Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1917-11-19
MCCORMICK URGES
AMERICAN SPEED
Illinois Congressman, Just Back From
Europe, Says That Cannon viii
Bring Peace.
BUT NOT FOR ANOTHER YEAR
Morale Of Enemy Gradually Failing,
hut the Iron Resistance
stilI Holds.

Chicago. Nov 19.--Russia's collapse
and the uureadiuess Of the United
states make hopeless any thought OF
peace before 1919 in the opinion OF
Medlll Mccormick. congressnan-st
large Of Illinois, who has just re-
turned from a visit to most of the
important fronts Of the European bat
lie line
Mr. Mccormick said: 'The Germans
are not winning the war.
Neither are we.
The war today presents a stale
mate from which we are unable to
extricate ourselves, because Of the
collapse OF Russia and the unread
ness Of the United States
Nowhere in Europe did I find an
informed soldier or public man who
believed that q military decision could
be achieved before 1919, when the
United States might be ready to add
effectively to the sum Of pressure on
the central empires. Perhaps econom-
Sc conditions or political events in
Germany may induce peace before that
time but although Germany is suf-
fer.ug progressively more than her
western enemies, her autocratic ma
chine and her economic reserves seem
altogether adequate to hold her to-
gether through two more winters
There is practically no hope that Rus
sla can be TO any sense useful during
the year 1915, From the most re-
sp9n5ible people l heard a disheart-
ening tale OF Russian inefliciency, cor
rupti0u inceudiarism and murder
Russia is so disordered that she can
not make war Happily, in all prob
ability. neither can she make peace.
Germany might propose concessions
and Indemnities in the west and to
rallup herself in the east. What
would tine European dsmocracies do
under these circumstances The prin-
opal public men with whom I talked
were not certain and were not all
agreed upon the answer 20 that ques-
lion. Some, who personally would
oppose such terms, believe that Euro
peou public opinion would demand
their acceptance, although that would
involve n addition Of 10000 Poles,
Litauanians and Livonians 10 the pop
uIBHln of the Teutonic empires, as
we'll as the industrial resources and
zoe great alluvial plain OF Poland
The German autocraCy would be
fortified
with a wonderful energy. with q
foresight which compels admiration
i1o autOCracy has modified the pow
' r OF Germauy-children women men
food and clothing, metals and fuels.
The German military machine
made ready first, and OF course, as
me neutral markets have been CLOSED
lighter aud tighter with the tighten
Ing o.. the blockade. the resources oil
tbe central powers have been ener
lslua.ly spent They are bleeding
terribly showing a steady diminutioI
Iu man power ana materials al com
pared with their French and Englisi
adyersar.es and this in spite Of th'
Russian collapse But since the Ger
man high command controls all th
central powers from the BOsphoru
no Tine Baltic. they act with create
energy, unity and skill than their en-
amies Thus they made a seemingl
successful drive into Italy. If tn
German command hoped Tor tru
military success. certainly they di
not believe that they would achieve fl
The real object of their political fora
into NaHetia was partly to make cam
outage gn grand scale TO concea
their steady losses from Verdun Z
Pascheudaele, and partly TO provok
revolution 10 Italy.
Low on Ammunition.
While I was in the now cOnquere
Italian territory & little while agt
The Italian command expected an al
tack. In the neighborhood of Asiegt
The Italians were undergunned, neitt
or had they enough ammunition. TIL
margin Of subsistence in the countr