Evening journal., 1915-10-29

would understand the war must rec
ognize is that the process is going on
steadily, remorselessly, and that as
1t goes on Germany continues to fail
to get the decision
IL was always possible that the
North might lose courage, heart, will
power, abandon the struggle. 1t Is
equally possible that one or all the
Allies may fail now. But this re-
mains the single chance OF German
success, a chance that bears no rela-
tion to any military decision-the op-
portunity for this has passed.
The proof OF this assertion is fonnd
IN the fact that to go to the Balkans
Germany has had TO abandon her
russian drive. Apart from a local
operation for Riga, all effort to crush
the Russian military power has been
abandoned and Russia has been left
to recuperate, as France and England
were left after the Marne and the
fser In the west Germany is hang
ing onA but no more. In the east,
save about Riga, Russia is on the Of
iensive. Yet Germany has hardly sent
more than 250,000 troops TO the BAL
kans.
Viewing the war from this angle,
then, 1t is clear why German states
men talk and think of peace. There
IS no corresponding talk in London.
faris or Petrograd. The apparent
losers, the nations which have SO far
lost, are not discussing peace on
any terms, but out OF Germany. de-
spite censor, Official warning. patient
enort' there emerges only an ever
growing talk of peace.
When the Germans have opened the
road to Constantinople. DESTROYED Ser
olan resistance temporarily asserted
their supremacy in the Balkans. moth
lus Is more certain than that from
one ena or this earth TO the other.
every German sympathizer. will talk
peace' Every influence that can pos
sioiy be eXerted will be called into
play 10 procure a settlement
but no American should mistake
ms IL compares admirably with
lhose frantic but abOrtive peace con-
ierences OF 1864, when the South was
ALREADY beaten. but Southern infu-
ehces IN the North combined with
tne pacihst and the war weary i'm
the attempt TO prevent the inevitable
ana avert the final scene at Appomat-
toX. which every soldier now knew
was but a question of time.
AND If Germany fails in her neace
elIorts, then the END is assured n
may be in a few months or II NAV
take many. But the last chance
OF victory Will have gone. Germanv
mas failed at the Marne and. the Me
men, She has failed 10 get a deci- !
SION IN the field. as the Confederacv
ialled. Her defeat in the war is as I
certain as was that OF the Confeder- |
acy aIter GettysDurg-unless she can |
Iire out her opponents, persuade /
them to forego victory, because vic |
Tory VIII be costly and DELAYED
Ihe decisive part Of the war so far
as the battlefield is concerned. is now |
over for Germany. She has won |
much, but missed the decision. Bern !
hardi, writing long before the war |
ioretold with inexorable logic that if /
Hermany JAILED to get the decision |
against one OF several foes before all |
were ready she would lose. and she |
mas tailed, she has failed utterly, de-
'hAt~ htothiiNtil Aptdl successes. Her !
generals have failed as Napoleon fail
ed from Leipzig to Fontainebleau
His problem was to dispose of separ-
ate armies before their collective
strength doomed him. In the end he
lost But he lost primarily because
his opponents agreed to make no
separate peace and clung TO the
agreement despite temporary re-
verses
Germany is now approaching what
will be her last great bid for victory.
but it will not be made on the battle |
field-that is over. II will be made
in conference, in peace negotiations.
in operations through neutral ma
tions. If these fail, we shall pres |
entity see the whole character of the I
conflict change and an utterly new
spirit flow from the Rhine to the /
Vistula. What Americans cannot now
know is whether the spirit that ruled /
in Washington in 1864 dominates In
London, Paris and Petragrad in 1915. |