Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1917-11-30
The ProL,am # The East.


ultimate aims that Germany had
when it began the present war.
England was and is the arch enemy
Of Germany, and must be con.
quered if Germany is to obtain
what it is after To annex or tc
dominate Belgium and to overawC
the Dutch and Scandinavian king,
dows are merely measures TO make
Germany secure in carrying out
its real purposes.
The war began as an accident oi
of the Eastern question. 1t is to,
day essentially a contest over that
question. German ambitions, SC
far as they are not world wide, lie
chiefly in the direction of COnstan.
tinople and Asia, in breaking ur
the British Indian empire and con
trolling all that part of the world.
The allies of Germany cover the
route thither. 1t can achieve its
purpose if it can paralyze Great
Britain, but only if it can. For
that reason the war, when it ends,
will either give Germany the mas.
terry over the entire region from
the Danube to the Gulf of Persia
and open he way for a movement
against India, Or it will rustrate
for a long lime if not forever the
German S lemeS for influence in
the East.
That Vi V of German ambitions
makes pla A many things tt have
been obsc re: German hos ty to
Russia nOwer that has ways
been reat to balk Germ and
Austrian tensions and CON- luests
IN the B kan area; the courtlng
of Turke. IS an ally; strenuous eff,
forts to ho ! back Greece, to defend
Dardanel ;, to stir up sediti0n in
Egyp5 an India. It also explains
the reaSO for the expeditions Of
the Enter = in that remote region,
and the ilp)rtance that it now
attaches the capture of Bagdad.
No count STOOD to gain more by
the 3clt. OF German ambltiol
Ian aus j; none would lose more
ly their cess.
Some O the keenest military
writer's OIL th side Of the Entente
have take the ground that, al
though most Of the fighting must
lie on the western front, the criti
al point is the East. Germany
can overrun no more of France and
Belgium; nor are the Allies likely
soon to transfer the conflict to
German soil, much less to threaten
Berlin. But if the Kaiser can be
frustrated in the schemes that are
embodied in the phrase "from An,
Jwerp to Bagdad," it will mean
that he is defeated. 1t will be ac
complished first by smashing the
lines of communication between
Berlin and Constan tinople, and
then by destroying the nominalIy
Turkish but really German authOri-
ty in all the dominions, Eur0pern
and Asiatic, of the Sultan.
Does that mean that the war is
simply all affair of Europe in
which we have no concern, and
that our entry is foolish! By no
means. The conquest of the East
is but preliminary to a German
effort at dominating the world.
Read once more the recent article
in The Companion that shows the
plans of Germany for "the next
war;" Long before the UnltCu
States declared war, even long be.
fore this war began, the designs of
Germany against America, and
particularly against this country
as the defender of America against
European aggression, were more
than suspected. And before our
patience in the face o! German out
RACES and German intrigues gave.
way, there was in the tone of the
German government and the Ger
man pres evidence of a resolution
at Berlin 70 make this country the
next vict n. Germany has long
looked u on the United States as
a treasu. house to be plrndered
for the u ney necessary letray
the cost Of reducing El pc to
submissi' H. l.-Youth's Coz lnion.