New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-03-08
No Peace for at Least Z Years
Unless Allies Win Decislvely
Continued from page I

possible to estimate the extent OF
the change, it is impossible to eX-
aggerate the degree to which the
whole spirit and temper of London
has changed. A whole world OF
vain optimism has passed away; the
men who spoke most lightly Of the
task speak now with a full realiza-
ton Of the difficulties and the dan
gers that are ahead. It's sad Eng
land. for the Somme alone cost al
most 100000 casualties, and there IS
a general expectation that the sum
mer campaign that is to come Will
cost a million.
Yet above all else there IS patent
a stern, grim recognition Of the fact
that Britain is fighting, not another
Boer War, not another Crimean
War. but a war unlike any in the
lone stretch of British history, war
for the future existence Of the en-
pire and a war which can have but
one Of two endings, the downfall OF
the empire or the removal of the
German menace. You have a sense
all through England that you did
not have a year ago, and that was
found in invaded France, not in'io-
late Britain.
do not know at what moment the
change began. / have been told it
was when Verdun disclosed the
strength and power of the Germans
and utterly dissipated the foolish
notion of a Germany at the point
Of exhaustion, long insisted upon by
those newspapers and public men
who took their tone and color from
the Ministry that was ruling year
ago. ! have been told that it was
when the Somme casualty lists first
began to bring to Britain that ghast-
" personal knowledge of the mean
ing of the war on scale that France
Rad known for two years before.
Nation Stakes Its Life on
George, Miner, Carson
have been told it was when Gal
lipoli and Kut, the Irish Rebellion
and all the other disasters of last
wear made manifest the fact that
there had been Encouragement and
incompetency in high places, that the
war was not going well, that it was
going i'll and worse than Ill, that the
very integrity and existence of the
empire were at stake. Certain 1t IS
that the Rumanian episode resulted
in the fall of the Asquith Ministry
with a suddenness that took away
the breath of the Ministers and of
their Parliamentary supporters alike.
And to-day Britain has staked her
life upon three men, upon Lloyd
George, Lord Miner and Carson.
They are the triumvirate to whom
all power has been surrendered; to
them has been intrusted the saving
of the nation, and there is asked of
them only that they dare all and
that no question of party politics, no
consideration of personal interest, be
permitted to hamper them. Only
failure. only weakness, will not be
forgiven, and the time for judgment
has not come. England is expect
( ing. hoping, so far as they are con-
/ cerned.
1t is a grim and sober world, there
/ is no suggestion of Merrie England
anywhere save in France, for there
is still a survival at the front of that
spirit which at home has vanished
The submarine peril has entered into
the daily life of every Englishman
Of every Briton. At last the Ger
man challenge has reached the Brit
ish shore. The Zeppelin was joke;
the earlier submarine peril was
abolished without giving too much
trouble. The battles and struggles
in France were still somewhat re-
mote, although as more thousands
went to the front the storm grew
nearer.
New Submarine Peril
Like Napoleonic Shadow
But, essentially a seafaring peo-
pie, the British have felt the new
challenge Of the submarine and the
new peril to their existence as hey
felt the shadow of a Napoleonic in
vasion when the great Emperor