El Nuevo mexicano., 1917-09-13
Germany's Final Effort

.Germany's Final Effort
When Riga was evacuated by the Rus
SLAMS a few days ago Berlin set up a shout
and hung out the German flag. 1t was the
first time that the German capital had been
befagged since the capture of Bucharest.
Between the capture of Bucharest and that
Of Riga nearly a year has INTERVIEWED. In
that year German armies have been defeat
ed at verdun, Arras, Ypres. They have
been on the retreat IN France for many
months, and Italy has stepped forward on
the Isonzo to a new triumph over Austria.
Three years ago all Berlin was af1ame
with enthusiasm over the triumph of Tan
nenberg and the impending destruction Of
France, says the New York Tribune. Nor
hange, Charleroi, Neufchatau and Mons had
been won and the German people were look
ing forward to that colossal Sedan which
would complete the circle OF German VIC
tories and establish German supremacy in
Europe. After three years or war Berlin
is again decorated, but this time for the
capture OF Riga from the disorganized, in
coherent mob which is the Russian army
of today. And this celebration comes at u
time when the allied nations have refused
a peace which would merely leave Germany
as she stood on August /, 1914. The con-
trast between Sedan Day, 1914, and 1917 is
one of the most Illuminating evidences OF
the present condition of the war. And yet
it would be a fatal blunder not to under.
stand what the German government and
the German military leaders are now up to.
Peace on possible terms for ~them-peace
which would leave the dynasty and the mil
itary caste still in possession of prestige
and power in Germany-is no longer at
tainable by negotiation. Civilization has
served notice upon Germany autocracy that
with it there can be no peace.
Therefore autocracy in Germany has set
out upon a final effort to break tire nerves
of the Allied people. 1t means by snatching
such victories as it can from %collapsing Rus
STA to build up anew the impression that
Germany is invincible and that further per-
s~istence IN the war is useless. The Ger
man people are to be fired by the story
Of easy-won victories, like Riga. The world
is to be cowed by a new demonstration Of
German military might.
We are likely to have a series Of Ger
man victories in Russia, because it should
be recognized everywhere now that Ger
many may march from victory to victory in
Russia provided she is willing to spend the
men and the munitions, precisely as Ger
many destroyed Rumania a year ago, after
she had been defeated at Verdun, after Rus.
STA has won great victories in Galicia and
Italy had taken Gorilla, and then used the
Rumanian victory as the basis OF a peace
campaign. Germany NV means to build up
a structure on the ruins Of Russia's mill
tary power which shall impress the world,
and when the campaign if 1917 is over, as
it will be shortly, then to make one final
effort to get a peace which shall leave
German military prestige intact and Ger
man autocracy in a position to resume its
attack upon Western civilization.
The military significance OF the capture
Of Riga is nothing, ParI, in the closing
days of the Napoleonic cycle, celebrated
Dresden. Lutzen, Bautzen, but these were
only the prelude to Leipzig. Napoleon
could not conquer and could not make peace
He sought to achieve what Germany is now
seeking to achieve-the moral domination
of the world by such military successes as
it was possible for him then to achieve.
He failed and he fell. The doom of Ger
man military power is written If the cam
tpaign of 1918 is fought. This is true whether
German armies are decisively defeated in.
the field or whether Germany is subjected
to that final year Of economic pressure
which will make recovery for her a matter
of decades, which will build up all over the
world an area and an atmosphere Of hos
tility which will make it practically impos-
sible for German commerce and finance to
restore their old position.
Germany is fighting now to avoid fighting
next year. Her minor triumphs viii be
magnified at home and abroad, Every Ger
man agent and every German influence In
the world is working night and day with
an industry which cannot escape the notice
of every one to procure peace. Why? Be.
cause every German sympathizer who
knows anything about German conditions
knows that Germany is doomed II she has to
endure another year Of allied attack.
Never was there a more interesting spec
tacle than that supplied by the Germans to-
day. At one time the kaiser boasts that