The Washington herald., 1917-02-04

Territory which would enable Britain.
France. and Russia to claim that they
had won.
But If the west front can be broken,
the German armies destroyed. the Ger
man empire in the East will collapse
overnight the influence of Russia again
soar. and when Prussia has been made
helpless the balance of power can be re-
stored.
Can the allies destroy the German ar
mics? No one can tell, but they mean TO
try to do it, because they think, If they
fail. the resulting peace will leave Ger
many top dog and pave the way in ten.
twelve or fifty years for German world
supremacy. The stake is too great to
stop until victory is manifestly fmpossi-
BILE.
The greatest battles in the history of
the world are now brewing on the west
ern front. and may be under way not
long after this appears In print for the
allies in 1917 are ready: they will not
have to waste precious months of spring
weather while they are piling up, NUM-
tions In men, France and England will
have an enormous superiority over their
enemies. They will have more guns and
more shells Russia. too, will attack with
all her forces.
Germany may go to pieces under the
onslaught. The men higher up in
England are convinced that she Will.
The more a man knows about man
power and the state of the munition
output, which has increased beyond the
credible, the more optimistic he is
a fact not without Significance. II
Germany holds firm, peace may come,
or the allies may decide to prolong
the war a year and have another try.
But when moderate terms are adj
vanced from Berlin. which proclaim
the generosity of Germany and the
defensive character of the war. Amer
leans should remember that rightly or
wrongly the entente powers believe
they are fighting to prevent Ger
man world supremacy.
In the event of allied victory, vim
dictive terms may not be imposed, al
though Russia at Constantinople is
desired in London and Paris as well
as Petrograd so that Germany cannot
get Asia Minor under her thumb. The
main war object is to destroy the
fabric of prestige upon which German
world supremacy is being erected in
the Central European block, and that
can only be done by smashing the
German armies.
One final point, to which my at
tention was drawn by a high person
age to whom this story was submitted.
Certain Liberal and not pro-German
American publications have recently
suggested" this man said, that Ger
man Central Europe would keep Prus-
sia busy for many years, would give
her organizing ability full scope and
keep her from attacking her neigh
bors, and that Russian influence had
collapsed in the east because of Ger
man efficiency. industrial and social at
well as military. The conclusion was
drawn that German supremacy in the
Balkans and Turkey might not be
displeasing to Americans. Very good.
But 1 ask Americans who are of this
opinion to consider that we do not
agree, that we feel that the liberties
of Europe are in the balance and will
be destroyed If Germany is not beaten.
Are Americans willing to bring pres
sure to bear that the millions of lives
and the treasure that have been poured
out like water have been squandered
in vain because America tipped the
scale against civilization and democra-
cy in favor of autocracy and bar
barism? And do not Americans know
that whatever they do now Prussia
will never forgive them for furnishing
the raw materials which made possible
Verdun, the Somme and the offensive
of 1877