The midland journal., 1917-04-27


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"even if war material were lost, to
spare the lives of our forces and in
flict heavy sanguinary losses upon the
enemy, and thus decisively weaken
him. This WAS achieved"
Again, on Wednesday, General Nj
yelle hit the German line hard along a
twenty-mile stretch from Reims to Au-
berive, and then beat off the crown
princes furious counter-attacks. The
British made more advances near Loos
and st. Quentin. So it went day after
day until, before the week ended the
French estimated the number OF un-
wounded prisoners taken by them
alone at more than 10000. They also
captured many guns and immense
quantities of supplies.
Retirement of the Germans in Rou-
mania is foreshadowed by the report
from Jassy that they have burned the
towns of Braila and FOkshani.
The Turks, too, are retiring, willy
nilly, before the steady advance OF
General Maude's army northwest from
Bagdad and the Russian forces in Asia
Minor.
Russia Will Stand Firm.
In what may be called the field OF
diplomatic endeavor, attention must be
called again to German efforts to Sc
duce the new Russia from her allegi'
ances and make a separate peace.
These efforts, started by Socialist lead
ers, have now taken on Semi-Ofticlal
character, for the German censorship
and prohibition of egress from the
country have been relaxed and the
government treats the Socialists with
sudden favor that is decidedly suspi'
cious. The negotiations are being car
ried on in Sweden, whittier some Rus
sian radicals have betaken themselves.
Encouraging reports from Petrograd
say that the duma is split, the major
ity favoring sustaining the provi'
sional government in it's determination
to prosecute the war to a victorious
end is very large. Germany's pacinc
promises to Russia, and those of Aus
tria, are too snowy to deceive any but
the most simple-minded, and even
were they more substantial, the course
of the imperial government has moi
! been such as to inspire the least con-
fidence in it's pledges. Wilhelm may
mean to fulfill his promises of electoral
reform in Prussia, but they give little
assurance of measurably promoting
the cause Of democracy, for which the
world is fighting. Indeed, the prom
ised reform would leave the autocrat-
ic system in the heart of Germany.
The leaders of democratic Russia
must see, as do the leaders of the 9TH
er allied nations, that though the world
might afford to make peace with the
German people, it cannot afford to
make peace with the German kaiser.
On Wednesday still better news came
from Petrograd in the form of assur-
ances to the American government
that it was no longer conceivable that
under any conditions the provisional
government of Russia would yield to
the overtures of the German and Aus
trian Socialist agents to negotiate a
separate peace.
The Austrian cabinet became dis
rupted during the week. Two of its
members withdrew. 1t was reported
that Premier Tisza of Hungary had
resigned.
Food restrictions and labor condi-
tions in Germany gave rise to big
strike of Berlin munition workers that
started on Monday. The government
was forced to make concessions to
them. Poles forced by the Germans
to work in munition plants of War
saw also went on strike.
Norway and Spain Aroused.
Norway is becoming more and more
indignant over the destruction of her
merchant marine by German subma-
rines, and in the last few days the ship
ping men and the press, heartened by
Americas entrance into the war, have
been openly advocating the arming Of
their vessels. Spain, too, is eXasper-
ated by U-boat outrages, and King AL
fonso on Wednesday told some troops
at q review: at is necessary that we
shall keep in a constant state of prep
aratiOn."
Serious news came Thursday from
Buenos Aires to the effect that the
German inhabitants of three states in
Brazil had rebelled. They are said to
be we'll armed and organized. There
are about half million Germans in
Brazil
Germany lost one of her strong"
men last week when General Won Bis
sing, the German governor general Of
Belgium died. The Belgians did not