The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1917-04-12
CURRENT COMMENT.

The best opinion of persons ac-
quainted with the situation in Ger
many is to the effect that the German
nation can hold out until the next
crop. If it is a fair crop the German
nation can hold out another crop year.
From the merely military view the
German nation can continue the fight
for year, two years, perhaps three
years. Our own Civil war taught US
in the campaign Of Grant against Lee
how a we'll managed army greatly in
ferior in numbers but on defensive
ground Of its own choosing and "oper-
ating on interior lines" can oppose
far superior force for matter of
months or years. The hope of short
war, therefore, is not the military
hope, but the political. Americans
will not put their trust in it with too
too much confidence, yet it is the real
foundation of hope of an early peace.
The hope Of an early peace lies chiefly
in the democratic movement in Ger
many. This seething spirit of liberty,
enormously encouraged by the tri
umph of liberal principles in Russia,
can help in one of two ways. 1t can
effect a political revolution, whereup
on the enemies of the German state
can treat with the German people
with liberal terms of peace; or it can
alarm the German ruling classes to
the point that to save their privileges
and place they will sue for peace.
1t would be a mistake to suppose that
the Russian revolution is not making
a powerful and increasing impression
upon the quiet thought of the intelli-
gent German people. Russia's revo-
luton, too, operates in two ways to
stir Germany. 1t greatly frees ex-
preston throughout Germany. Men
can say and are saying things TO-DAY
in all parts of the German Empire,
and especially, as we know, in the
Reichstag that if said one year or
four years ago would consign them
behind prison bars. 1t inspires Ger
man hopes of greater political free
dom. This is one effect. The other
is that it explodes once for all and
most unexpectedly and at a most
critical moment the dream of German
rulers of resurrection after the
war Of autocracy in the world, in its
struggle against democracy, through
an alliance of Germany, Japan and
Russia. No longer is the enormous .
power in the Russian Empire on the J
autocratic side. 1t has seeded to the !
democratic enemy. America joins the i,
allies in common resistance against
German militarism and this assures
the defeat of Germany in the war. C
1t doesn't assure a short war, but i
the greatest hope in that direction t
lies in the suffering of the German b
people under the terrible strain of a n
losing war, and in the revolutionary o
spirit which is working towards de- e
That the Prussian machine
will blow up from internal rather than
external causes is good hope. n
ii
If an American army is seen in a
France and American credit is ex- n
tended to the republic now battling a
Tor its existence, the event will fur "
lish an example of poetic justice in II
which history will delight. France, II
yreater today in all things than it
vas when it lent timely aid to the
young American republic, is fighting b,
he same battle of democracy that W
America was fighting then. 1t has h,
ought it with a spiri. and devotion Xxi
hat has reused the admiration of the h,
world. America grown great and pow re
rful has itself been drawn into the T.
titanic struggle and must show wheth- hi
r it can present a spectacle as fine. W
,ould it make better start than by al
epaying in kind the debt it owes to pa
rance?