New-York tribune., 1916-07-19

few after the Russian drive of last sum-
mer. Christmas at home after the Con-
stantinople parade. Verdun and peace be-
fore spring. This is the food on which
the German public has been fed.
And not one thing of all the promises
has come true. France, Russia, Britain,
with Italy TO boot, are advancing; they are
not eliminated, they are not downhearted.
They have not lost courage, hope; the
German bulletins are the best evidence
that they have not lost strength. Here at
last is a solid, palpable fact, not to be abo!-
ished like the Battle of the Marine, not to
be obscured like the failure to get Calais.
Germany has no new illusion to replace
the vanished hope. She cannot break out
in a new offensive. 1t has come to point
where she must hold, hold hard, hold with
all strength and desperation against supe-
rior numbers and equal preparation.
There has been nothing more significant
than this German appeal since the war
began. No more complete, patent, undls-
guised confession. The superma1 idea has
not worked. The machine, the supreme
machine. the marvellous efficiency, the all
conquering Kultur have not worked. The
world has not been terrified conquered, re-
duced to abiect weakness. All these illu-
sions have gone by the board. There is no
decadent France, helpless Britain, inert
Russia. Instead there are British, Rus-
sian. French armies breaking in waves OF
fire and steel against the German lines
and the German people are asked, begged,
to trust the army that is holding their
walls.
Surely this is a far cry from the word
of August. 1914. Certainly we have got
on by many a mile since those days be-
tween Liege and the environs of Paris.
We are coming to the end of the pesti-
lential delusion. We are escaping from
the baneful folly of the German hallu-
cination. A hungry Germany, much
beaten up by many nations, standing
bravely, splendidly on the defensive, writ
ing some of the finest military history IN
the annals of mankind, but Germany no
longer chained to the supreme deluslons OF
the Bernhardis and the Treitschkes, not
free. but working free, of the chains forged
by pride, self-admiration, national para
noia-this is what is becoming visible day
by day.
And it is for the further and complete
liberation of the German mind that we
must wait. Some months more of the
present agony and it is fair to assume that
the super" madness will vanish. The
measure of this war is not alone or mainly
on the battlefield. 1t has been fought for
spiritual values chiefly. 1t has been
fought to preserve our civilization and our
humanity. 1t has been fought to save all
that we in America love and cherish-all
that democracies have cherished from the
beginning. 1t has been fought against a
lie as complete as the Spanish lnquisition'
as mortal as the ancient regime that the
French Revolution destroyed.
And the lie is dying. Millions and mill
ions of German men and women are ap-
preaching the light. The military force
that was to make them masters of the
world. for the sacrifice of their individual
will. now comes on its knees to ask
measure of confidence. 1t has not PAID;
it cannot now or ever pay. A million
Germans have died; thousands are dynt
daily, East and West. Millions more are
hungry. Paris, Calais, Moscow, Suez,
Verdun. these are the fctions of yester-
dav-false and proven false. The facts
are written otherwise.