Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1917-11-22
WAR At DEADLOCK,
SAYS MCCORMICK
Neither Allies nor Germans Win.
ming, Declares Congress-
man.

Washington, Nov. 19-Representative
Medill Mccormick Of Illinois, who recent
ly returned from a visit to the battlefelds
abroad. said to-day that the issues of the
great world conflict would not be decided
on the battlefields. but in the United States
by keeping up industry to the maximum
of production and by the perfection Of the
American forces.
Mr.. Mccormick spent two months study
ing the war in Europe, visiting the Brit
ish, French and italian fronts and the
American camps in France. He conferred
with the rulers Of France. England and
Italy and with the commanding generals
of the great allied armies.
THE Germans are not winning this
war;" asserted the congressman, and then
significantly: Neither are we. The
war to-day presents a stalemate from
which we are unable to extricate our
selves because of the collapse of Russia
and the unreadiness Of the United States.
Nowhere in Europe did hnd an in
formed soldier or public man who be-
lieved that military decision could be
achieved before 1919, when the Limited
States might be ready to add effectively
to the sum of pressure upon the central
empires. Perhaps economic conditions or
political events in Germany may induce
peace before that time, but, although Ger
many is suffering progressively more than
her western enemies, her autocratic ma
chinery and her economic reserves seem
altogether adequate to hold her together
| through two more winters.
RUSSIA HOPELESS.
There is practically no hope" Mr.. Nc
Cormick said. that Russia can be in any
sense useful during the year 1913. From
the most responsible people l heard a dis
heartening tale of Russian inefiiciency.
corruption. incendiarlsm, and murder
| Russia Is so disordered that she cannot
make war. Happily, in all probability.
neither can she make peace. Germany
might propose concessions and indemni-
ties In the west and recoup herself in the
east. What would the European demo-
cracies do under these circumstances? The
principal public men with whom talked
| were not certain and were not all agreed
| upon the answer to that question. Some
who personally would oppose such terms
believe that European public opinion
would demand their acceptance. al
though that would involve an addition OF
3o.0OO,000 Poles. Lithuanians, and 1.-Two
mans to the population Of the Teutonic
empires as well as the industrial resources
and the great alluvial plain Of Poland. The
German autocracy would be fortified.
| WIN q WOnueTIul energy, with IOTe-
sight which compels admiration, the au-
| tocracy has modified the power Of Ger.
many-children, women, men, food and
clothing. metals and fuels. The German
military machine made ready first, and
of course. as the neutral markets have
been closed tighter and tighter with the
tightening Of the blockade. the resources
of the central empires have been energeti.
cally spent. They are bleeding terribly
showing steady diminution in man power
and metal as compared with their French
and English adversaries. and this in spite
of the Russian collapse.
But since the German high command
controls all the central powers from tht
Bosporus to the Baltic, they act will
greater energy. unity and skill than theil
enemies. Thus they made seemingl,
successful drive into Italy If the Ger
man command hoped for true militar,
success. certainly they did not believ,
they would achieve 1t. The real object o.
their political foray into Venetia wal
partly to make camoufage on a grea
scale to conceal their steady losses from
Verdun to Passchendaele. and partly t.
provoke revolution in Italy"
The German rush into Italy was not ex
pected by the Italian commanders. &C
cording to Mr.. Mccormick.