Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1917-08-03
Manhood Slaughtered, Fighting
for Life Rather Than on Often
sive, Germans Are Farther
From Paris Than in 1914,
BREAK DISCOUNTED
Amounts to Little Now, But
Would Have Been Disas-
trous in 1914, ST.
monds Says.
81 Ennk simond..

\SOpyTlSul ny O1o new YORK tribune
In discussing his first battle, in his
memories. General Grant recalled tho
fact that while his own men were In
disorder he caught q glimpse of the
enemy %retreating quite as rapidly as
his own men and giving evidence Of be-
ing at least as scared. This was, as
he says a lesson which he never for
got during all the our years that fol-
lowed.
1t begins to look as II some sort Of
evidence like this vas necessary for tho
American people who r going
through periods of depression and op-
timism with great rapidity and with
too little regard for the essential facts
in the war. If anybody had told u in
any day Of August. 1914, that h Ger
war be as near Paris as they were in
the asst week of August, the world
have accepted this as evidence Of q
certain German defeat. Two years ago
when the Germans were pursuing the
broken Russian armies into the heart
when the British armies we're not yet
organized, there was cause for depres-
sion and for pessirnism.
Present Prospect Grave.
The present prospect in the war Is
grave enough, but the extent Of the
gravity is summed up in the fact, that
there is no present prospect Of q vic
torious peace in h immediate future,
m that those who know most about
the situation recognize that there are
hard suffering and bitter fighting ahead
before the end.
But does anybody imagine that, bit
ter as is the prospect for all on this
side OF the firing line, it is more prom
Using to the Germans? Two years ago
yUn Vunr0 fn 1lrirr nk~,,k <I> 1@n~lk~N- M
turn of the Germans from the east to
tho west. Two years ago we were talk.
ing about the prospect Of an absolute
German victory, just 40 q little less
than three years g We were contem-
plating what seemed the immediate
prospect OF the conquest OF France,
German Victory Impossible.
The question before us now is not .
question of whether Germany can DOM
mate the world q the immediate con-
sequence of the present war. The Ger
man advance in the west has been
stopped for all time. Whether 1t be
possible, without American aid, to push
the Germans back to the French front
Ter may be problematical. Whether Il
may be next summer or the summer
after before a military decision a be
had In favor of the allies is open to dis
cussion. But no one will now discuss
the chance of a decision in favor Of the
Germans on the west front where the
war must ultimately be won and lost.
Insofar as the present events have
served to demonstrate to the American
people how serious is the task before
us and how great the extent of the sac
rlfices they snust make they have
served Il useful end. II there has been
any disposition to minimize the lob. to
underestimate the amount of American
contribution that must be made, then
we should be grateful for the adyersi-
ties of the present hour.
But depression should not go beyond
this; and there should be no failure to
recognize how much has been won al
marched on the road toward the liber-
alton of all mankind from the German
a
Entente Winning the War.
We shall celebrate the third anniver-.
sary OF the Marne in a few weeks. "A
year and a half after the German as
saul upon Verdun the French flag still
waves over all the forts. Every battle,
on the western front in recent months
has resulted in the capture Of great
numbers Of German prisoners and Ger.
man guns. and In the present campaign
We have seen more than 1000 square
miles of French territory redeemed,
while each successive thrust Of the new.
British army has been more immediate
and completely successful than that
which preceded 1t.
We shall do i'll to take counsel now Of
our fears or our approximations at
time when there is less reason for fear
ing absolute German success than ever
before In the war. We shall serve only
the German ends IL now we permit our.
selves to be captured by German inter-
pretations of existing conditions or by
the anxious and too apprehensive words
OF those who have as yet had little ex-
perience in dealing with the world war.
Hope For Russia Unreasonable.
The Russian collapse impresses us
the more because we had a few weeks
| ago a little Russian offensive. momen-
tarily successful which suddenly trans
formed all our fears into hopes more
unreasonable than our fears had been.
Six months ago it had been recognized
| In Paris, London and Rome h Russia
was to all practical purposes out of the
a Before the R~Onlanoff dynasty fell,
1t vas known OF all. men tina it was
seeking to make a separate peace with
Germany.
We shall not lose this war with Ger
| many unless we will to lose it, unless
we consent to lose it, unless we permit
ourselves to he conquered in spirit
when we still have weapons in our
hands and strength in our odies It
Is time for the. people Of the United
! States to e to acquire something Of
tie spirit and something Of theTdeter-
limitation Of the French soldiers. Who
a010 0fNVeY6un.s ssThn rS,ha III MT 49,