Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1917-08-02
Manhood Slaughtered, Fighting
for Life Rather Than on Often
sive, Germans Are Farther
From Paris Than in 1914
RUSS BREAK DISCOUNTED
Amounts to Little Now, But
Would Have Been Disas-
trous in 1914, ST.
monds Says.
RUSS BREAK DISCOUNTED
BY Frank simonds.

BY Frank Simonds.
Copyright by the New York Tribune.)
In discussing his first battle, in his
fact that while his own men were in
disorder he caught a glimpse of the
enemy retreating quite as rapidly as
his own men and giving evidence Of be-
ing at least as scared. This was, as
he y a lesson which he never for
got during all the four years that fol-
lowed.
1t begins to look as if some sort of
evidence like this was necessary for the
American people who. are going
through periods of depression and OPP
ti1nlsm with great rapidity and with
too little regard for the essential facts
in the war. II anybody had told US in
any day of August, 1914, that the Ger
mans would never again during the
war be as e Paris as they were in
the last week Of August, the world
have accepted this as evidence of a
certain German defeat. Two years ago
when the Germans were pursuing the
broken Russian armies into the heart
OF the Muscovite empire, at a time
when the British armies were not yet
organized, there was cause for depres-
sion and for pessimism.
Present Prospect Grave.
b present prospect in the wal is
grave enough, but the extent Of the
gravity is summed up in the fact, that
there is no present prospect of d vic
torious peace in the Immediate future,
and that those who know most about
the situation recognize that there are
hard suffering and bitter fighting ahead
before the end
But does anybody imagine that, BIT
ter as is the prospect for all on this
sid of the firing line, it is more prom
Using to the Germans? Two years ago
we were talking about the possible re
turn of the Germans from the east to
the west. Two years ago we were talk
ing about the prospect of an absolute
German victory, just as d little less
thar three years g we were contem-
plating what seemed the immediate
prospect of the conquest of France.
German Victory impossible.
The question before. us now is not a
question of whether Germany can dom
mate the world as the Immediate con-
sequence of the present war. The Ger
man advance In the west has been
stopped for all time. Whether it be
possible. without American aid, to push
the Germans back to the French front
Ter may be problematical. Whether it
may be next summer or the summer
alter before a military decision can be
had in favor of the allies is open to dis
cusslon. But no n will now discuss
lie SLdlce OIL IL decision IN favor OF the
Germans on the west front where the
war must ultimately be won and lost.
Insofar as the present events have
served to demonstrate to the American
people how serious is the task before
us n how great the extent of the sac
rltlces they must make they have
served a useful end. II there has been
any disposition to minimize the job, to
underestimate the amount of American
contribution that must be made, then
we should be grateful for the ADVERSE
ties of the present hour.
But depression should not go beyond
this; and there should be no failure to
recognize how much has been won al
ready, how far we have already
marched on the road toward the liber-
alton of all mankind from the German
menace.
Entente Winning tho War.
We shall celebrate the third anniver-
sary OF the Marine in a few weeks. A
year and a half after the German as
ault upon Verdun the French flag still
waves over all the forts. Every battle
on the western front in recent months
has resulted in the capture OF great
numbers of German prisoners and Ger
man guns, Inc in the present campaign
we AVE seen more than 1000 square
miles Of French territory redeemed,
while each successive thrus of the new
British army has been more immediate
and completely successful than that
which preceded it.
We shall do i'll to. take counsel now Of
our fears or III a~pprehensions at a
time when there is less reason for fear
ing absolute German success than ever
before in the war. We shall serve only
the German ends if now we permit our
selves to be captured by German inter-
pretations of existing conditions or by
the anxious n too ~apprehensive words
OF those who have as yet had little ex-
periepce in dealing with the world war.
Hope For Russia Unreasonable.
The Russian collapse impresses US
the more we had a few weeks
ago a little Russian offensive, momen-
tarily successful which suddenly trans
formed all our fears into hopes more
unreasonable than our fears had been.
Six months ago it had been recognized
In Paris, London and Rome that Russia
was to all practical purposes out OF the
war. Before he omanoff dynasty fell,
1t was known of all men that it was
seeking to make a separate peace with
Germany.
How Russia Saved Entente.
Russia has now struck, and collapsed.
What had been feared has become in
great measure an actually; but what
would have been the situation in the
world il Russia had collapsed two
years ago, when there was no British
army? Let us not be too ready to ac-
cept the arrival on the western front
of the troops now occupied with the
Russian retreat. They may come in
time and they ma not. But when
they do come they will not give the
Germans the advantage OF numbers OF
the western front today possessed by
the allies, and tomorrow we may hope
that some thousands ant hundreds OF
thousands of American troops viii also
be on the western front.
Cites Eoch's Example.
General Foch, who won the battle of
the Marine, wrote years before that a
battle Is only lost when people believe
st to he lost. On the battlefield he sent
TO Jeffre a message we may we'll rA
member now: MY left is shaken, my
center is ~retreating. my right Is routed;
] shall attack" He did attack and won
b Marine.