The Washington herald., 1917-03-25
What Leading Newspapers
Say on the War Situation
The New Republic.

The New Republic.
The German retreat will not be satis-
factorily explained until the events of
the spring campaign lie before US. The
maneuver will necessarily delay the
allied offensive. as weeks will be requir-
ed to bring up the colossal machinery of
attack before the new German lines. The
chance of a military conclusion In the
| course OF this year is thus materially re-
duced. But why should the Germans
want to keep the war undecided for a
| longer period? The new line may be
stronger. 1t can be held by fewer men.
but 1t can also be attacked by fewer
men. II the German reserves were ex-
hausted the shorter line would have to
be accepted perforce, but 1t seems to be
agreed that Germany is only Just at
tanning her maximum man power. At
best the shortening of the line may pos
sibly release between half and three
quarters of million of men, who could
! be used elsewhere in the six weeks or
two months the allies will need to pre-
pare for a new offensive. They are the
best men Germany has. In ten days
they could be thrown upon the eastern
/ frontier for a quick thrust at Petrograd.
which is less than three hundred miles
| from the German lines in Poland. In
| the same time Mackensen could make
ready for thrust at Odessa. Such
| attacks, II successful would throw Rus
sa into confusion and might even result
In civil war and general anarchy. The
new republic may prove able to defend
| Itself against even the most desperate
+, German attacks. But whether 1t can do
| so depends not alone uPon the courage
and patriotism of the Russian revolu-
tionary party. 1t depends also upon the
quantity and quality of the munitions
assembled under the earlier regime of
incompetence and corruption. -"
New York Evening Post.
| 1t Is right and fitting that the first
| formal recognition OF the newborn Rus
sian democracy should come from us,
who embody the first large-scale expert
ment in democracy OF modern times. BY
that fact we are more qualified than any
other nation to understand the aspira-
tions OF the Russian people. just as We
are specially qualified to understand the
evil nature of the system which the Rus
sian people have shaken of their shoul-
ders. by the presence in this country Of
millions of men who have suffered in
their person the iniquities OF the Roman
OFF despotism. But more than that: Mr..
Wilson must have been speaking with
something Of prophetic vision two months
ago when he told Congress and the world
that there could be no lasting peace
which does not recognize and accept
the principle that governments derive all
their just powers from the consent of
the governed. and that no right exists
anywhere to hand peoples about from
sovereignty to sovereignty as II they were
property" The Russian revolution af-
firms both contentious. It is at the same
time an assertion of democracy and a
protest against the Vaccinations OF a
court camarilla which sought to make a
separate peace with Germany, involving
the transfer OF large sections OF Russia.
One could only wish that our sympathy
with the new regime at Petrograd had
been expressed in more fervent terms
than the very formal phraseology which
our Ambassador used yesterday. But the
Russian people will recognize the feeling
behind the words.
DefenseIess America.
Boston Transcript
There is not an infantry regiment of
the regular army in the United States
today east of Texas. There Is not a
battery of field artillery of the regular
army in the United States today east
of Kansas. The cloth necessary to clothe
five hundred thousand volunteers has not
yet been woven. The officers to train
them have not yet been found The
| rifles and ammunition to equip them
have not yet been started. The camps
for their mobilization have not yet been
located. And worst OF all. the urgent
recommendations for the beginning Of this
gigantic task have not yet even been
read by the Secretary of War. 1t has
taken more than a month for Harvard
I University to secure the services OF Capt
shannon as assistant professor of mill
tary science and tactics. and even his
detail was held up until the White House
was swamped with appeals, and Harvard
men in the Senate and House of Repre-
Sentatives were started to the War De-
partment by kilograms from exasperated
Harvard alumni in all parts OF the coun-
try. 1t will probably be many weeks
before Dartmouth College will be able
of its student body. Many more weeks
! will ClapSe before the equipment for
the college regiments OF New England
can be obtained. Applications for Off
GERS and material for all such purposes
seem only to irritate the pacifsts who
hold the War Department today in their
| grip.
, "DofenselcSs America" Is no longer \
movie maxim merely but an appalling
fact. The crime of 1898 is being recon-
mitted by wholesale and the people are
being gull ed twice a day by official bull
!letins from Washington regarding "the
mammoth preparations for war;" igno-
rant of the fact that the preparations
are all on paper. How long, Mr.. Pres!-
dent, how long? -"
The New Russia a Moral Asset,
tKanss City star)
1t has been apparent from the outset
that, If the Russian revolution did not
too greatly disorganize the empires
military strength 1t would prove an
enormous moral asset to the allies
The issue of the war which they re-
garded as fundamental-the issue OF
| democracy against Prussanism-was
| blurred by the fact that the entente
included the Russian autocracy.
| With the autocracy overthrown and
the leaders Of liberal thought in con-
troll of Russia, the bond of sympathy
and common aims between that coun-
try and the democratic governments OF
! the west is immeasurably strengthen
| ed.
This fact is frankly recognized in
such a representative German organ as
the Berlin I.okal AnzeIger, which as
serts that the revolution has swept
away the element of instability in the
entente since the war aims OF the
| democratic western powers could not
: in the long run he Tne same aS the