| Show U. U S. S Flag May Reach Rhine 4 4 Surprises Are Predicted in 1918 f Huns Face Two Gr Great at Forces ForcE s y By Uy J J. J W. W T. T Mason Famous Military Expert Victory Is Js probable In 1918 only If it the German people realize that the war has bias r reached ached the tho point where Teutonic manpower Is la disappearing from the tho world at a n greater proportionate proportionate rate than the manpower of oC any other belligerent I It is too much to expect to-expect e that events will so develop In 1918 S as to permit I Ithe the tho allies to deliver a knockout blow resulting in the unconditional surrender surrender der of the German armies But Dut 1918 will see British French Italian ital an and American troops all engaged engaged en en- In fn n the business of ot killing Ger Ger- I mans Germany in her turn tun will also kill hill I but Lut with the odds against her The most important t event of the war ar in 1918 may be the raising ra of ot the American n flag over oyer the riY river r Rhine Somewhere along the Rh Rhine ne probably probably proba proba- proba-I proba bly between the Swiss border where the Rhine hine rises and the vicinity of Strassburg seventy five miles north tile the first American object ve of Rif the war is Is presumed to be con concealed During the course of the new year car this conc conce ment will will will-be be ripped wide open by a million Am American fighters Germans Guessing Von Hindenburg and the kaiser know inow 1 now what is coming so far as the general direction of the American advance ad ad- vanro vance ranco is concerned but they dont don't know the tile point of contact with the Rhine The They will be k kept pt guessing along ther their historic waterfront until the blow falls taUs When it does fall the the most imPortant important im im- happening of the war and andone one of the most vital developments de In n I the history of civilization will have have occurred The Rhine will have been captured captured I ed oed by the first army from the Wester Vester I hemisphere to engage in an offensive I military campaign in Europe The problem of crossing the Rhine was as cons considered dered from froni eYer every angle of ot i possibility early in the war by British and suid French army engineers It will wili fall aU however er to engineers from West est estl l to direct the solution in 1918 1915 f f c the problem is to be solved at all This question of military engineering Alit will come as the climax to H u drive through German territory that will test American generalship to Its Ua I utmost The starting po pont point nt of the drive will willS J I S fie O revealed In iii the tho spring or summer t when then the American offensive begins I General Pershing Is preparing to tol 7 l' l hold bold the southernmost part of the j western estern rent front I It is is a stretch of at least miles as the trenches turn and twist from one end of this line to the other The extreme extreme southern part of the line lne Its s inside aside Atsa Alsace e and is about fifteen miles from the Rhine the northern I part art Is fifty mites miles away The distances ds- ds I 4 between bet vary t It would seem that the nearer to the Rhine the An American as fault Bault begins the quicker will the objective ob ob- 1 be te be reached But Hut the lines of communication leading to the battlefront battle battle- front arc are much better behind the northern part of or the American f front franc thin behind th the southern rn part J a wJ J Decision Fateful The decision to he be taken will he be bethe 1 vita the most fateful of oC th the rear year 1918 HilS I and ant ma may turn out to be he the most most fateful fateful fate fate- fate j ful rut o of the war The rhe problem of getting getting supplies sUPPle i I across the mountains which separate France from Alsace and I part of Lorraine Lorrane was one that the i French generals did not soh solve e earlier earlle I in fu the Yet there has he been war en no l I opportunity for France to go at the I problem for a second effort with h I knowledge gained from experience i By the time the experience was wa read ready France Franco hadn't the thc men to spare for a now advance ad to the Rhine Some time during 1918 nearly four years ears after aCter Frances France's failure a n am m ilian men from from America Amelica will wm make an effort to solve Rne anew anew the problem of the Vos barrier The flu principal strategic alms of the thc American Ameri Amerl can army in the new year thus will w probably take this order 1 Making a secure passage through the mountains for fora forn a n military ry advance into Germany 2 Marching across Alsace or or Lorraine toward the Rhine 3 Forcing a n. passage across the Rhine into Germany proper Hugo huge 3 Program This looks like an enormous pro pro- grain gram for a single single- year when hen compare compared compared com com- pared pare with what the thc allies have been trying to do for nearly three and one one- half halt years ears along the west front But Dut 1918 is destined to see new conditions conditions condi condl of fighting After Afler three and one half years of slaughter he the h best sold soldier er mat material rial in the central central empires as well as Rmon among the allies has been killed killed or ot permanently Incapacitated Even the sec second md best has been annihilated Opposed to the third and fourth best of the central empires the United States will have haye this year in tn Europe not only her lien best but her super A second condition that should make the fighting in n 1918 1915 different from the usual offensive methods of previous the war is the proof the tite British gave ga e at Cambrai of the tho value of their ther tanks tanks' as offensive weapons Since the Cambrai engagement H it I second use of the tanks for or a surprise offensive has been m mode made temporarily I Inopportune because of the heavy reI re- re reinforcements ments Germany has concen concern I Crated along the Dr British front lint But with American tanks in profusion atthe at atthe atthe the southern end of the western front this year and with plenty plent of British tanks at the northern end the w wll ll find the problem of adequate concentration of their re reserves reserves re- re serves sen-es well nigh night insuperable Over miles will hen separate the areas arcas of possible American and nd British offensives Real surprise will have been reintroduced into modern warfare on ona on a gigantc gigantic scale Apart from Americas America's participation in the war during 1918 chief chiet Interest interest inter Inter- est ought to center in the co coordinated offensives of the British with the American armies Haig H Resting Hating It is in accord with the best hest principles principles principles prin prin- or strategy that Gen General ral Hale hiag is now resting his force Never Clever er c since the war began have hl the allies been able to coordinate their major attacks for any length of This haphazard haphazard haphazard hap hap- hazard method of or fighting to which Germany German owes so much Is s to bo ho abandoned In 1918 II by the allies Except Ex x I to repel a possible German assault assault assault as as- sault the British forces probably will remain comparatively quiet luet from froni now until America ht In ready to str strike ke keThen Then will wUl come orne simultaneous offensives of ot- at the northern and southern south south- l ern eru ends of ot the western line forcing 11 the iho H Germans on sip t the f t Jve under r. r conditions such as they have ha not yet cl I encountered during the war I The French armies between the American 1 iCan and the Br British tish will probably proba- proba bly hl not not piny phy a stron strongly h offensive role role I In the 1918 1915 fighting except as supports sup BUP ports on the combats the two ho on extremes extremes ex ex- ex- ex or orthe hc western front France Ihas I has borne a more exhausting part of the warfare during the past three and one half years cars than has haR England and France has earned the right to rest reSl until her help la s urgently needed |
