bruary, 1916. At the beginning of 1915 what were allied hopes and
purposes in the west? Unquestionably French and British public
believed that with the coming year the Grand Alliance would be able
to crush Germany. Unquestionably French and British high commands
planned to open the summer with a drive that would clear France and
Belgium. As for the Germans, having laid their plans to go to
Russia, they asked nothing of their western armies save that the
lines should be held.

The French began their spring drive in Artois and in Champagne. The
Artois fighting of May and June was exceedingly severe, incidental
gains were made, but the British were suddenly disclosed lacking in
all proper ammunition, lacking in numbers to support the French
offensive, and barely able to hold their own lines about Ypres,
after desperate fighting, made memorable by the first use by the
Germans of gas as a weapon of offense.

From June until September the western armies stood still, while
Britain organized her munition manufactures and continued to send
her new troops to the Continent. Kitchener's "million" was not
realized until the late fall, instead of the early spring. But
when, in the latter days of September, the British attacked about La
Bassee, and the French in Champagne, the muddling of British
officers cost the Allies a considerable triumph in Artois, and the
French victory in Champagne was purely local. Some 30,000 prisoners,
200 cannon, this was the fruit of an offensive which cost the
British 60,000 casualties, and the French hardly less than twice as
many.

German defense, therefore, fulfilled its mission in the west, German
armies were able to drive deep into Russia without having to detach
reenforcements to the west. Such offensives as the Allies ventured
were either complete failures or merely local successes, without
major value. Belgium and northern France were not liberated, and
there was, as yet, not even a promise of the crushing of Germany.

ALLIED POLICY

In the brief space that remains I desire to discuss the policy of
the nations which are fighting the Teutonic Alliance. The German
purpose at the outset of the war has been discussed. Franco-Russian
preparation had been made long before the war, and the general plan
of the high commands of the two allies worked out without any
material interruption. The same is true of the cooperation of the
British army. This simply followed out the plans agreed upon years