Show GERMAN 1 POLITICAL MOVE SECRET SECRETARY RY BAKER SAYS ITAL ITALIAN I IAN N DRIVE ASTUTE STRATEGY OF G. G GERMAN GERMAN- J 1 N POLITICIANS NS N'S Situation in West Satisfactory but b t Fear Expressed That Civil War in Russia Will Allow to Send Men to Western Arm Army Washington The The effect of Germanys Germany's Ger Ger- many's political offensive against t tRussia Russia and Italy upon the task ahead of the allies s is recognized In Secretary Bakers Baker's weel weekly I review of military operations operations op op- issued s 's by the the war department depart ment meat The TIle close relation inter-relation of events on all aU fronts cannot too frequently be emphasized sa says s 's the review The political situation In in Russia 1 made it pO possible ible for the enemy em to de- de d detach w tach important c contingents lu the e east st 4 r which were speedily transported to th the 11 Italian front It is not unlikely that before initiating ini inn their powerful drive against the Italian forces the eJ enemy made e painstaking and s systematic attempts a to undermine the morale o of th t Ian fan troops with Ith a y view ey to br breaking aking f- f down their res resisting power powe This car carefully ful planned political offensive offensive of of- I conducted preparatory to their military offensive reveals clearly clearl the rif present methods of or the Germans f Sui Surveying the broa broader er aspects of I the European situation today t we find Lind Lindi i that the enemy in the cast east Is confining i ing his efforts to political propaganda sector tor he Im has recently recent- recent 4 Along se f I ly ma made e desperate attempts to secure securer 5 r a decision b by means means' of a st n mil 5 i tary tar drive rIye In the west bile attempting attempting at nt- tempting to sap the fighting str strength of the belligerent nt peoples the enemy i has now been compelled to act on the defensive an and ia ht being slowly but bul r surely driven bad back 2 It It should be borne in mind how hots f er Ej ver that the time further disintegration r will m that of the Russian forces mean j ft J the Germans Germans' will ill n be able to I thin out their line along this front which will thus tIms automatically contribute to the K i stiffening of their resistance In the west as well as render ren er available fi added f f contingents to taI tal take e a part in the engagements engagements en eu- now proceeding ln In Jn Italy During th the week just fast closed both J the British and ang I French w were vere re able to record significant can tactical gah gains s the the culmination or Qt a long series of powerfully pow pow- powerfully cl ully driven offensives S' S With securely in I 4 British hands the first stage of the operations begun during the last week weel of f Sept September have Kaye Q been en brought to a a. successful rul conclusion f 1 l The French counte counterpart part art of the British success Sr 1100 took place north of I the Aisne Arsne Here Her the retreat of he the enemy anti anticipated ipat last week was carried carried car car- ried nied out The pressure pressure of the French offensive which h has s grown slowly and methodically in volume and rind Intensity reached a climax when by the recent Decent r i French advance advance- a vance in this sector they were enabled to enfilade e the German Germani i 10 lines along the crest of the Chemin- Chemin J 1 des ii t i l Ol oi the past three years the he presence presh pres- pres h once ence of the enemy on fl fills Ails ridge I ge had been a source of anxiety to the French j To dislodge islo ge the them n was a pr objective ob- ob of the repeated repeat d offensives es developed developed de de- eloped b by General since last i t t April The Thc su sudden den forced evacuation t of some forty square miles mUes of the thc most terrain in this sector of the l important western front teas has las been bee the tile tangible l i result achieved ell 1 The Importance of this successful French a advance vance must not be overlooked over- over F looked It means more than a mere r gain of so many square miles miles' of territory ter ter- 1 it m means ans the penetration of the powerfully fortified Siegfried line hitherto considered ered b by the enemy Impregnable impregnable impregnable im Im- im- im pregnable and pushes back his main positions to within five miles mUes of the fortress of Laon and major ob ob- V In the sect sector r where a small detachment detach detach- detachment ment of our tr troops op had taken talen up their places lluc s in the trend trenches s es s as as' as a n part of their training the enemy as is cusi customary customary cus cus- in trench i tomary tomar warfare when fresh W troops are believed to stave haye taken J places In line front-line trenches for reconnaissance reconnaissance re re- re- re executed a f well planned raid and succeeded in temporarily penetrating the short se seg Reg segment ment of the ll line hie e held b by our forces a few casualties and all taking prisoners C Along the eastern front lont po preparations Hems of artillery Importance occurred The TIm enemy instead d of attacking has renewed Ills efforts to fraternize with t the nU Itus Owing to the Involved involve f political situation and the the fresh out outbreak out out- r break break- of or the time extremist elements it itis is ol ju-ol able alki that thC these may have ha a marked 1 on the iho general strat gy hy of or the tho war which we must be pre pre- 1 t f noot t II It |