Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1915-08-07

tary officer but
that will realize how large an element. of
truth there is in the famous dictum OF
Napoleon that God Is on the side OF the
heavy battalions." But history affords a
number of marked illustrations of the
fact that the scale may be turned by
means and appliances apparently less
ponderabe than those just mentioned,
and the wise man had an understandings
of this when he wrote that ''the race is
not to the swift nor the battle to the
strong"
II we take into account. only the numer-
icaI strength of Russia We are surprised
at its inability to make head against the
armies of the emperor. To those whose
sympathies are with the allies. Russia
has proved great disappointment and
is likely to continue to prove such. There
is no appreciable limit to the number of
men Russia can put into the field, but. |!
saying nothing of the relatively undis !
ciplined character of its soldiery, Russia /
does not mean to a Russian all that !
Germany means to a German. Its
civilization is of different type.
A Russians loyalty to the car is a
different thing from Prussian's loyalty |
to William. Such considerations cannot
weighed, but they tel, tremendously. The
car by wise and genial policy might
have established in the hearts of his peo-
pie en- even stronger attachment than
William would be able to do. for the
natural tendency of the Russian is not
simply TO be loyal to his sovereign. but
even to regard him with worshipful af-
lection. We may consider that the weak
ness which Russia has thus far demon
strated should be regarded by the car
as being in part a sort of retribution
which he is suffering in return for the
despotic distrust which he has shown to
his people.
Next to soldierly discipline, nothing
counts In battle like loyalty to a leader
and enthusiasm for the cause. and there
appears to be no sufficient reason why
either of those motives should operate
effectively in the heart of the average
Russian soldier. The efficiency OF the
German army amazes the world and is
to the allies a great grief; 1t is something
that 1t is difficult to analyze, and whose
continuance. therefore, it is impossible
to forecast. We might explain it by love
of country were 1t not for the Germans
passion to emigrate and settle elsewhere
No one can tell what would happen
were the pressure suddenly removed that
holds the mass Of the population under
the weight of governmental ordinance
that makes itself felt in every aspect Of
individual. social and political life. 1t
is that that has compressed the German
army into an immense fighting machine,
as Indifferent TO assault as the Krupp
enginery which is hardly more mechan-
ical than the artillery that work IT,
I,,Y 80 he
less in it's numerical strength than in the
lFrenchman's thrift. his belief in unham-
pered independence his passionate fond
ness for France his memory OF the year
70 All Of this creates personal caliber
that differentiates the Frenchman of to-
day from the Frenchman of fifty years
ago almost as much as steel is differen-
tiated from putty. He clings to France
with the fervid devotement Of
Schweitzer clinging TO his mountains.
which makes him so hard to beat that
he does not know when he is beaten.
The Englishman has taken the war very
collectedly but is at last stirring in his
dreams. and If the war lasts long enough
win become thoroughly awake, and once
awake he will not sleep till the finish.
He is like a piece OF knotted oak timber.
slow to catch fire. but impossible to ex-
tinguish. with the grip of a bulldog whose
instinct it is to die rather than let go.
The following is Galsworthys character
ization of him:
81 freely confess that from an esthetio
point of view the Englishman. devoid of
high lights and shadows. coated with
drab. and superhumanly steady on his
feet. is not too attractive But for the
wearing, tearing. slow and dreadful bust
ness of this war, the Englishman. fight
ing Of his own free will. unimaginative.
humorous. competitive, practical. never in
extremes, dumb, inveterate optimist,
and terribly tenacious. is equipped with
victory"
Matters thus hastily specified do not
stand out as conspicuously to the eye as
certain others that are more frequently
commented upon. but they all enter into
the problem and must not be ASSOCIATED
from other more obvious factors. To the
foregoing. however. It should be added
that the purpose of God is one element
in the problem to which a large place
should be accorded In the estimates OF
those who look upon the Almighty not
as an inactive spectator OF human events.
but as one who rules in the midst of
events and makes the activities OF men
the instruments Of his intentions.
Without dogmatizing at all. It is enough
to know that Gods thought is toward
what is inspiring. that His interest is in
1t and that His energy is exercised along
the line which His interest lays down.
and that there Is no use In offering
prayers that will cross that line; 20
that whether the supplications OF the
Allies will tell with more effect than
those OF the TeutOR. or vice versa. viii
depend upon which OF the two It Is that
pursues purposes most in accord with the
purposes OF God, and which OF the two
II is that cherishes ideals most closely
consonant with the divine character. II
is poor religion to count GOD out In max