The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1917-02-23
THE GERMAN DILEMMA


eral staff was certain that it could cap
ture Paris within six weeks, beat
France to her knees, and then, by an
irresistible invasion of Russia, end
the war in three months
The plans of the general staff were
so perfect on paper that the fate OF
the German empire was staked on
their success. The kaiser signed the
order of mobilization against his own
better judgment. the treaty for the
naturalization of Belgium was convert
ed into a scrap of paper and the inn
perial armies set forth to actualize
the German dream OF Weltmacht
Yet at the end of six weeks ii was
not Paris which had fallen. but the
German scheme of rld-power The
plans of the general staff had failed.
and henceforth Germany was doomed
to fight for its very existence
On February /. 1917. the German
general staff was certain that by tear
ing up its pledge to the United States
and resuming ruthless submarine war
fare it could starye Great Britain
within two months and dictate peace.
II is the same old story.
In 1911 the general staff eliminated
Great Britain as d factor in the equa-
ton. The mandarins of Berlin were
confident that if Great Britain enter
ed the war at all on account OF Bel
GUM. everything would be finished
before an effective British army could
take the field. and the British govern
ment would be forced to accept the
terms proposed by a victorious Ger
many or continue a disastrous war
to which the British people would
not submit.
In 1917 the general staff eliminated
the United States as a factor in the
new equation. 1t was sure that the
United States would not sever diplo-
matte relations on account of a return
to ruthless submarine warfare The
COMMUNICATIONS were relied upon
to attend to that. But regardless of
the United States, the thing to do
was to sink everything, and by starv
ing Great Britain into submission
end the war before neutral opposition
could be made effective.
The German general staff may have
learned nothing from experience. but
il is evident that the German people
have learned something from their
experience with the general staff
Now that the crisis with the United
States has come. the German people
have met it in quite different spirit
from that in which they met the Brit
ish crisis. 1t is apparent from the
dispatches that popular faith in the
infalliblity of the general staff is now
subject 10 heavy discounts, and while
the newspapers support the action OF
the government their tone is that of
regret and misgiving.
There is nothing TO indicate that
the great mass of the German PEG
pie want war with the United States
or believe that it would be worth the
price that Germany would have to
pay Their instances are much sound
er than the general STATS reasoning.
and today the best hope of peace lies
in German public opinion.
The imperial government is in a
most embarrassing position, from
which it cannot easily extricate it.
self 1t cannot back down without
abject humiliation. and it cannot go
forward without driving the United
States into the war. and depriving
Germany Of her last influential friend
among the nations This is the pen
atty that a great government must
pay for permitting a military autOc
racy to dictate its policy If the Ger
man people can be brought to per-
ceive the consequences OF such folly
their terrible sacrifices will not have
been altogether in vain.-World