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OUR MILITARY SITUATION

BY NEWTON D. BAKER
SECRETARY OF WAR

OUR CITIZENS IN ARMS
BY GREGORY MASON

FOR COMPLETE TABLE OF CONTENTS SEE
THIRD PAGE PRECEDING READING MATTER

WEDNESDAY, JULY 5, 1916

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The Outlook

JULY 5, 1916

Offices, 381 Fourth Avenue, New York

THE STORY OF THE WAR:
THE ALLIED offeNSIVE

As the fighting on the various fronts in Europe develops to its high summer activity, it is more and more apparent that the several offensives undertaken by the Allies are not sporadic outbursts here and there, but that a unity of plan prevails; that a system of campaign has been determined on at the repeated conferences of military and governmental authorities in Paris. Probably the Paris Matin" is right in saying," The hour of action for the Allies is here; attacks succeed defense on many fronts." Thus, just as the Russian offensive in Galicia and the Bukowina is checked to some extent by German reinforcements to the Austrians (especially in the region of Kovel), promptly comes the Italian counter-attack on the Austrians in the Trentino. As the fighting at Verdun shows renewed fierceness on the part of the Germans and slow yielding inch by inch by the French. comes the news of great activity on the British lines, now stretching from the Somme to the North Sea. In short, Russians, French, Italians, and British are alternately attacking. It is not a rash conjecture to say that the generals of the Allies believe that this pounding on different parts of the lines is what will most worry the Germans, whose forces may be worn out as they are driven from the support of one position to the support of another in turn.

The counter-attack of the Italians in the Trentino has been powerful, persistent, and effective, although the Italians have not yet regained anything like all the ground occupied by the Austrians in their southern drive. The fact that Italy has retaken the important towns of Asiago and Arsiero in itself indicates that the move is serious. The Italians have driven forward on a twenty-five-mile front, and the Austrians, who undertook their great forward movement with some three hundred thousand men, have probably been weakened by the necessity of supporting the Austrian line in the east against General Brusiloff. So the

weight of the combat swings from one line to. another; and it is fair to add that, while Russia has made a pretty clean sweep in the Bukowina, has driven the Austrians back to the Carpathians, and, according to the Russian War Office, is approaching the Transylvanian passes, the German forces under General von Linsingen have so strengthened the Austrian line in the northern part of this field of fighting that the Russians have made little or no progress in their great objectives aimed at Kovel and Lemberg.

As to the British activity, military experts differ as to the intent and seriousness of it. On June 26 London despatches reported a strong offensive by the British, with heavy bombardments, and asserted that the infantry had penetrated German lines at ten different points in night raids; in this fighting six enemy observation balloons were brought down.

Even German despatches go so far

as to describe "important fighting activity on the British front. As we write, there seems to have been a lull in this direction, but very likely it may be the lull before the

storm.

A CRISIS AT, VERDUN

The recent fighting at Verdun has been almost unparalleled in fierceness, even by former German drives there. The capture of the French lines at Thiaumont and the occupation of all or part of the village of Fleury by the Germans are pretty serious dents in the French defense, and may very possibly mean such a driving in of the German wedge as to make the abandonment of the Verdun sector by the French necessary. But at what a price is this success gained! One French report pictures the three days' attack at Thiaumont as having been carried on by one hundred thousand Germans on a three-mile front following the usual artillery deluge, in which the German guns were lined up wheel to wheel. When the final assault was made by the Germans, the massed formation was so close that observers say that the French could not see any bare ground. The German

soldiers were mowed down by the machine guns and 75's with "indescribable massacre." The struggle for Fleury was also savagely contested, the Germans gaining part of the town only after the sacrifice of thousands. A glance at any detailed map will show that the Thiaumont farm and road and the village of Fleury are southwest of Douaumont and Vaux, and are not only much closer in direct distance from the town of Verdun than any other position occupied by the Germans, but are only a bare mile from comparatively level country through which go the main roads running from Verdun north.

The Verdun combat entered upon its eighteenth week on June 26, and the duration and fierceness of the fight are marvel

ous.

No military critic can see, from the cold-blooded, scientific point of view, any such possible gain to the Germans in wiping out the curve in the general line made by the Verdun sector as would be comparable with the terrible loss incurred in men and munitions-terrible not only absolutely, but relatively to the French loss. The German object at Verdun is really the great mystery of the war. Half a dozen theories have been adduced--some political, as for the effect on the German people, and some tactical; perhaps the best tactical theory is that the Germans hoped to apply the well-known idea that "the best way to defend is to attack," and thought that the Verdun drive would hinder, embarrass, and check all the Allies' plans for a general offensive and thereby at least prolong the war.

GREECE SUBMITS

Recent despatches from Athens state that King Constantine has yielded unconditionally to the joint demands of Great Britain, France, and Russia. These demands, in

brief, were:

Complete general demobilization of the Greek

army.

Removal of the Chief of Police of Athens. Popular pro-Entente sentiment not to be suppressed by the authorities.

Deportation of agents who are spreading German propaganda.

The Greek Cabinet under Premier Skouloudis had already resigned, and the political situation was impossible. One reason for the pressure thus brought to bear upon the Greek King-note that it is upon the King rather than the people of Greece-was the repeated rumor that the King had given his

tacit consent to the recent invasion of Greece by the Bulgarians. This supports the contention that the Allies' action is not in violation of Greek neutrality, but in preservation of that neutrality. Once more the comparison of the treatment of Greece by the Allies with the treatment of Belgium by Germany comes up. The nearer parallel would be if Russia on one side or Austria on the other were to throw its troops into Rumania against Rumania's consent. Neither of these things is likely to happen; but, as matters stand now, such an action would constitute the violation of neutrality of a smaller state. Greece, on the other hand, flirted, so to speak, with both sides, never seriously resenting and never at all resisting the landing of the Allies at Salonika. And King Constantine, instead of résisting foreign entry into Greece and leading his people in battle against such entrance, as did King Albert of Belgium, has played politics to the limit, has deceived the Allies diplomatically, and has thwarted the will of his own people. A writer in the New York "Times" well says:

The coercion of Greek neutrality by the Allied Powers consists in delivering the Government of Greece into the hands of the people. If there is detected any color of similarity between such treatment of Greece by England, France, and Russia, her protectors, and that of Belgium by the Germans, Heaven save the human reason! Belgium lies prostrate. Greece is rescued from a Government that had been willing to deliver its people into hands that tear up treaties and smash neutrality for getting in the way.

A RESUME OF RECENT
MEXICAN HISTORY

It is worth while refreshing the memory with a condensed review of the recent events in Mexican and American history that have immediately led up to the present strained situation.

On March 9, 1916, nineteen Americans were killed and about twenty wounded in a raid on Columbus, New Mexico, by Mexican bandits, supposedly led by General Villa.

On March 15 an American column under General Pershing crossed the border in pursuit of the raiders. It was generally understood by the American public that this incursion was made with the consent of the Carranza Government, that the Mexican de facto Government would co-operate with the United States in the bandit hunt, and that the American troops would be withdrawn as soon as

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the marauders who had attacked Columbus were killed or captured. In fact, an official American statement declared that Pershing's force would have "the single object of capturing him (Villa) and putting a stop to his forays."

On April 19 General Pershing's expedition reached its "farthest south" by the arrival of two troops of the Thirteenth Cavalry at Parral, about four hundred miles from the border by the twisting American trail, where they were ambushed by Carranzista soldiers and townsmen and forced to retreat, with a loss of two killed and seven wounded. This virtually ended the pursuit of Villa by the Americans, and led to the despatch of heavy reinforcements to General Pershing and a general contraction of his lines. Within a few days after this ambuscade the advance base of the American column was at Namiquipa, only two hundred miles into Mexico as the American communications lay.

On April 29 conferences began at Juarez, Mexico, and El Paso, Texas, between General Alvaro Obregon, representing Carranza, and Generals Scott and Funston, representing the United States.

On May 5 Mexicans raided the "Big Bend" district of Texas, killing six or seven Americans.

On May 11 the conferences at Juarez and El Paso were discontinued, with no substantial agreement reached. About the same time American cavalrymen captured fourteen Mexicans alleged to have taken part in the raid on Glen Springs in the "Big Bend" district, and a little later other cavalrymen killed a number of the companions of these captured bandits.

On May 31 the American Government received a note from the Carranza Governinent stating that the Pershing expedition had gone into Mexico without the consent of Carranza, and asking for "the immediate withdrawal of American troops which are now in Mexican territory."

On June 11 Mexicans raided an American ranch near Laredo, Texas, with the result that sixteen hundred American regulars were drawn from the Engineer Corps of the Coast Artillery to further reinforce the defenses of our border.

During the week of June 14 to 21 Texas soil was twice again raided by Mexicans. President Wilson's summons to the militia of all States, except the three border States already called, resulted, on June 18. Sixteen

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war-ships were sent to watch Mexican ports. On June 20 the President's reply to Carranza's demand for the withdrawal of our troops was issued. This demand the American Government refused, and, while admitting "that American troops had crossed the international boundary in hot pursuit of the Columbus raiders, and without notice to or the consent of your Government," served notice that any attempt of the de facto Government to expel the American soldiers by force would be followed by "the gravest consequences."

DEVELOPMENTS OF THE WEEK

With matters in this delicate shape occurred the battle at Carrizal, Chihuahua, which may be written into our history in as large type as is the destruction of the Maine. Carrizal is a little town on the Mexican Central Railroad, about eighty miles below Juarez. Perhaps, like the details of the disaster to the Maine, the details of this fight between two troops of the Tenth Cavalry and a larger force of Mexican soldiers will never be entirely clear. Only the following essential facts are known as we go to press :

The two troops of Negro cavalry approached Carrizal from the west. Troop C was commanded by Captain Charles T. Boyd, and Troop K by Captain Lewis S. Morey. As senior officer, Captain Boyd was in command of the whole force. About a mile from

Carrizal Captain Boyd sent a courier to ask the Carranzista commander for permission to pass through the streets of the town. The permission was refused. Then a messenger arrived from the Carranza commander, General Felix Gomez, with word that the Americans might pass through the town if they would stop to confer with General Gomez on their way. Before they could act on this suggestion, however, General Gomez himself arrived and conferred with Captain Boyd. While this conference was going on the Americans noticed Mexicans coming out from the town and taking positions ahead and on each flank of the Americans. Apparently General Gomez was on his way back to his own men when they opened fire on the Americans. Captain Morey's note, written as he lay wounded in a ditch, is indefinite on this point, but he says that Captain Boyd "feared an ambush," and I was under the impression that the Mexicans would run as soon as we fired."

The single piece of evidence that makes

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