Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1916-02-17
ENGL { WILL FIGHT
THEIRS ALL QUIT
Insists War Can End Only
When Germany Agrees
to Allies Terms
By Ed L. Keen


New York, Feb. l7.-'' How long do
you think the war will last"
After the usual polite and more or
less perfunctory inquiries as to the
state of his health and what sort of
a trip he had, judging from the writer 3
personal experience and observations
in the last few hours, this is the first
serious question fired at every Amer
lean returning from Europe by every
| one he meets.
Anticipating some such inquisition,
and in order to guide him in forming
an opinion, the writer had asked the
same question of lot of folk in Eng
land just before sailing ON the Baltic
for New York. 1t received almost as
great variety of replies as the num-
Der Of Britishers interrogated-th is,
as to time. They ranged all the way
from six weeks to six years.
But in their real essence all were
alike: "Until Germany gives upl"
was the unanimous verdict.
They re telling a good story now in
London about the way premier Asquith
is said to have answered this question
at a recent social gathering. British
cabinet members have become so used
to parrying uncomfortable or puzzling
queries on the floor of the House of
Commons since the war began that they
often, unconsciOusly carry their parli-
amentary armament into the drawing
room.
A Definite Answer.
Chow long do you think the war will
last, Mr.. Asquith2" inquired q fellow
guest.
"I would have much preferred that
the honorable gentleman had given me
previous notice of this question:" re-
piled the prime minister in his most
unctious On-the-carpet tone, "but since
he insists upon an immediate and ex-
pilicit reply, will say that the answer
is in the negative.
Although the head of the British
administration can't be persuaded to
hazard time guess on the duration Of
the war, both his public and his private
utterances on the subject in recent
weeks leave no doubt that he stands
with every other Britisher whose opin-
ion is at all worth considering, in the
manifestly sincere and honest belief
that the war will 90 on until Germany
agrees to peace on the terms of the
Allies.
Make no mistake about it, the Allie;
are out to win. They were never SC
determined or so united as they are to-
day. That the recent ''made in Ger
many" stories cf likihood of an early
separate peace with Russia, or France
or England, are absolutely without
foundation am firmly convinced Ever
in the event of the remote possibility
that one or more of the allies might
be persuaded to enter into separate
peace negotiations with the Centra
Powers, England would so right Oh
fighting.
English Have Learned.
1t would be most difficult for any
one who has lived in the British at
mosphere since before the war started
and has watched the gradual alteration
of the English national spirit from
airy coeksureness through successive
stages of bewilderment, humiliation
and lesson.learning, into one of relent
less bulldog tenacity of purpose, to ar
rive at any other conclusion.
Despite ALL the muddling of the past
eighteen months-the military miscal
culations, the diplomatic blunders, the
political upheavels, the industrial tur
moils--the average Britisher has not
only never despaired, he has never
had any real doubt as to the outcome
of the struggle. The more recent mis-
fortunes--the loss Of Bulgaria, the OBJ
liberation Of Serbia and Montenegro
| the failures in Gallipoli, and the trou
bles in Mesopotamia he has regarded
as mere episodes, unpleasant it is true
I but without any effect except possibly
to retard the final triumph of the
allies.
] ---s~orN-------