The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-12-30
Germany Begins to Realize
That No Terms Either Side
Proposes Will Satisfy Other
BELIEVE CAN BRING
RUSSIA TO HER KNEES
Germany Now Has Pipe Dream
of Disrupting Entente and
Will Aim Big Blows Before
Spring Opens

Amsterdam. Dec. 2s-Hindenburg
is out to win the war before spring.
In this brief statement may be
summed up the military ambitions
OF Germany as described in private
advices reaching the correspondent Of
the International News Service today.
Since this Information comes from
the same source which on December
IL enabled the International News
Service to cable an accurate outline
of Chancellor Won Bethmann-Holl-
weg's speech in the Reichstag twenty
four hours before 1t was delivered II
fully deserves to be taken on its face
value
Three main assertions stand out:
Military Germany, from Hin
denburg down to the youngest re-
cruit, does not believe there will be
peace until one or more of the allies
have been thoroughly beaten by the
force of arms.
2-There exists a fixed Idea in the
minds of the German people-and 1t
is shared by the government and the
army--that the bond that holds the
allied powers together Ia steadily
loosening and a decisive defeat of
Russia will start the ball of disrup-
ton rolling The belief that Russia
can be forced into a separate peace
Z
has become an obSession.
with the dual object Of bring
ing about this hoped-for disruption
of the entente and exhausting the
fighting power of the allies before
they can undertake a concerted ofren-
sive in the spring, the Germans are
planning simultaneous grand often
sive In the east and west, with Odessa
and verdun the respective goals.
th -
came today two developments tending
strongly to support points / and g.
The news from London brought the
sweeping peace terms of the Spectator,
while the official reports from Ber-
lin and Paris told of a Teuton offensive
on the west bank OF the Meuse.
In well-informed circles here. the
Spectators list of conditions is not re-
garded as being what the entente gov
ernments will demand. 1t is however,
looked upon as fair resume of the
popular demands of the entente peo-
pies, II anything even remotely APP
preaching such terms should be OFF,
cially demanded there is no doubt hero
that Germanys answer will be I'VE
fight to the last man before we SUBJ
NIT on such conditions"
Neither Side Likely to He Pleased.
Information reaching here is to tho
effect that in Germany there Is a strong
belief since the speeches OF the entente
leaders that no terms which either
side may propose WITH be acceptable to
the other. In this belief Germany is
said to be about to try for a settlement
of the war by the sword. This she
realizes. must be done now. before
England and France can accumulate
new stores of ammunition for a huge
offensive on .arger scale even than
the Somme drive
To strike at Russia alone il Is argued
would allow her western allies to pre-
pare for n great spring drive The
Teutons have had to spend compare
lively little heavy calibre ammunition
in the Rumanian campaign. They are
said TO have been storing up shells
since the stopping of the Crown
Princes Verdun offensive.
Russia wasted her stores In thu
huge offensive of the past summer and
France and England reduced their sup
ply to the minimum during the Somme
drive.
To keep hard on the heels of the
foe not allowing him a single mo-
ments rest Is said to be Hindenburg's
watchword for the future and there
Is every indication that he will not lot
the winter stop his plans.