Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1917-11-22

behind the Scheldt and the Meuse and
the surrender OF the Belgian sea coast
and most OF the French territory still
held by the Germans.
1t Is far from ualikely that the Ger
mans will mask necessary retirements
IN rance and Belgium now behind
their great succes1 in Italy. 1t Is un,
m1stakably their cope that the plight
OF Italy will comEel the Allies to give
over their own offensive and transfer
troops and ans 80 the Italian front.
The transfer of troops seems unnec'
sary, FOR beyond question Italian man
power outnumbeEN the Austrian ana ~
BEYOND any necestities for the holding
OF the relatively short Italian front. But
man power is not important In compar'
ison with gun power, and II the Allies
are compelled to send to Italy u con
siderable portion Of the artillery that
ls hammering away everywhere In Elan.
dsss and Champagne. then the allied
o1Kenslve VIII unquestionably come 10
a stop and the Germans. In addition to
saving Austria end defeating Italy. will.
by their Italian offensive. have COM
PEELED an abandonment by the allies OF
an attack which was approaching a
real success.
of the allies to German strategy now
would be a renewal of attack on their
own front. But the political contingen,
cies will necessarily weigh. The posi-.
bility that Italy unaided will be first
crushed n then through domestic
cries led to make a separate peace
will count heavily with the allies. and
we must reckon on the possibility that
the great allied offensive campaign in
the west will ave to be abandoned for
the year. and the best allied efforts
devoted not to driving German armies
out OF Belgium and France. but to pre-
venting their deeper Invasion Of Italy.
A year ~ the German victory over
Rumania. which had almost no military
Importance so far as the main field of
the war was concerned, had a profound
moral effect all over the world. 1t was
made the basis by the Germans Of a
peace offensive designed to take advan-
tage of the war WEAKNESS Of the peo-
pies allied against Germany and to OBJ
tain for Germany in a negotiated peace
many great profits from her proven tri-
umphs. Cnquestionably the Italian
disaster will be used for the same our
pose. 1t will be an admirable basis for
arguing that Germany is uncomfortable
and that peace by negotiation Is newt
able.
German Defeat Inevitable.
All that / have said to my readers
about the approaching defeat Of Ger
many through exhaustion-a defeat al
most inevitable II there is a campaign
OF 191S-seems to me still accurate.
The Germans have won a great victory
with a small number Of troops. n this
cred together only by risking defeats
on their western line, of which they
have suffered several in recent days.
Such an excursion was justifiable only
If it was inevitable. 1t was Inevitable
OF the Austrian situation. In
1914 the Germans had to give over their
attack upon France and England just
as 1T was about to promise a very great
victory because Russia had almost
brought Austria to her knees. In 1917
the Germans have had to weaken arm
les now fighting on the defensive in
order to save Austria-this time
from the Italians. The price Of this is
and the Anglo-French successes be-
tween the User and the Lys. But the
German gamble has been crowned with
a really great victory. whose moral ef-
reefs cannot be exaggerated aud whose
military effects may be very serious
n should not mistake the fact that
the main enemies of Germany are
France and Great Britain and tina we
are rapidly assuming he position
where we can supply the gradually
falling OF French numbers. while the
pire n the French and American re-
publics FAR surpass anything that the
central powers can muster. In the
larger sense 1t is a gain in the war Of
attrition II considerable numbers Of
German troops have to be seht against
Italy. and Germany, / n addition to
losing great numbers to the French and
70 the British, must also pay the price
In blood for Italian SUCCESSES. II her
successes end by arousing tina spirit Of
the Italian people. az Napoleon's early
success aroused the spirit Of the people
OF the Spanish peninsula, the ultimate
gain will be to the allies, although Ger
many will Enthusiastically have tempo
rarily averted the collapse Of Austria.
Beware Of Peace Talk.
We are in now for a period Of depres-
sion, exaggeration. misunderstanding Of
the situation. German influences and
German agents the world ovAr will re-
new the familiar talk about invincible
Germany and the necessity Of peace by
negotiation. There IL only one answer
to all this rubbish. II Germany actually
were victorious. actually ~!nvincible,
there would be no suggestion of peace
from Berlin. Yet for more than q year
German voices nave at the same time
proclaimed invincible Germany and
filled the wcrld with q discussion of
peace. Wherever there y . German
sympathtzer there il q discussion Of
peace. Only q peace by negotiation can
save Germany from q defeat on the
battle field and every German states
man and soldier pe%rceives the fact
clearly. The greatest danger that
comes from the Italian disaster Is the
possibility that Germany. will win about
the green table that which she must
lose on the battle field IL tho war goes
to its natural end Chickamauga was q
4 terrible blow to the north. which had
seen v~icksburg and Gettysburg. and
!, through them the promise Of a speedy