Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1917-09-21
THE KNOCKOUT PUNCH.

I
! THE KNOCKOUT PUNCH.
| BY inference-and the inference ID
quite broad-the New York Times
correspondent with the Italian armies
accuses the French and British war ad-
ance which would permit the Italians
to invade Austria in comparatively
short order and hasten an allied vic
tory by menacing Germany from with.
In the borders Of its companion EN-.
pire. All that the Italians need, this
correspondent says, is great supply
Of heavy artillery. They have the men
and the enthusiasm; they are winning
on the way to Trieste and they have
shown the world that they can ira
verse the mountainous country along
the Austro-Italian frontier, fighting vic
toriously as they 60.
From other sources comes intima-
ton that Japan's 100000 we'll trained
soldiers are being held ready for serv-
ice in Russia but their services are
not asked by the entente allies because
japanese Intervention in the Russian
situation might entitle the orientals to
major consideration in the event of
final defeat of Germany.
Meanwhile, France, England and
! America are concentrating their atten.
ton on the western front, where the
| Teuton opposition is more thoroughly
organized and more successful than on
any other battlefield, not excepting
Russia when the comparative force OF
the resistance Is considered
The Times correspondent reveals
an impotence which is entirely excus-
able If his view Of the situation is an
accurate one, when he writes:
Is this gang fight over here
that we are all in to win. or Is it
not? 1t is Does 1t matter who
gets in the knockout? 1t does not.
Admitting without reserve our lack
Of technical knowledge of modern war
fare, we submit that the Italians such
as General Cadorna, who have led their
intrepid armies to victory over the
toughest Of mountain trails and
against the strongest of'defenses, have
demonstrated their right to hearing.
II they are asking for big guns and
victory against our enemies, certainly
it does not require a knowledge Of mil
itary strategy to decide whether their
request SnOulU NC granted.
And If 1t is true that Japan can be
induced to send 100000 of her little
brown men across the steppes of ST.
IBERIA to prevent the kaisers armies
from overrunning Russia it would seem
to the amateur stratesist the best sort
of common sense to say to Japan,
Come ahead" The trans-Siberian
railroad has been put in fairly good
repair and it Is possible now, according
to information from authoritative
sources, to transport troops from Vladi.
vostok to Petrograd in two weeks or
less.
Remains, then, only the question OF
the political and practical advisability
Of permitting the war to become in
fact q gang fight, admitting the accur-
acy OF the statements as to Italy and
Japan.
This brings into the forefront the
question as to what reward would be
claimed by Italy or by Japan should
either of them deliver the knockout
punch America repeatedly has made
her war aims clear. The British and
French governments have endorsed
those aims and are under such heavy
obligations to America that there can
be no question of their position as to
questions Of conquest and territorial
seizures when the time comes to make
a final treaty.
But Italy might prove unruly IN the
matter OF annexations. italy wants
Trieste for her own, OF course, and
there is some basis in history for her
claims Mere significant of the Italian
political attitude is the demand made
on China recently for important con-
cessions "as a reward for 1taly's par
ticipation in the war" Though this
demand was withdrawn it indicates
that Italy has hopes of extensive com.
mercial and political gains II the war
major voice in the settlement Of post
bellum conditions.
And Japan has seized every German
possession in the Pacific, amounting to
some 81 900 square miles OF island ter
ritory, with about 101, 900 people.
Poasts have been made publicly in the
Japanese legislative bodies that these
acquisitions never will be surrendered.
Should Japan engage the Germans
on the Russian front and score what
might be considered the decisive vic
tory in the great war, the council of
victorious nations might result in a
deadlock over the very point which the
United States laid down as one Of the
bases o. its participation-"no annexa-
tions and no indemnities."
II victory comes on the western
front. with the armies of America,
England and France landing the knock
odt blow and the fragments of Belgian
! and Portuguese armies lending their
assistance, the nation with the great.
est intlue:.ce in the peace councils will
be America. And this is worth striv.
ing for, even at the expense OF a longer
war and all that 1t means Of sacrifice
and hardship. For if the treaty is die
tated by America 1t will be treaty
on which lasting peace in the world
will be based. 1t will withhold nothing
from any nation which rightfully be-
longs to it. but it will permit no single
nation to obtain a place ''in the SUM-
| which promises to give 1t the measure
Of power exerted by Germany in 1914
when it plunged the whole world into