The Washburn leader., 1915-09-10


seven cents bushel premium.
MANY sPECULATI0Ns AS
TO THE WAR OUTCOME
Naturally, it is not safe to
believe all the reports that are
circulated concerning the atti-
tude Of the various governments
toward the war. Some stories
are doubtless sent out to mis-
lead; Others are circulated to
sound sentiment; others may
be invented by ambitious or ex-
citable correspondents. Two
things must govern, very large
ly, the estimate placed on war
reports-faith in the author of
the reports, and the manner in
which the reports harmonic
with previously known facts.
Without going at all into the,
credibility Of the witness, it may
be said that the reports from
Amsterdam concerning the de-
velopment of peace sentiment in
Germany are quite consistent
with what is generally known
as to the general facts.
The story is that, on the au--
thority Of the national treasur-
er, Germany has almost reached
the end Of her financial resourc-
es; that General Won Moltke
does not believe a complete Rus
sian defeat possible; that the.
chancellor agrees with his col
leagues that efforts should now
be made to bring about an hon
orable peace, and that he will
decline to continue in office if
the opposite course is pursued !;
and that the recent Socialist ap-
peal for peace was issued as the
result of an understanding with
the government.
Of course, none of this may be
true. On the other hand, the
conditions ere such as to give all
Of it an appearance Of reason
a,bleness. No nation is able to
withstand indefinitely such a
strain as Germany has under
gone. The end must come, some
time. 1t will not be strange if
Germany is facing that situation
now. The Russian problem is as
far from solution as it was 1be-
fore the Germans began their
campaign against Warsaw. The
, Russians have been beaten back,
it is true. But it is a known anc
admitted fact that Russia s re-
sources are as yet scarcely touch
ed. She has i'll reserve men by
the million, and she has not on
ly food for them, but for the
troops of her allies for an i'm
known time. Either Germany
must put forth still more gigan-
tic efforts than in the past to
crush Russia, and conduct hel
further operations at still more
distant points, and at greater
costs, or Russia will be a grow
ing rather thar diminishing
enemy. AS to the Socialist move
/ ment little can be definitely
known Of ii outside. We know
something CT the tight rein whie'
the Gel man government has
| he'd over all fsrnns of public ex-
preston. hence. statements and
appeals which are allowed to
60 unrebnl;ed may fairly be sus-
pec'ed to have been made in ac-
cord with some governmental
design.
Obviously. the. best time for
Germany. to make peace is when
her achievements are at its
greatest. Today Germany oc-
cupits large areas in Belgium
France and Russia. Nowhere
are her armies III retreat. With
1.-THE exception Of one small strip
of her own territory is free from
the enemy. She can afford to
00SAuuc C4lc AOlC, az Cu4o GAAAS, VI
the generous victor. She can af.
ford to make terms which will
have the appearance of gener-
oGty, and which will yet make
the war much less costly to her
than to the o.her notions. Above
all, she can more consistently
demand favorable terms Of set.
tlement than she could after hav
ing suffered signal reverses. Be.
cause it is greatly to the interest
, of Germany to make peace now,
lit is entirely probable that those
of her publ" men who have not
been entirely carried away by
/ the thought Of conquest Of the
world are striving to influence
German sentiment in the direc.
tion of a speedy peace.
Two things stand in the