The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-03-05
WAR OF EXHAUSTION
A PERIL TO VICT0RS
German Writer Says Even
They Would share Fate
of the Conquered.

Specfdi Orrr>poH6cHcc 70 THE StN.
BERLIN. Feb l0.-Hans I.cus is voicirs
the opinion OK many when he writes in
Die Welt om Montdo:
Since Rcthmann-Hollwcg in the
Rcichstag openly declared his peace SEN
mcnts. something Of a rustic. still very
gentle. IL noticeable here and there. An
parcntly many in the hostile countries
are possessed with the idea that peace
IN any case is bu, a question Of time.
and that some time or other peace must
come. All sensible Europeans know. of
course. that the time for peace mis-;
come. and even tina the llmi, OF time
set for this war cannot he SO far of
but Just when this limit will be reached
is a question very differently estimated
b! many.
THE English Government has de-
clared itself in favor Of universal con-
scription which certainly is not only
significant for this war. hut. possibly.
even more so for the time after the
war. For the interior politics OF Eng
land. for her political economy and for
foreign politics throughout Europe. n
miii;ariiy organized England will signify
a mighty chang ard disarrangemert az
existing conditions.
IF. however. III" proposed consorip-
| ton in England IL intended s,ill 10 effect
his war. the war will have TO continue
for some time to come. for an army ~
CONSUMPTION cannot be brought to an
efficient war footing IN less than one
year AZ the earliest. According to these
plans We would have TO prepare our
selves for a war 81 exhaustion. And
what may that he? lave people a cor
rect conception of the significance Of a
war Of exhaustion? 7 doubt il.
"~Cndouhtedly the impression in gen.
eral il that a war Of exhaustion will
bring TO the vanquished a terrible fu-
tur@. while. OF the other hand. the con-
lueror Will be raised to an exalted
height. Virtually he will be. Of course
inasmuch as he is the victor but it doe
no, signify by any means that the vic
tor on his part VIII have escaped til,
exhaustion involved IN such a victory
On the contrary. the more dreadful and
complete the exhaustion ~ the vas.
pushed the more likely will IL he ,oi
the %conqueror to be in "a similar state
For the opposing forces are not SO un'
evenly matched that II will be possihl.
for the Conpucror to attain his end with
out drawing upon his utmos means.
Blu the more exhausted the van
Juished Is the less will be the prospects
for the %conqueror 10 receive from th'
~yanauished the reimbursement Of his "x
p~end!tures. Where nothing IL left an'
where even the credit has been draw
on unto exhaustion nothing can he 40
tanned. This applies not only 10 the Va
Indemnity hut just as much to the late
economic relations with the eNhausi@'
loser. The move exhausted he Is In
less business can he done with him late
ON. This IL a factor of pa ra mount SIG
nltcance and becomss a vital question
concerning especially the two forenos
states Of the belligerrnt roups the Nv.
rre,, industrial and commercial states
GERMANY and England.
"The country "a suffer least wonld b
Russia. This vast country Of prlmera
productivencss, Of agricultural POSSIBLE
ties. does not offer the same points O
damage as are represented by a larg
industrial, commercial and cxchang
capital. A bankruptcy Of the state
which had been prophesied for the Rus
sian Empire long before the war. is ver
? probable after this war. The real victo
in a war Of exhaustion would he TN
, United states OF America. which wit
their not only u~nexhausted but eve
/, nightly augmented capital would bc !
a position to impose a colossal tribu
, on Europ"'
: and the eXha ustion OF Europe. where on
Is already speaking openly OF the likel
mood that every one will have to wor
for the state four or five months of III
? wear, II the surest method OF impellin
|, A vehement emigration from Europe |
! the United states.
.Ir ali people in Europe would onl
! ~,calize this condition of affairs on
might, hone that so much common sem
t unnld prevail that little by little ir'
i n,uv's readiness for peace would r.
= m,,no n factor of considerable value f.
Il our enemies