Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-12-16


able to form a comprehensive Judgment Of
the whole war situation. lie has thus been
able to issue this warning to Americans.
based on the best sources of information.l
PARIS. France, November 17.-If thu
American people does not put every
foot pound into this effort of which i
is capable-because of an absolutel.
lunjustified ptimism-Germanyw will wiz
this war.
We are in the war. and IL we ds
not win the war we shall pay through
the nose Only through aerealizatioI
OF the situation can the American peo
pie be brought to exert its full strength
Rack-patting and Dragging and prom;
Using will only soothe it. ~
It would be wholly unjust and untrue
to say that the European allies hayS
lost hope or courage. But their re.
sponsible men fully recognize the criti.
cal nature of present copdftions arlt
are praying that America shall display
both speed and strength The situation
as it presents itself ito them may bt
outlined in this fashion:
Two Of Allies Out
Russia is definitely out.
So is Rpmania-
1t is hoped that both countries may
contiu6e to keep a sufficient army to.
gether to Withstand at least small
force OF second-rate German soldiers
on the eastern front.
Nothing is hoped for from Greece.
Little Of an aggressive nature Is ex-
pected from Italy utter the recent de.
bacle. The war has never been popular
in Italy. The people are suffering great
ly. / have had letters recently from
well-to- do friends in interior towns
there telling of the difficulties they have
experienced In getting food. Coal Is ou'
of the question In most Italian house.
holds. The people are burning WOOD
and sawdust.
French Fighting Desperately.
The Germans-or the central powers
to be more precise-may nationally hope
to use only a relatively small number
OF second-rate troops agAfns the east
sern countries. A larger and better
ITALY because Of the British and French
feinforeementa which have been 3enI
tteres From tho Gsfrnan Rpint Of yieE
!, @ sssa g sarss5d IS ss9 ,d for ~ gits.R s
apd KyenQb hAY1 besn forced to with
drHW them from the WESTERN front
]. 10 the 1pfnlon Of- we'll infnfnq4d smel]
'here The ndxt xfest Germs = oft;. ~
be nAde - Enfnst france. III. & 80 80 IS
Despt1ats Fight t. Cons.
Next years. @ashtins promises 10 be tl,e
most desperate OF the war.
The French army has fought snberhay,
but 1t has suffered damnably. It has been
stated-in the Absence of all official In
formation one cannot make precise
Affirmation that 500, 900 French soldiers
have been killed and that LOO 900 soldier
have been permanently put out OF action.
do NOT know the truth OF this. What
10 know 10 that apparently every valid
man has been taken for the army, up to
fathers OF forty i've years OF age Won-
en- are running trans and handling bag
gAge and playing q manful part I'M the
affairs of everyday life. The men re-
manning at home are the unfit and the
aged-and an occasional cowardly en-
busque-and a very few fit men who can
NOT be spared.
In spite of this absolute scraping o,
the barrels bottom for men. find a
statement In one Of the weeks reviews
that France has 1000 fewer men in the
army than she had in 1915.
That the French people are tired
very, very fired-of war cannot be doubt
ed by those who know them even slight
~. Nor can one wonder at 1t, nor car
one even mildly criticise them They viii
go on. In proportion to their strength, al
long as there Ii a chance to win. They
believe that chance Is presented II
Americas wholehearted and effective CO.
operation. Precisely because so much
BY ourselves-of our gigantic strength
the American effort Is already being
criticised in France The French people
are wondering II we really intend te
fight, or II we are only putting ourselves
In a posture Of defense
ssAmerica Grand Bluff
:. -
Remember that they are very. very
tired; that almost every family has
1 lost some member, that the comforts
of life are miss * to each one Of them
They knew nothing of:our true condi-
tion when we entered the war. They
ready for war. The few who know
the facts know that the small first
force we sent to France was an actual
strain upon the already strained re-
sources of the country. in that food
and almost everything else, even I'd
guns. had to be bought for them here
The many who do not know the facts
compare their hopes with our actual
performance-in France-and this Is the
verdict:
| America a grand BLUM.
To Smash at French.
| 1t has been stated in the chamber
of deputies that the next great Ger
man offensive will be launched against
the French lire. What the authority
is upon which this statement was made
| I do not know, although II Is the nat
iural and obvious thing for the Germans
to do. / do know that the thought has
sent a shiver of foreboding over
| France One reads this. not in the
Paris press, where the censorship has
fairly thoroughly trained the editors
| but in the papers of the provinces. and
above ALL In the trench papers. issued
for circulation in the trenches only
and where the censorship Is matter
of editorial discretion only.
! All this is not calamity bowling by
an individual. for 1t represents onl,
what one hears on every side. / NIGH
go on to repeat what one also hears OF
every side, that France will not hold
| on much longer. but do not believt
/ this France will hold on to the end
4 of Frances courage than In the recen
change OF ministries by which George.
| Clemenceau came to power. Whateye,
may be said OF Clemenceau. at leas
| he represents the hard and bitter light
ling spirit of France. He stands for ii
unshakabie courage and a dominan
honesty. He may have fallen befof,
| this reache1 the United States, but. 4
least, he was selected because the nam,
tCiemenceau is synonymous will
/ s.heht.p France will not quft. But i
/ France is not supported France Ynus
| stop from sheer exhaustion ultinnateiy
They are heroic, these people 81 France
but the day Of miracles is past.
| Germany Also suffers.