New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-10-28
Germany Is Beaten.

the actual as contrasted win the aPPar-
ont condition of the European struggle,
IL could be found without difficulty IN the
statements of German public men, German
newspapers and German people After NJ
teen months of strife, after conquests, VIC
tories. triumphs, unequalled since the Ma
poleonic era, who is it that is talking OF
peace?
Take the public statements Of German
statesmen, take the comments of the press,
Is there any mistaking the fact that IN
all. at some point, the word peace crops
ND. victorious peace" or some other be-
adjectived peace, it is, to be sure, but peace
Travellers returning from Germany re-
Gently agree that the only real qualifica-
ton to German confidence is found in the
apprehension of a protracted war. Peace
now means victory-but next year?
Now. we in the United States have IN
our own experience a very admirable
standard Of measurement for German mill
tary success. In our Civil War the victors
were over long months and years the van
ouished. Defeat, disappointment, blunder-
ing stretch all the way from First Bull
Run to Chickamauga. Compare German
with Confederate successes, and, with
proper allowance for the difference in size,
the essential fact is the same.
Yet. reading history, looking back now,
nothing is clearer than that the South was
always doomed, unless it could get an early
decision on the battlefield. Outnumbered,
inferior in population, resources, cut Oft
from sea-borne commerce, the South was
condemned to defeat unless on the battle
field it could win victory that would de-
stroy the armies before it.
\ Precisely this the South could never do.
1t could win battles, compaigns, operating
as do the Germans, on interior lines, 1t
could concentrate superior forces at the
important point, while inferior in numbers
as a whole. But its victories fell short OF
the essential requirement. Steadily the
armies of its foe grew stronger, its own
numbers weaker. The whole world con-
tributed to the arming and munitioning
of Northern armies, as the whole earth
now contributes to the Allies.
All this was not perceived at the out
set or until almost the close Of the Civil
War. Dependency, despair were com
mon at times, when, as we see it now,
victory for the North was already assured
Compare Northern depression after the
bloody and fruitless campaign from the
Wilderness to Cold Harbor with British
depression now and the thing is patent.
Yet this campaign broke the back Of the
South by the sheer attrition Of Lees army.
With all the various differences in degree
between Germany and the Confederacy,
the main fact is the same. Germany and
her Austrian ally are outnumbered, the
wealth and resources of England, France,
Russia and Italy are incomparably
greater. Sea power has destroyed Ger
man commerce, sealed up German harbors,
while for the Allies the sea brings all the
resources Of America and the Colonies TO
the battle lines.
At Antietam and Gettysburg the South
bid for the decision--it failed. AT the
Marine and in the recent Russian campaign
Germany made a similar bid and lost.
Neither French nor Russian military
power was crushed, nor was territory or
population vital TO either country seized.
The single significant fact in the military
situation row is that Germany is bleeding
TO death. German soldiers on three fronts
are killing British, French, Russian and
Serbian troops-but 10 match this these
are all killing Germans. The terrible drain
on German manhood is utterly dispropor-
tionate TO the drain on any one of her OPP
ponents, although collectively their losses
may exceed German.
II may take year, two years, TO bleed
Germany white; it took four 10 grind
tie seed corn" Of the Confederacy. But
the thing every one who would understand
the war must recognize is that the process
is going on steadily, remorselessly, and
that as it goes on Germany continues to
fail 10 get the decision.
II was always possible that the North
might lose courage, heart, will power
abandon the struggle. II Is equally posi-.
be that one or all the Allies may fail
now. But this remains the single chance
Of German success, chance that bears
no relation 10 any military decision---the
opportunity for this has passed.
The proof Of this assertion is found in
the fact that 10 10 10 the Balkans Ger
many has had 10 abandon her Russian
drive Apart from local operation for
Riga, all effort 10 crush the Russian mill.
tary power has been abandoned and Rus
sis has been left TO recupcrate, as France
and England were left after the Marine
end the Y'sr. In the West Germany Il