The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-12-29

for taking an account OF stock in
that business which is now the main
occupation Of the world, the business
Of war. With what prospects do we
begin the new twelve months, with
what profits and bad debts carried
forward from the year that has end
ed?
No man who had lived through the
last year could fail to realize that
there had been a marked change in
the feeling OF all the peoples at war.
The desire for peace has grown since
this time last year, when the Allied
nations were fatty declining those
German peace proposals which were
designed to give Germany a victor
ious peace while she was yet in
position to realize on her profits.
The year that is closing has seen
the postponement, IL not the final
bauishment, Of many hopes, of Ger
man hopes quite as much as Allied
hopes. A year ago the Allied ma
tons still unaware that the old
regime in Russia had betrayed them
and that the Revolution was soon o
remove Russia from the battle line,
could look forward to 1917 as a vic
tory year. The Germans, knowing
the Russian situation. could expect
that the coming Russian collapse
would leave the western Allies no
choice but to make a disadvantage
Gus peace.
The Russian collapse came, and
with Il the Allied hopes of a de-
cision in 1917 vanished. But before
the elimination of Russia was clear
to the world, before Germany could
capitalize the moral and military
consequences Of the passing Of the
Slav state. the United States entered
the war on the Allied side, bringing
a moral influence which quite dis
sipated the effects of Russian deser-
tion and was bound, in due course of
time, to provide a military contribu-
! ton which would replace the Russian
share in Allied warfare.
And so the Allies, who, still trust
/ ing Russia, had hoped to win, and
] the Germans, who had expected to
triumph, knowing Russia, were
equally disappointed. Both sides
were compelled TO recognize that no
decision could be had, and both sides
are bound to realize now, as the New
Year opens, that the chance of vic
tory in 1918 Is small, because Am
erica cannot make any decisive con-
tribution to the campaign Of the
coming year, and her contribution is
tH1NitAAdl 10 an AlllEu Victory. me
Germans, on their side, are bound to
recognize, presently, that they have
not left the resources necessary to
obtain that decision in the west
which escaped them at the Marine
and at Verdun. They must per-
ceive, too, that the Allies, knowing
that the United States is coming
up, will hold on with new energy and
fresh determination.
cne other balance there is to be
struck. The German had hoped to
ind in the submarine a weapon to
force the Allies to make a negotiated
peace in 1917; the weapon failed and
despite It's past ravages and present
peril Is no longer regarded in or out
of Germany as likely to win the war.
BY contrast, the Allies, when they
began to recognize the extent Of Rus
sian collapse, sought in Flanders to
push home an attack which would
compel the Germans to shorten their
lines and evacuate most Of Western
France before they could withdraw
nom the Eastern front in sufficient
numbers to stay the British attack
BY an inconsiderable margin, but by
a safe margin. the Germans got their
troops back, the British thrust fail
ed, the chance of clearing Northern
France has gone, perhaps until the
day when a million American troops
restore the advantage Of numbers to
the foes of Germany
And this, after all, is the statement
Of the year of war. The main hopes
Of both sides have failed. In France
the British and French have won vic
tories and the Germans have lost
battles and territory. In the East,
Bagdad and Jerusalem Mesopotamia
and Palestine have fallen to British
arms, and German East Africa, the
last Of Germany's colonial posses
sions, has passed to the control of
Britain. AS against this Germany
has won a great success in Italy,
and the very safety Of Italy has been
imperilled and remains in peril. The
allied hope that Italy would be able
to complete the exhaustion Of Aus
tria has not been realized, and Aus
tria Is not likely now to be a vic
tim OF Italian military power. Here
Is another and very considerable
allied hope gone glimmering.
But laying aside these balancing
claims OF profit and loss, we are
bound at this time to examine the
very much larger question Of the eff
feet Of the events of the past year
upon the major ambitions and as
pirations of the two contestants. |
Such an examination Of facts, too,
must lead inevitably to the realiza- 4
hon that the events of 1917 have
eensibly, materially and perhaps
Permanently changed the situation
ef both groups of powers. The war.
Viewed in its present light, seems
unlikely to end In quite the fashion
Nither group Of belligerents hoped
and expected one year ago, much
esg as they hoped forty months ago
when the conflict was opening.
Looking backward for the !
noment. let us recall the ambitions
Mnd aspirations of the first year /
Germany, after long preparation. /
fter forty years Of planning and
erganizing, burst upon the world in +
August. 1914. with a matured pro-
ram OF conquest She was to con- /
nlfer and crush France, then dis /
pose Of Russia. and thereafter, mas
Ter Of the continent as Napoleon had
been, organize 1t for a final strug- /
BE with her real enemy, Great Britt I
ain. Belgium and Northern France
we're TO be hers, France was to be
Hduced to the position with refer I
nee 10 Germany Prussia has held /
oWard the great Napoleon after |
ena World power was the driv- /
thg ambition Of the German, who |
aW first Europe then Asia and /
Erica at his feet. the British em- |
Ire shaken by internal revolt, and /
ypt and India menaced by i
urkish armies, Cerman-led.
The French victory at the Marine 4
nd the French stand before Verdun
u6 a anai term r. the major hope /
Germany. Thanks 10 the French
and military genius, France
was not destroyed while Britain re-
uaincd unready. And now after