Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-10-21
WAR TO BE ENDED BY SPRING,
SAYS HIGH GERMAN OFFICIAL
Kaiser's Subjects Confident of Ultimate
Victory and Are Discussing Terms
Acceptable to Them.

official Germany. if these assumptions
are correct. is at present large IN
dernnitv. This is demanded not only
to compensate Germany for the stead
lily growing war costs, but to provide
one of those guarantees" against
future attack referred to. The usual
rep1y to arguments that exhausted
nations probably would be unable to
raise the huge sums in question is that
they need only cease paying out the
billions spent annually on ornaments
or materially reduce such payments to
+nanc" the required indemnity.
The second cardinal point is the resto-
ration of Germany's colonial empire
in undiminished form, with certain
additions. presume bly, at the expense
Of Belgium. That nation would be per-
0itted TO retain its independence and
.ritOries. with the exception of the
lTeuse line of fortresses. The demand
for annexation of a strip of territory
down to the coast line has been drop
ped. if. indeed, it ever formed part Of
the governments program.
Channel Port Not Needed.
Even naval experts are no longer
agreed on the necessity or advisability
of securing the much discussed naval
base on the English channel. particu-
larly in view of the development of
the submarines and the increase in
their radius of action.
An insistent demand is heard in some
quarters that in case of withdrawal
from Belgium Germany should retain
control of the railroad for a number
of wears. but, this, so far as is ascer-
tainahle, is not an essential condition.
France is expected TO provide large
part of the expected indemnity. Ter
ritorial demands against France ap-
parcntly are confined to notifications
of the frontier for strategic reasons.
In the east the situation is less clear.
Earlier in the war the government ap-
parently did not contemplate or even
desire accessions of territory at Rus
sia's expense, beyond a possible adj
vance of the frontier for strategic rea-
sons to the strong defensive swamp
and river line formed by the Bug. Ma
rev and Warta rivers. 1t was felt that
retention of Russian Poland by Rus
STA would present certain advantages
from the viewpoint of German internal
politics. The steady chain of victories
ard tie insistence of Austria, however,
produced a change. Chancellor Won
speech indicated clearly a determine
ton to deprive Russia of her Polish
territories. but whether these districts
would have some form of national au-
tonomy, be annexed to Austria Hun
cary, or administered by Germany and
Austria Hungary jointly is still uncer
tain.
German People Confident.
This statement of German demands
may seem to be a cool assumption of
certain ultimate victory at time when
Germany's opponents are announcing
their firm determinati ton to prosecute
the war to successful end. However,
it is symptomatic of the positive assur
ance of practically all Germans, who
are convinced the German armies can
not be beaten and that the Balkan sit
Iation soon will clear up in their favor,
giving them road to Turkey, whence
copper, cotton. foodstuffs and other
supplies may be obtained. Then, they
say, Germany can wait until her OPP
ponents are ready to acknowledge
beaten.
To all arguments as to the impossi
bility of keeping the manhood of the
nation on the firing line for a pro-
tracted period, as to the steadily grow
ing financial burden of the war, as to
the paralysis of German business life,
except as devoted to war purposes, and
as to the general desire for peace,
they reply that other nations are suffer-
ing equally and that Germany will not
be the first to crack.