The Robesonian. [volume] (Lumberton, N.C.) 1870-current, 1917-08-30

COLLAPSE OF GER !
MANY MAY BE NEAR
} Michaelis Is In Trap and Empire is
In Danger of Financial Ruin-Al- :,
lies Predict Such an Event
New York Dispatch, Aug. 26.
A special cable dispatch to the
: New York Sun from London under
date Of Saturday, August rs, says:
England and France believe Ger
many will be unable to endure an
other winter Of war. The cores
pondent of The Sun, who was re-
Gently in France, has seen proof that
the Entente Allies are magnificently
equipped for winter operations and
do not intend to allow the Germans
7 any respite but to make the winters
hardships doubly severe for them by
7 continuing the present campaign.
? The desperate state that Germany
has reached, not only in regard to
continuing the war but also the re-
construction of her commerce and in
!, dustries after the war, was unwit-
: tingly exposed recently through the
n unintentional laxity Of the censors.
: Anxious to prevent revelations of the
political situation which junkefdom
and the military party were unwill
ing that the world should know, the
: censors tried to placate the radicals
t by letting other comments reach
S print which are vastly more impor-
e tant to the outside world than the de-
: tails Of German political chickering's.
e The situation revealed is briefly
e this:
g When the Reichstag on July 10
adopted the resolution declaring for
y peace without indemnities and with
e out annexation it spoke with the voice
It Of the great majority of the nation
y crying for peace, suffering bitterly
y and dreading another winter of war
It with all it's horrors, cold, hunger and
r nakedness. It spoke also for the ar
my which is desperately tired of
fighting and is constantly losing bat
IS ties because Of the belief of the SOL
diers that the-enemy now, by means
to of superior machinery, is slaughter
n ing Germans with comparative safety.
Re The army is becoming dangerously
Mt infected with the feeling that it nc
al longer has a fair chance because the
m fight has become one Of German blooc
re and muscle against the Allies stee
es and iron.
e, Chancellor Michaelis knew that the
y, Reichstag represented both the PEG
ne pie and the army and he felt com
at PEELED to accept the principle Of thu
peace resolution, but when the jingoe
n learned what he had done they be
ny came violent angry and the Chancel
I'LL no l, ha
RS cause peace without annexations o
OF 1t was pointed out that German
nd in the war and had lost all claim
or the good will of makind and with
I'D the markets of the world. German
en- could not rehabilitate herself withou
W. huge indemnities; all supplies Q
ro- manufacturers materials were e.
he hausted; there was neither money nc
ir- credit nor goods to exchange for ne
of supplies.
i'd The country's fiscal system We
Ike based, when the empire plunged I'M
pie. hostilities, on the plan to finance tt
- war through loans and at the end
short, sharp struggle, to exact in
mense indemnities or territories 81.
ficient to pay the loans. This e.
plains why Germany has paid pra
ma, tically all of her costs up to this tin
art from the proceeds of loans. It w
the expected that the war would last o
,os- ly few months; then, following
IVY. complete victory, the indemniti
ean would flow in and more than d.
si Nv. charge the loans while the coloni
a na and trade of her crushed enemi
'h would be seized and Germany wou
= be enriched.
+ t q of # No othes plan Of finance W
the deemed necessary; none was prov
y of ed. Consequently, when this fail
her and the six months heightened IL
sual more than three years with costs
tn, the exceeding the highest figure that a
, - a. one had ever imagined, Germany "
h h unable to readjust her system.
n is Every day makes the situat
ding more desperate and impresses nj
ease. deeply upon the ruling hierarchy
alton absolute necessity of forcing '
+h,s tory, no matter Of what cost Of :!
9 or nf. man life in order to exact the indie
Giant mites that might make economic
aegu- habitation possible.
ding, Realizing fully this situation
crest ,, rulers of Germany compelled On
aoy cellor Michaelis to repudiate his
re in ceptance Of the reichstag resolut
her. His action promptly caused such
n any explosion of popular wrath from
s,,t IL ~, ~,