Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-11-22
VICTORY CEMENTS THE
ALLIANCE


the supposedly impregnabl, linden
burg line because they believe in the
cause we and they are fighting for and
because they know it is worth dying for.
In the midst of the cheers that today
resound throughout the civilized nations
let us soberly reckon the cost of this
amazing and heartening victory. Week
after week the British casualties have
md hted above 25,OOo, and last week they
went to 32,227, dead, wounded and miss.
Ing. Will the five.mie plunge into the
nests of barbed wire and machine guns
send this weeks total over 10000? 1t
would be strange'if it does not.
England looks anXiously for the day
when Americas first 100000 men shall
be in France in the common cause against
aItocracy." declared Lloyd George on
the eve of Haig's drive. knowing it was
coming and what the cost would be.
complete unity of military plan and
COntrOl is lne American 1OGnuld, WHICH
comedies with that of our allies. There
can be no military unity among nations
unless they show an equal Willingness to
make heavy sacrifice. THE common
cause against autocracy" which Lloyd
by America. 1t is we who have said in
our reply to the Pope that there shall
who have given to the war aims Of all
the allies an embracing, unfinchins,
democratic war cry which we must keep
sounding without ninchng from the cost
Of our defiance to the German hordes.
Haig has been accepting heavy losses
In Belgium and now in France because
American reenforcements were at hand.
The Germans were taken by surprise on
the Hindenburg line. which was probably
undermanned. But they will not be
easily surprised again. and German re.
endorsements are reported to be daily on
their way from Russia to the western
front Good tactics i'm the weeks to come
may repeat a success such as that which
has just been gained on the Arras-St
Quentin line, but in the larger strategy
of the months to come race is being
run between the German and American
re-enforcements. More English and
French troops will be needed in Italy, and
yet the pressure must be kept up on the
northern lines. We can expect to hear
Of American troops taking a larger and
1t would be easy to fall into the temp.
tation Of expecting too much of Haig's
victory in immediate military effect. But
the immense value of its political effect
cannot be exaggerated. This victory
cements the interallied war council The
conferees come together with the depres-
sion of the last four weeks wiped off the
slate. They can take measures for the
common defense without recourse to des.
perate and hasty plans. An object lesson
Of the certainty of victory is presented to
them-if only unity and a single purpose
are maintained. The ghost of German
invincibility' has been laid forever, cor
the Hindenburg line was believed even
by Allied observers to be well-nigh i'm.
pregnable. But it was taken by storm
by men who as individuals were superior
70 their foes in brain and Drawn and by
q generalship which if perfected will In.
deed be invincible.
The darkest weeks of the war began
in the closing days of October. Never
had the German peace offensive made a
bolder bid for success, for even as they
rushed through Venetia the German SOL
diers carried signs labeled Peace" But
now we can congratulate ourselves that
At the darkest moment the allied peoples
held firm and put farther from their
minds than ever the thought of an un.
righteous peace with despicable tyrants.
We arise from our depression with a
ehastened spirit and an indomitable hope.
We and our allied peoples could only fail
when we forgot for a time the common
purpose of democratic mutual aid and
tiginterested unity against the enemy of
nankind. United we cannot fail.