Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1917-05-25
The Brutal Truth.

The time mas come when tle peopie
of the United States should look the
facts of the world war squarely in the
face. 1t would be very grave mis-
take if there should be continuation
of the present tendency to believe that
the war is all but over, and that the
recent successes of the Allies in
France are but a prelude to German
collapse. Nothing of the sort is true.
Despite the recent considerable initial
success of the Allied offensives, the
best military judgment is that it Will
be impossible now for the Allies to get
a military decision in the present year,
and that the war, judging by the mill
tary circumstances, must go on at
least through a campaign of 1918.
There is a very general notion in
the United States that Germany must
soon surrender because of starvation
This is possible, but unlikely. If Ger
many can last through the next two
months, she will be able to go through
many months more, because the new
harvest will begin to come in. and,
whether it be sufficient for another
year or not, it will give Germany food
for long period of time.
The chance of military decision by
the Allies this year was conditioned
upon the arrival of Russia, remuni-
toned and recognized, on the Eastern
front. Unless every sign fails, this
will not happen. Russia, to all ap-
pearances, is for long period of time
out of the war so far as an offensive
campaign is concerned, and the real
question is whether Russia can hold
any considerable number Of German
troops on the Eastern front, or will
be compelled either to retreat or to
make a separate peace.
Unless the United States shall, with
in the next six months. put a consid-
cradle body of troops in France, who
will be able year hence to take part
in the campaign of 1918, there is
grave possibility that France may col
lapse, owing to her great losses and
to her now steadily diminishing man
power. Unless the United States, in
concert with Great Britain, can eth
er find a method for dealing with the
submarine or of revictualling England
and supplying France and Italy with
steel and coal, respectively, there must
be a great possibility not alone of the
collapse of France and the withdraw.
al of Italy, but of crisis in British
food supply next sumemr which may
make peace by negotiation inevitable
and leave Germany, if not completely
victorious, yet in a position to renew
her attack upon civilization. What is
even more perilous is that such a
peace would leave the control of the
German Empire in the hands of those
who have made this war, and made
it the kind of struggle it has become
Had Russia been able to perform her
part, it would have been possible for
the United States to have approached
the war with some elaboration. 1t
would have been possible to have Civ.
en- precedence to industrial OrganiZa
ton and to have armed our millions
and trained them more slowly. But
this condition does not exist, and can
not be expected to- exist for another
year.
The present situation of the war
does not warrant panic. But neither
does it invite optimism. The hardest,
bitterest, most dangerous portion of
the struggle is yet to come, and un.
less the United States is prepared for
sacrifices as great as the British and
French people have already made Ger
many may yet escape that defeat
which is essential to the restoration
of justice and democracy in the world
and the vindication of international
law, now threatened with permanent
repeal. And if Germany escapes to-
day, the danger for us tomorrow will
be beyond present estimation. We are
in war the issue of which is still
doubtful and the outcome of which
will infallbly be defeat, unless we are
prepared to fight it as a war for our
own existence, calling for our best eff
fort and our ultimate strength.-New
York Tribune.