Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1914-12-03
KITCHENER DECLARES
KAISER NJ lust FALL
[oontinued From First Pagel


us and for all the world. If three
years are required for the undertake
Ing or more than three years, the
world will find that we, for our part,
are prepared to go on, and ready TO
certain to go on. I'm any event this
war can have but one outcome-one
ultimate conclusion"
THE Germans still think they will
win," said Lord Kitchener, speaking
with the infection that made the re-
mark part plain statement and part
question. ''I wonder how long a time
they think it will take them to win"
They are still fully confident" Mr..
Cobb replied, but they have changed
their schedule-their time card"
Here Lord Kitchener made use of
the one outright gesture he used. He
brought his first down hard on the
table in front of him with thump.
1t was a big, sinewy fist-put 1t in a
glove and it would make you think
of a bucks haunch-and the thump
was audible and solid.
Calls German Campaign Failure
"They are right in one regard" he
said slowly; 1T will take longer than
a year to end this war. But they are
wrong in another regard; they are
wrong when they think they are go
ing to win-if. indeed, in their hearts
they honestly think that. They are
not going to win.
Their campaign in the west is
failure. 1t is failure already, and 1t
will become more and more a failure
as time passes. When an army of in
vasion ceases to invade, that army has
lost its principal function and has
failed in its principal object When
that army hides itself in trenches and
g doing moth
ing except waste itself; and especi-
tally is this true when that army, hav-
ing reached its maximum of strength
and efficiency and aggressiveness
months before, is now losing in all
those essentials.
trenches which stretches across
Northern France for hundreds of
miles, like a long, gray snake-that is
not waging a successful campaign.
That is not even waging war, as l
conceive war to be. For an army of
defense? Perhaps, yes; though, un-
der certain circumstances, it might be
a mistake for an army of defense so
to dispose itself. For an army of in
vasion? Well, events-the future
will justify my belief. OF that l am
as sure as 1 am sure that 1 am alive.
Aero Attacks Not War
Dropping bombs on cities, whether
those cities be defended or unde-
Tended is not waging war. 1t is a
cost spectacular byplay, which
counts for naught in the final result
and really does not count in the de-
tail of momentary advantage.
Paris might be captured, and still
the war would go on. England might
be nvaded-though 1 believe the enc
my has not yet worked out complete
plans for that undertaklng-and still
the war would go on. Germany
might take and keep the other side
of the Channel, as she has already
taken Antwerp, and still the war
a captive province for the time be-
ing, and still the war would go on.
This war Is going on until Ger
many has been defeated. There is no
other possible contingency.
Has not the confidence of the Ger
man soldiers been shaken by recent
events in the western theater of war,
and especially by what has been hap
pening in France during the last
month? What do the men think of
the failure of the German plan of
campaign toward Paris?
Great Mistakes of Generals
"T do not understand why the
knowledge of the truth of the situa-
tion as it exists to-day has not spread
through the armies and effected the
men. They must guess-as we here
on the other side know-that their
leaders have made some terrible mis-
takes. All generals make mistakes,
just as all men make them; but the
mistakes they have made are such
great, such tremendously great, mis-
takes!"
AS the interview proceeded, Lord
Kitchener asked the German attitude
toward the soldiers of the allies. Mr..
Cobb replied that the Germans re-
gard the Russian soldier as a stub
born fighter and the officers incom-
petent; they concede the excellence
of the French light field artillery, but
say the French soldier lacks physical
endurance; the English are the hard
est fighters they have to meet, and
they speak particularly we'll of the
fighting qualities of the Scotch, but
say there are not enough British
troops in the field to count as factor
in the western campaign.
That is a defect" Lord Kitchener
said, referring to the numerical
strength of the British, (which we
are taking steps to remedy. There
the Scotchman-anywh In what
way do the Germans justify their
treatment of Belgium 2"
Mr.. Cobb replied that the German
attitude had changed since Septem-
ber, and, having first defended in
vasion from military necessity, they
weer now basing it on the discovery
of secret papers in the Belgian
archives exposing Belgium as a po-
tial and actual ally of France and
England before hostilities.
Their Alibl Too late
"In other words commented Lord
Kitchener, "the Germans prepared
their alibi after the act was commit
ted-which weakens the alibi without
| excusing the act 1t is q poor defense
that must be changed in the middle of
the trial.
war has It's ethics, which often
upset the ethics of peace" he went
on, speaking of the German course In
Belgium; but If it be granted that
the man in uniform holds absolute
dominion over the lives and property
of noncombatants of a nation, he
loses, to my conception, his proper
and ordained functions. If that stand
ard is to prevail, we shall all cease to
be soldiers and shall enroll hired ex-