The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1917-09-17
FOREWORD

am writing what should have been
the last chapter as the toreword OF
this book. because want to bring
home to our people the gravity OF the
situation: because want to tell them
that the military and naval power OF
the German Empire is unbroken: that
OF the 1900. 300 men whom the Kaiser
has called 10 the colors but 100000
have been killed. 100000 permanently
disabled. not more than 100000 are
prisoners Of war and about 50O,oOU
constitute the number Of wounded or
On the sick list of each day. leaving
. at all times about 100000 effectires
under arms.
state these figures because Ameri-
cans do net grAs, eithEr the magnitud
or the Importance OF this war. Per
haps the statement that more than
5000. 900 prisoners Of war are held IN
the various countries will bring home
to Americans the enormous mass OF
men engaged.
:. There have been no great losses in
the German navy. and any losses Of
ships have been compensated Tor oy
the building Of new ones. The S.00o'-
900 men and ulore-tor at least
100. 900 come Of military age in Ger
many every year-oecause OF their
experience in two and half years OF
war are better and more efficient sol.
diers than at the time when they were
called TO rhe colorS. Their Officers
know far more Of the science OF this
war and the men themselves now have
the skill and bearing Of veterans. >
German Nation Will Not Starve or
Revolt.
Nor should anyone believe that Ger
many will break under starvation or
make peace because OF revolution
The German nation is not one which
makes revolutions. There will be scat
tered riots in Germany, but no stimuli.
taneous rising Of the whole people.
The officers OF the army are all OF
one class, and Of a class devoted to
tie ideals of autocracy. a revolution
Of the army is impossible, and at home
there are only the boys and old men.
easily kept in subsection by the po-
lice.
There Is far greater danger OF the
starvation Of our Allies than or the
starvation OF Germans. Every avail
able inch of ground in Germany IS
cultivated. anu cultivated by the aid
OF the old men. the boys and women
and the 100000 prisoners Of war.
. 'he arabic lands of northern France
of Rumansa are being cultivated
he German army with an efficien-
-y never before known in these coun-
tries. and most of that food will be
added to the food supplies OF Ger
many. Certainly the people suffer:
but still more certainly this war will
not be ended because OF the starva-
tion of Germany.
Although thinking Germans know
that il they do not win the war the
financial dav Of reckoning will cnue.
nererth l>ss. owing TO the clever finan
cial handling Of the country by the
Government and the great banks. there
is at present. no financial distress IN
Germany. and the knowledge that un-
less indemnities are obtained from
other countries the weight OF the
great war debt will fall upon the peo-
ple perhaps makes them reader to
risk all in final attempt to win the
war and impose 1ndemnities upon not
only the nations Of Europe. but upon
~
We are engaged in a war against
the greatest military power the world
has ever seen: against people whose
country was for so many centuries a
theatre OF such devastating wars that
fear Is bred In the very marrow OF
their souls, making them ready to
submit their lives and fortunes to an
autocracy which for centuries has
promised them. as result OF the war,
not only security, but riches untold
and the dominion of the world: a
people which. as from a high noun
tain, have looked upon the cities OF
the world and the glories Of them and
have been promised these citiesiRnd
these glories by the devils OF the
autocracy and OF war.
We are warning against nation
whose poets and professors. whose
pedagogues and whose parsons have
united in stirring it's people to white
pitch Of hatred. first against Russia.
then against England and now against
America.
The U-boat peril Is a very real one
for England Russia may either break
ND into civil wars or become 80 inef1cc-
tive that the millions Of German troops