara tively narrow circles here where the full force of the Austro-German of fensvie against Italy is thoroughly un derstood. "Of course you will see us through," Is a. common phrase, "We have nothing to be ashamed of in calling on you, for we are doing ev erything we can do, and so is France, and you know that it is so, and that what is happening is Sue to the dis organization of the east front," a soldier said to me. What Uncle Sam is up against can be most clearly appreciated after a succinct statement of .the general strategic situation in Europe as it is understood in military quarters'. The dinorganization of the Russian armies this spring prevented the great combined offensive on all fronts that was expected to break through the Austro-German lines, "not in one but In many places," as Sir Douglas Hals said last winter This was a terrible blow to the allied cause. It was nec essary to try to got a decision in the west with little help from the east, and the year 1917 has seen a suc cession of French, British and Ital ian pushes, with varying success. German Losses in West. The Germans havo been terribly punished on the west front, and they have lost the riages about ipres, me .Cimy ridge, the ridge of the Ohemin jde Dames, many thousanus or can non, and probably halt a minion men. But they have been able to hold on, as indeed was to be expected after j the Russian collapse. i The coming evacuation of the Bel igian coast, already discussed in these 'dispatches, with the loss of tho great cities of the Belgian plain and a re ! treat to the Meuse. coupled with great blows delivered against Austria bv General Cadorna, and with the famine in food and raw materials in Germany, made victory in 1918 seem not only possible but probable. I Great hopes were placed in the i Italian offensive plans after the vic tory of the Ralnsizza plateau In Sep tember, which General Maurice, di ' rector of military operations of the ! imperial general staff, said at the I time he regarded as one of the most brilliant campaigns In the history of (war. So strongly were the allies con vinced that Cadorna would be able inot only to take Trieste, but to break .through in tho direction of Laibaoh jand perhaps menace Vienna, that ne Igotiations to supply him -with some men and guns to - take part In his (triumph were In progress, if not con deluded between British, French and ; Italian headquarters. I But all allied strategy was based on !'a certuin assumption that proved ill (founded. It was accepted, after the Russian retreat In Oalicia, that the Russian armies could not resume the ! offensive this year. But x It was wrongly assumed that a certain min imum number of German and Aus trian divisions, about 135 in aU, pro virime about one man per yard along I the whole eastern front, would have to be left on -the east iront ny me enemy to guard against a sudden re Bumution of Russian activity. How Teutons Figured. , , The Germane and Austriaiis either ' gambled that the Russians would do nothing even If faced by practically i no troops In certain sectors, or their I knowledge of conditions In Russia ' was more accurate than that In Lon I don and Paris. For they stripped their eastern front of far mora than the minimum number of troops which military prudence dictated must re main there. And, with the great masses of men thus obtained, they descended upon Italy. Accordingly the blow that fell last week on the Isonzo at once altered the whole strategic situation in Eu rope, or, it would be better to say. In the world, since the United States has now as great a part in that stra tegic situation as any other country. Considerations of honor no less than strategy compelled England and France to rush to the rescue. Italy Is reeling under the onset of practi cally the whole Austrian army and some of the kaiser's best storm troops, and Italy must be saved. If Italy were to be forced out of the war, the entente would lose some 2, 000,000 soldiers a number as great as the United States at the best can put into the theatre of operations by the end of next year. Whatever the course of the cam paign in the Italian plains, the strate gy of the war has undergone a pro found alteration, to the advantage of the enemy. Only a great disaster suf fered by the invading legions of tho two emperors similar to that which overtook Cadorna in the mountains could alter that fact The Germans have been able, by using troops that ought to be employed on tho east front, to relieve the pressuro on the west front, where their armies were in a critical condition, perhaps in deadly peril. Whether the allies stop them in Italy on this, that, or the other river cannot cancel their strategical success. The gaps on the west front cannot be filled by French reserves. Americans well know why. And Eng land, too, for all her proud reticence, has no men to spare. Must Increase Our Efforts. But America has the men. It is up to America to revise her program, to i increase her efforts. Only so can the balance be restored nnd the enemy defeated. The stern, brutal facts of the situation as I have set them down can be faced by a great people who have not bet begun to fight Perhaps famine in Germany, perhaps revolu tion, will '-upset-all strategical Judg ments and calculations. But we must not count on unknown quantities, if we want to win the war When Will Wnr End? As illustrating the opinions now en tertained in competent circles regarding- the military outlook, I am able to give the answer made by three leading soldiers now' in London to the question, "When will the war end?" .'..':'"" Gen. Creagli's View. General Sir O'Moore Creagh, V. C, Lord" Kitchener's successor as commander-in-chief in; India, said, "Events have so confounded prophecy that he would be a rash man who would today state a date. Every body who has been tempted into pre diction has been wrong, from the kaiser, who promised his soldiers that they would be back in Germany be fore the fall of the leaves In 1914, to the Russian General Brusiloff, who thought that 1916. would see It through. "But, granted that certain condi tions are fulfilled, it is fairly safe to venture this prophecy. In the past the trouble has been that its have not come off. "Assuming that a disciplined- and reinforced Russian army faces the enemy in the coming spring, and by its pressure holds up some 150 Ger man and Austrian divisions, then, in the light of America's very substan tial aid In men and aeroplanes next year, probably the winter of next year should bring Europe's agony to an end. "On the other hand. If by misfor tune the Russian army should furth er weaken, enabling from 40 to tu German divisions with their comple ments of guns and aeroplanes to be transported west, then the war may be prolonged for another two years "At the earliest, tho war, in my opinion, will not be over before No vember. 1918: at the latest 1 cannot Imagine hostilities extending beyond . November, 1919. Of the two views I am more Inclined to believe in the j former than in the latter. Much will depend on Russia: much on our abil-i ity, in co-operation with America and France, to make ourselves absolutely supreme in the air. Given this su-1 premacy and no possibility of any j large exodus of German forces east to west, and I am confident that we shall haveithe Belgian coast in the I early summer and that thereafter de velopments will march very rapidly. "The weather has been atrocious for Sir Douglas Haigs plans, n u suddenly takes a permanent turn for tho better, which wo can hardly ex pect, it may be that we shall com plete this winter the recovery of the irrnnnd to Drovide us with the Ideal hoard for the liberation ofi Pinnders. If so. that will make a de cision in tho late autumn of 1918 all the more certain." What Gen. Gurko Says. The same question was asked Gen eral Gurke, general-in-chief of all the Russian urmics of Russia just before tho revolution, who recently came to London, after being deprived of his command for writing a letter of sym pathy to the czar after his late mas ter's enforced abdication. General Guike said: "The situation depends on the re habilitation of the Russian and Ital ian armies and on the rapidity with which the United States can put prop erly trained and equipped troops, able to fight Germans on equal terms, in to the line in the west. "Naturally I know more than I can say about the Russian armies As to Italy and America, I can only judge from the reports that were placed be fore me in Russia, 'and from what I have heard since I came to England. "Provided that the allies are not subjected to another setback like the Russian revolajion, I think the war will be over In the autumn of 1918. Although I am very strongly of the nnlnlnn that Germany has lost the wnr In that she has failed to achieve what Rhe set out to accomplish, it would be disastrous if the allies slack ened up under the delusion that the war was won beyond doubt. The Rus sian revolution has give nthe Germans tho opportunity successfully to under take' spectacular campaigns as a set off to the continual pressure on their lines in France and Belgium. "Within the next two months I shall be greatly surprised if the al lied force in. the Balkans is not sub- AUTOOLOGT i ; " ' ' i ' " - " Put your Motoring on a War B with wry r. ran Car Some people think they can solve the thrift question by talk ing about it. The War situation is actual and real. Every man feels it is his duty to help the country, but he tells-you what the Govern ment ought to do instead of tak ing the first practical step meet ing the plain facts in the things close at hand; things he buys and uses and pays to maintain. Gasoline and rubber are prime necessities of War. Yet many a car owner who talks thrift is ac tually destroying FIFTY PER CENT MORE of these commodi ties than his motoring should re quire. War Time Activity Demands Economy in Motor Car Operation Ask the man who gets eight, ten or twelve miles to the gallon of gasoline and five or six thousand miles to the set of tires. He prob ably has the feeling almost the conviction that he can do better with the Franklin, but it is easier to close his eyes to the facts and wonder whether the Franklin's record for gasoline and tire sav ing is really and actually true. ; He does not INVESTIGATE he takes refuge in general doubt. Another way he has of side stepping the issue is to argue that in these days it is better economy to hang on to his old car. He knows how wasteful it is to run, yet he overlooks the fact that the Franklin saving in gasoline, tires and oil would more than carry his INVESTMENT in a Franklin Car. .... Perhaps he says he will meet conditions by using his car less. He forgets that while the average car is standing idle its DEPRE CIATION offsets any reduction in running expense he could make. He ought to see that it is true conservation for him to put his motoring on a War basis NOW; clean up his old car proposition; take a fresh start and get an au tomobile that actually fits condi tions as they are TODAY. War time thrift and economy are possible to every motorist without reducing his mileage or curtailing the use of his car. War time activity makes this fact of vital interest. Thousands of men are finding increased demands upon their time and more work for their automobile. ; Franklin Holds World's Records for Thrift and Efficiency The Thrift-and Efficiency Stan dards of the Franklin Car are matters of public record. On May 1st, 1915, 137 Franklin " Cars in all parts of the country . averaged 32.8 miles to the gallon of gasoline. On Bay 1st, 1915, 137 Franklin Cars averaged 32.1 miles to the gallon. On July 13th, 1917, 179 Franklin Cars established the remarkable average of 40.3 MILES TO THE SINGLE GALLON OF GASO LINE. L All records under Standard Ef ficiency Test Rules. In the Yale University Fuel Economy Test, Professor Lock- wood and Arthur B. Browne, M. E. established the fact that the Franklin Car uses LESS gasoline per mile than any other car with six or more cylinders. On November 17th, 1915, a Franklin Car covered 1046 miles on a single gallon of oil a run from New York to Chicago. Right Now Is the Time for "All Motorists to Investigate the Franklin Franklin Economy and Effi ciency as demonstrated by these records of low gasoline consump tion, continue throughout the car. Franklin owners'Jndividual TIRE MILEAGE REPORTS, for in stance, over a period of five years, give a national average of 10,203 miles to the set. The VALUE OF THE FRANK LIN CARS AS AN INVESTMENT, is clearly shown every time you find a used Franklin for sale. It brings a 20 per cent higher price than any other fine car in propor tion to its first cost and tlie use it had. The time is close at hand' when the motorist must choose between a restricted use of his car and meeting conditions in a CON STRUCTIVE WAY with the eco nomical Franklin. Touring Car ....... 2280 lbs. $2050 Cabriolet . 2485 lbs. 2850 Town Car . . . . . . . . . , . 2610 lbs. 3200 Runabout .............. .2160 lbs. 2000 Sedan .................. 2610 lbs. 2950 Limousine . . . . . ... ... . . . .2620 lbs. 3200 Four-passenger Roadster . . . 2280 lbs. 2050 Brougham . . . . .... . . . 2575 lbs. 2900 All Prices F. O. B. Syracuse Call phone 2413 and let us give you a 6-mile ride without asking you to buy. We promise just to answer questions. The Franklin "Show The Car Contest," from Nov. 26 to Dec. 3, a National Event. Will you be one of the many millions to ride in a Franklin during this period?. . CENTRAL GARAGE Phone 2413 19-21 N. Market SL rasa Jected to very violent attacks from a combined German, Austrian and Bul garian army. Tei-haps an attack may be made on the British force in Meso potamia. It came to my knowledge some time ago that the German high command endeavored to persuade the Bulgarians to despatch an expedition ary force to Mesopotamia. But the Bulgarians very wisely refused. They declined to fight away from their own country, and, probably with a very fair appreciation of thoh- allies, de cided to keep their troops within easy reach. "General Sarrall's position In the Balkans is full of perilous possibil ities. His line of communication is through the sea, in itself a continual source of danger. "Germany is lighting for the future The dramatic landing in the Gulf of Riga, (he combined attack on Italy, and the successful invasion of Rou manlu last year, are all part of a fiaiu buoyant project to bewilder their war weary people with their invincibility. Nothing is simpler than to detach un overwhelming force to ensure spec tacular success. "I do not think that Germany will fight on until she Is completely crush ed. Bhe will continue until such time os defeat is beyond all doubt, or un til the conquered territories Rhp Is from her grasp. Then she will notify her willingness to enter into peace ne gotiations, and with her occupied ter ritories as pawns, will say to tho con ference, 'I hold these as pawns for favorable treatment.' "Everything will depend on tho Rus sian armies during the winter. Could they resume a proper offensive 1 am convinced they would meet with won derful success, for the German lines on the east must bo very thinly held. Now that Kerensky has handed over the post bf commander-in-chief to General Doukhonln, sonic material Im provement may be looked for. Noth Ihg Is more hopeless than to expect success from armfes ruled by dema gogues, "Tho coming winter will show whether tho Russian armies are go ing to fight again in tho spring. The provisional government will need to utilize their opportunities to re-clothe and re-equip the troops. Tho revolu tion was Germany's greatest victory of the wnr. With practically no op position on her eastern front, Ger many is at liberty to utilize large bod ies of troops for quick thrusts. I am convinced we have not seen tho last of these well-staged attacks. "In twelve months, Germany will probably hinve had enough of fight ing. Her efforts up to (date have been now occupying seem to bo slipping superhuman, and worthy of 40 years of preparation. With losses propor tionate, to thoso of last year, the Ger man manpower will In a year have reached a very low ebb. By next spring, tho Russian armies may have recovered their morale sufficiently to take tho offensive, nnd, with British, French and American troops ham mering away on the western front, tho end should not bo long " (j A Third View. A view less optimistic was voiced bv a high British military authority, who Is not in a position to talk for publication, "Until the crushing blow imain.it Italy." this mun said, "I be lieved that wltlrxthe help of some American divisions we should be able to force the enemy to sue for peace by tho end of 1918. There docs not now seem much prospect , of that. Whether or not we can win completo victory in the spring or autumn i 1019 depends on tho shipbuilding ef forts of tho world nnd on what Amer ica can do in the field after two years' ' preparation. Our coming supremacy 1 In the ulr will be of great importance, j but it will not winthe war Of one j thing you can bo sure; if America j feels about this war as we do in Eng- i land, it will be fought out until It is 1 , ...I..- ..1 4 1... KTIAAn WUII, JL lb tanuo UB HIV illllClCCll j Mother's Joy The Sure Cure for Croup Just ordinary Croup and Colds lead to something worse. The dread of Pneumonia is here. The sure cure is also ' here. Mother's Joy. is the most powerfully penetrating agent known. It is harmless to use on the smallest infant, and powerful to penetrate even a horse's hoof. Applied externally, Croup and Colds are promptly re lieved and Pneumonia prevented. ) 35c BAGGAGETRANSFER it all we charge to move your Trunks from the station to any part of the city. ') Southside Transfer Co. Phones 546-687 V;.:.,
The Asheville Times (Asheville, N.C.)
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Nov. 25, 1917, edition 1
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