Norwich bulletin., 1917-12-12
FACTS AND COMMENT

East Africa, the largest and most valuable of all Germany's colonies, is at last free from German occupation and ready to take its place among the British colonial possessions. This great region is nearly twice the size of the German empire and contains a population of eight million natives and 15,o00 whites. It is already rich while it's potential wealth runs into billions Just before the war began in 1914 Germany had completed a rail- read from the Indian ocean 700 miles inland to Lake Tanganyika, thus bringing the heart n4 East Africa
 seks nearer the markets of Europe. In fact this co.on,+ was the best for tified and equipped of all Germany's ing Kiao Chau and it has taken near iy three years to complete its con- quest. The work has been done all most entirely by South African force s very men who fought so bitterly against the British forces in the South African war of 1898. History shows that it ordinarily takes a generation at least to forget a defeat, but less than twenty years have passed and there is no moro loyal member of the great British federation than the new U. S. A. East Africa juts so deeply irto the continent that it had long stood in the way Of the Cape-to-Cairo Railway, for the Germans had refused permission to run this across their territory. Now. however, the way is open for the realization of Cecil Rhodes dream and the completion Of the five thousand mile line.
 l< is not so many years since the civilized world was looking asSance at the land-grabhinS of the European nations and little distinction was to be drawn between their degrees of greed. But setting aside the justice or injustice Of these aDpropria tions. the Germans have used their coioaies as military outposts and the means fer self enrichment: while Eng1and's domains, who first under coercion. yet later under her wise indulgence. have hecome so attached to their adaptive mother. that the feeling of security and mutual interest serves to keep cf soldiers could not control.
 The socialist cause contains much that is desirable as no fair-minded person will deny. It is sadly true that capital has exploited labor in the past. taking far rnure cf their joint product than it's riShtful share. ard has i-- self to blame for the popularity of Marx, whose doctrines maintain that capital has no rights and that every
 
 conden,ninG existing governments so- cialism has often been unwilling to admit that they have any excellencies, and has ever been eager to get the destiny of mankind into it's own hards In Russia at last it's chance has come There is no existing government and. all unhindered. I-enine and Trotzky are sweeping awav all tracc Of esta!o- liShed societv. Titles. prHrerty au- thority. all havn been aho'isned by TSryI1 la have been declared as natural rights the choice Of their own generals and the decision as to their own move ments. Word has heen sent the peas ant soidiery that their real enemy is not Germany hut the ruling class ev- eryEhere. he if ;n Germany Ensiand or America The struggle is to be no longer military bat social: confis- cated lands are awaitinS distribution. hence an armistice has been arranged so that the Russian soldier may return home to receive each his portion. It makes no difference to TrotZky that the Rurnanian army. the left wing of the long eastern line, is thereby be- trayed and left without support and that Germany is free to hurI all her t:oons aeainst the forces of France E.r gland and America. which for three years have been supplying Russia with ainrnunition. equipment and n3oneE. From the, viewpoint of the extremists who now direct tho fate of Russia tbeSe nations are governed by capital with, which, deepite all previous agree n1ents and alliances, kocia!ism can have no dealings.
 To save his face, Trotzky attempted to impose as condition of the ar naiStice that Germany should not use her newly released forces or the west " replied that the disposal of her troops was her own business. Nor does the socialist government of Rus sia dare mention to it's own people never release her hold on the occupied provinces. The blind fools will not see that in yielding to German auto cracy they are putting in the hands of a small ring of landed propri stors, i. e., the Prusstan iunkers, the des- tif1ies Of the millions whom they fond fy believe they are emancipating: h more senses than one it is true that the fate of the world hangs on the western front.
 How vital was the success of the by the German reaction. With an enormous concentration of men and suns. the enemy has pushed the Brit isl; back over part of their new front for about a third of the:r ad- vance. The price the Germans paid for this success was unprecedented, for the attacking columns came on wave after wave and in close order, Q formation that was long since aban- doned. but the IIindenburg line had to be resafned. They fell like wheat before the British fire, yet new waves would succeed to those fallen. until at last the British forces gave up the most exposed portions of their re- gently won positions. Part of the ground was yielded under pressure. ard from the rest the withdrawal was voluntary and unmo1ested, and there by the British line was made more defensible. It was in this fight that a portion of an American engineer regi- ment occupied in, railway construc- tion just behind the lines found them selves suddenly in the thick of the fight. Dropping their construction tools they seized what arms they could find and fought side by side with the Brit isi1 Tofiirnies until the Germans were driven back or they could regain their own lines.