New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-08-05

As it opens the German people discover
that Russia was not put out OF the war
last summer. but is instead now advancing
after great successes, equipped, muntioned
and using vast multitudes of men. Britain
is not unready, but is attacking with huge
armies and holding the sea without the
least break in its blockade despite the
''victory" of Jutland and the success of the
submarine warfare. Finally France is at
lacking, both on the Somme and at Verdun.
If the German Government had told It's
people the truth at the beginning 1t would
have small cause to fear now. But II
didn't. Il carried them from victory TO
victory. while the fact was that no victory
had been won of decisive nature and that
at the Marine, in Flanders, in Russia and
finally at Verdun defeats were suffered
which were either absolute, as in the case
Of Verdun and the Marine, or relative, as IN
the case of Russia, where vast territories
were conquered but Russian armies es-
capped.
Perhaps Germany can again snatch the
offensive from the Allies, perhaps she can
win another local success like Tannenoerg
and cover up the facts for more weeks and
months. 1t seems unlikely but is far from
impossible. But this will only postpone
the confession that has to be made and
seems now to be actually in the process OF
making. All the main efforts OF the Ger
mans 10 dispose Of their enemies have
failed. despite the fact that each was rep
resented to the German people as a COM
plete success. The best proof of this is the
fact that German and Austrian armies are
now on the defensive on all fronts and
losing ground on all active sectors.
How will this impress the German, not
hungry, but somewhat Inconvenience by
food shortage, how will this picture OF VIC
tory impress him? No man can answer
this question because none but German
can understand the German mind. But II
two years of victory have only brought
this result. what will another year of VIC
tory bring? And what would year with
out victory bring? Every one who has been
in Germany agrees that the illusion Oh
complete victory is widespread, almost uni
versal. We see how it has been created,
but how long can it last under new cir
Verdun was never after April bat
tie in the ordinary sense of the word. 1t be-
came a contest for moral values, and there
remained only moral values TO be won by
a local German success there. But the local
success did not come. The destruction OF
French nerves and numbers did not hap
pen. The Allied offensive was not pre-
vented. And here are the French taking
trenches before the Verdun fortress on
this fourth day of August, despite the fact
that the lever victorious" German began
his attack on February %.
There is nothing that will be more IN
teresting in the next year of the war than
the history of the decline and fall of the
German illusion of victory. The neutral
belief in German victory is about gone.
The recession of faith in Germany can be-
detected in every market place of a neu-
trail nation. But when shall we see signs
of actual decay in Germany? Will Verdun
be the signal or will the fear of this move
the Germans to a supreme effort along the
Meuse and to a sacrifice of military toI
moral considerations? 1t was such in
fuences that brought Napoleon to Leipsic
and ruin. Will the Germans make his
mistakes?