The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1917-08-19
HOW BELGIUM DEFEATED
GERMANY

Boston Globe: Boston observed the
third anniversary Of the German inva.
sion Of Belgium by welcoming the Bel.
gian mission as co-belligerents. The
event was more than an American city
honoring the representatives of a
wronged people. To the friends Of
justice the world over, August 3 will
remain a memorable day-the day when
Belgium fought the twentieth century
battle Of Thermopylae.
Belgium in her fall has proven might.
ier than Germany In her arrogance.
Morally, Germany is already beaten, and
that defeat is due TO the German gen
eral staff, which decreed an invasion
which chilled the marrow of the neutral
world with horror and repugnance. As
military strategy, no doubt the invasion
of Belgium was quite correct. There
happens to be such an important factor
as moral strategy as well. and there
the general staff failed dismally Its
plan of battle was, like Napoleon's at
Waterloo, masterpiece. It was to
smash the French is one superb rush
at Paris, hold that capital for a crush.
ing ransom, and then deal with Russia
at leisure. England was expected to
keep out Of the fray
As usual, when arrogance believes it
holds destiny in its grip. the plan did
not proceed according to schedule. Those
ten days delay, which Belgian resist
ance cost the German army, spelled the
| difference between success and failure.
1 Behind that bulwark of slaughtered
Belgians the French had time TO mo.
bilize-a process accelerated by com.
Wandering all the taxicabs while the
Germans plodded on sole leather: the
British had time TO fling their army into
Flanders, and the German advance was
cut off at the Marne.
Whatever may have been the politi.
cal consideration which swayed Sir
Edward Grey on August 8. 1914.
what raised the fury Of the British pub
lie was the outrage against a neutral
neighbor
IL reused the ire Of more than Britain
Belgium's neutrality had been guaran-
teed by the great powers. Belgian soil.
next door 10 the Hague peace tribunal.
was regarded by liberally-minded peo.
pie the world over, who foresaw the
possibility Of a horrible war and sought
TO avert Il, as a step toward future
guarantees OF world peace. There lay
Belgium, a little island OF information.
alism rising from, as we then thought.
a subsiding sea OF nationalistic suspic.
ions.
Germany changed all that. And in so
doing she arrayed against herself
host of the best minds and the most
generous spirits in the civilized world.
who could not but despair Of their hopes
II binding pledges were to be so slightly
held by militaristic government.
Contempt for moral values has been
and win be the Achilles heel OF the
Prussian war party. They are masters
OF every sort OF force except moral
force. A decent respect to the opln.
ions OF mankind" is n weapon not in
their arsenals. Mysterious as 1t may
seem, underneath all the seeming in.
difference OF competitive system OF
society there yet smolders deep and
abiding sense OF justice. In every great
crisis OF personal and public life these
moral ideas count. They are all that
count. They are what condemn or save
men and nations. In men they are able |
to defy the bludgeon and the cell. In
nations they can triumph over vic. |
torious invader.
So II has been with Belgium.
Conquered, she has proven uncon. |
querable. Vanquished. half the world |
has rallied TO her cause. Belglum's
wrong has been, is and viii be Ger.
manys Nemesis. BY the very fact OF
the first wrong done to Belgium. the
German government seems TO have been
foredoomed TO blunder in its every deal.
Ing with its victim. Atrocities, depre-
iations, fines, deportations-th whole
world rings with the scandal.
Severe as were Germany's military
miscalculations on Belgium. fatal as
was the invasion as a moral blunder.
the issue goes deeper. II intimates
The futility OF "strong-arm work" Ger.