The twice-a-week Twin Falls times. (Twin Falls, Idaho) 1916-1918, 1917-10-25

anese army, trained and equipped, in
the background, the ultimate factors
of the military problem of the war
are dead against Germany
Given the undoubted fact that the
American, French and British armies
will hold firmly together to the end,
Hindenberg lor his successors can
not avoid the final defeat of the Ger
man armies. 1t may come next year,
If the Russian armies do not entirely
cease to exist; but at latest it would
come in 1919. Even when due allow
ance has been made for all the de- [
plorably false prophecies of so-called
military experts of all nationalties
in the past three years, the logic of |
the plain facts points Enthusiastically |
to the smashing of the German armies !
within two years.
The admitted Importance TO the en- |
tente allies of American intervention |
on their side has enabled President |
Wilson to become their principal |
spokesman as to terms of peace. AS
to the broadcast problems of the war,
Wilson stands for the evacuation of
Belgium and reparation for her
wrongs and the establishment of re-
sponsible government in Germany. In
the latter factor is involved the dis
appearance of the vampire state of
Germany and the birth of a peace
loving Germany that shall have a
fair hold everywhere for pacific ex-
pansion
As to Belgium, what is Germany's
position? The Ludendorff censorship
prevents the free expression of opin-
ion by the vast, inarticulate masses;
what Europe and America hear most
are the rawlings of the Bangerman-
lists, who. of a population of S0,O0O,-
900, number only 100000 The actual
figures, as published by the Frank
furter Zeitung last month, are: Mem
bers of the Pan-Germanic League,
$4,000; Independent Committee, $780,
600; Popular Committee for the Rapid
Crushing of England 20000-this
last figure, of course, doubling upon
the other two. 1t is from this noisy
quarter that all the talk of a Ger
manized Belgium comes. Germany's
millions wouldn't fight another day
for the country.
AS to the characterization of the
empire, the manoeuvers of Germany's
rulers provide the best evidence of
the German demand for responsible
government. The kaiser and his ad
visers have for months been trifling
with the question, thereby tacitly adj
hitting the need for reform, and hav
ing taken the great plunge toward
real concessions already, they are not
likely to refrain from giving reality
to the semblance once they convince
themselves that the alternative is the
utter ruin of the empire, dynastically,
militarily and economically.
President Wilson's principal de-
clared detectives are, therefore,
nearer to attainment than most peo-
pie imagine.
England stands for the complete
restoration of Belgium and the abo-
lition of militarism. With regard to
this latter point, there is no doubt
that a responsible German govern
ment will eagerly concede it. Infor-
nation has reached Paris that there
has been lot of quiet talk in Ger
many lately about limitation of arma-
ments. The biggest and best equipped
army in the world failed to bring
world domination to Germany, anC
the German people realize this more
acutely than any other Already
secret societies of young Germans are
springing up all over the empire witt
a democratic programme that is th'
complete negation of kaiserism; anC
when the cost of the war comes tC
be counted, no one will be able Il
stem the movement for limitation o
ornaments
Belgium, the characterization o
Germany the limitation of arma
ments and Alsace-Lorraine are anC
will remain the dominant peace prob
lems-things for which the nation!
will go on fighting until one side o.
the other yields. AS to the first three
agreement as between Germany ant
the entente powers is not impossible
Germany has stepped just a htu'
way toward surrender upon thes
points, and will go much further il
the same direction as her situation
fails to improve.
There remains the question o
Alsace-Lorraine, and at first glance
would seem that if the length of tn
war depended upon the fate of thos
two provinces 1t might go on TO
ever, so utterly irreconcilable are tn
positions taken up by German an,
French statesmen.
1.-THE return of Alsace-Lorraine t
France is an absolutely indispensable
condition of peace; we will not eve
consent to allow it to be made a ques
ton for diplomatic negotiations" sal
M. Ribot at this years Marine cele
bration.
1t is a fact that Germans ruler
have not been consistently intractabl
over the Alsace-Lorraine problem
During the first two years of the wa
their secret agents several times in
vited France to talk" about tn
provinces, but always the request wa
accompanied by the hint that a seps
rate peace was what Germany wa
seeking and this was unthinkable
France The curt answer on eac
occasion was that there could be n
negotiation upon the point ths
France would insist upon the rectif
cation of her 1870 frontiers in the
entirety; allowing of no partition {
ancient French soil