The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1917-12-28
STAGGERING TASK
BEFORE AMERICA
united States Must Take Place
OF Russia If War Is to
Be Won.
MILLIONS OF MEN NEEDED
Great Armies From Across Sea Must
Deliver Final Blow Against
German leoions, opin.
Ion In London.
BY JOHN LLOYD sALpgRsron

BY JOHN LLOYD BALpERsroN
copyright lsl.. by the Mcclure Newspa-
per SyndicateD
London.-If Germany is to he beaten
IN the field. the final blows must be de.
hvered by great American armies. The
United States must take the place Of
Russia. or the end of the war will find
the German legions still standing stead
lastly on all the fronts.
Returning to London after some
weeks with the armies, found those
views freely, indeed almost unani-
mously, expressed, In military and din
.lomatic quarters. The same authori-
ties when had last seen them. had
been more hopeful for prompt success.
The military. collapse of Russia has
caused the change In outlook, II has
turned all eyes here and In France to-
wards Washington.
Events transporting In Russia have
cleared the mir. rolling up the fog Of
war. The situation, from the German
point of view. is now delightfully."- sim
pie, while few allied statesmen would
deny the truth Of one Of these two
readings Of the position:
i. Germany cannot be crushed In
the field within measurable time; she
cannot defeat France and Britain on
the west front; she will therefore give
up Belgium, northern France, probably
.Alsace-Lorraine, assume control of
Russia, and come out of the war with
the greatest victory In human his
tory.
2. To prevent the formation of an
invincible Prussian power based on
the manpower and the incredibly
great resources of Russia, the allies
must and will continue the war until
they can foil the plans Of the German
autocracy by destroying that autocracy
itself.
Pay to American People.
If the American people are willing
TO subscribe TO the first of these alter
natives, there Is no reason why the
war should not end at once. For the
second alternative, there is no reason
why the war should not end at once
For the second alternatlve-victory In
stead Of defeat-cannot now be
achieved without the help Of the Amer
lean people on n scale undreamed of
few months ago.
France might die to the last man
England bleed herself white, and still
without the full strength of America
In the scale, the exhausted and stag
gering German empire would reply al
the end rs now, "In the west, whatever
YOU want, but in the east you must
leave u.s."
"Whot can America do?" has been
nv question when the facts about the
russian situation, the French ano
British man power, have been nam
mered ut me. 1t Is easy TO talk aDou'
millions of men, but the officer prop
lem. questions of equipment ana above
all Of transport. set strict limits on tne
nossible achievements OF trahsh'
iontic mower In Europe. These things
GRO well understood here, perhaps pet
ter than they are at nome out .n'
mo, who are in position to fathom tnt
,,rosort situation always come back &c
,,o come refrain. One of the Leaders
Of the British empire said TO me yes
terday: No.. 40,
.wo know the difficulties. But you
must surmount them, If not next year
.ho, IN 1919. II You do not IL yo'
no-w,t Germany to absorb Russla' W, W.
pe' LII IN cloves together henceforth. W.
ore doing our utmost, ana you ~
w.. wo ore To praise France wou''
80 ,mnertinent. II you throw your
o,.,vos into the struggle as France na.
ST. 90 vo have done, victory Is &c.
to,n II you do not the iu'u.
black as black for you US ,U'
russia Had Millions In Field.
=, ,morIca is to take the place .
PERSIA what does this imply ~, " zinc
u' raised and put in the nelo, s'n =,
nus hac,nning OF the war; aoou. !,
,ne e 900 soldiers. She has lost
4Io0o rounded. prisoners ana nv nv
IDS 5115.OOo men. AT tne . ava,
nus armies commenced to mel, s"s or
"ad manic before the f0re't "a cIvI
anu sarved rs prelude 10 80
,ror at home. there Weie .,a,ers 4
VIM ,na,e,v 4,75o.ooo Russian , so,%'t tbes,
the regular units ana /, p soa 600.
available reserves Of Of s Lifting mel
M, MOI, nresent Indications must S,, oe VIZ
from ITO ~ the strength Of the ,s a,,'e hut
, miracle ~ may happen in h sns time fc
.mo,,d now seem that the
mi :, - with eager hope ram, n"s Int on
~ - d . Of a man who n nus Franc
NANCE ,he left that England ,o ~r' II tn
are ao collapse had occurred ro,,l d hay
r nuss,' or March the hope rope Arm s,pm bell,
b ts' a faint one. Inc e,,I "play VI
Deen that America VIII enc &c cons
1 nrtNutths ...4soa from tiie