The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1917-12-12
ARE We LOSING THE WAR?

George f1arFcE Ill tIit -\oItH -ihl'ii
can Review: Since that night OF peril
to civilization, when Paris lay within
range of German guns and the prcSl-
dent of France, about to depart. with
tears streaming down his face. con-
signed the treasures OF the city to the
care and protection of the sympathetic
American ambassador, there has not
been time when the outlook was as
black as it is today. Whatever way
we turn our troubled eyes in search
of omens of victory, we gaze upon
blank wall True, the submarine men
ace seems to have diminished and,
true the great western armies are
gaining. inch by inch, ground whose
possession may or may not be worth
it's cost in men and munitions; but
these achievements, gratifying though
they are. mark in large sense no
mere than successful defense. Ger
many continues to be the irresistible
aggressor; Germany continues TO WIN:
Germany has become eNultant and has
lifted the hearts of her allies: Germany
is stronger than ever before; Germany
no longer seeks peace.
And why should She
Russia, distracted and incohcrent,
lies prone at her feet. to be had at
will for the taking: Rumania is her
granary. fed by the hands of covering
peasants; Italy is broken and. as We
write, the Huns are beginning to
swarm over her most fertile provinces
with fair prospect of absorbing all
of the vast resources in fields. in fac
tories and in mines between Venice
and Milan. We hear no more of the
possibility of starving Germany into
submission" and, as to invaluable AL
ce-Lorraine. Come and take it,
sneers the kaiser.
So far we have only been leaping
grandly into the dark; now the time
has come when we should proceed
more sagaciously. more soberly and
more prudently, in the light OF events
which have evolved a recognizable sit
uatiOn. Every step and every act, from
this day forward, beginning with the
reassembling OF congress. should be
taken with view of prosecuting Il
mighty war for at least five years. Ac-
cept that as basis of calculation.
reckoning all proposals with respect
to finance, manufacture. transporta-
ton, airplanes,. ships. munitions and
men accordingly and our whole scheme
of preparation for ultimate but GER
tain triumph will be revised ncceSsar-
lily and at once.
II does not suffice to say glibly that
Germany can never win against the
whole world: she has won up to date
against a preponderant portion OF the
whole world and is still winning; what
we have to do is. not merely to pre-
vent her from continuing her devasta-
tons but to win back what she has
won-and more. 1t is. as we have said,
not an easy task, nothing like as easy
as it would have been a year or six
months ago; since Russia has gone
mad and Italy has bitten the dust. the
magnitude OF the essential undertake
ing has increased fOurfold. And that
is why we say that this is the darkest
moment since the battle OF the Marine
But we do not despair: we are not
even dismayed. Our mental gaze cam
not pierce the cloud, but our moral
Vision tells us that its lining is of sill
yer: it must be; and we shall find it,
never fear! Are we losing the war?
No. But we are not winning it-and
we have far, very far, to go.