Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1917-08-16
upper reaches OF the Euphrates, II
German will prevails.

German will prevails.
The campaign of 1916 was an effort
To break down the walls OF the great
central European empire which Ger
many AND her allies had constructed.
AS such il was a failure. AS uch the
campaigns since have been failures. TIL
edifice still stands, and il the subma-
rine threat. which was to bring Britain
to her knees in three months, has failed
too, one must at least confess that the
hope of starving Germany has again
been postponed another year, and what
ever the extent of the new harvest Ger
many has at least lasted to it.
There remains the question whether
the Germans will now content them
selves TO %cvacuate the conquered lines
to return to the conditions of 19l4-or
whether they will insist pom preserv-
ing their middle Europe. With Il Ger.
many in possession OF what Germany
now holds the allies cannot make peace.
Amy peace would he but a preparation
for a world domination by Germany.
h military problem of the campaign
of 19l1-lS is unmistakable. 1t must be
to break in the bikes erected about this
central European empire. Failing this.
it must be to apply steadily and un-
ceasinsly such pressure on the outside
that the demands for peace within shall
rise until they can no longer be silenced.
That Germany is war weary no one Can
doubt. That Germany is so war weary
that she is prepared now to surrender
her conquered lands and that she is also
prepared to surrender .Alsac-Lorraine.
indemnify Belgium. give over German
Poland seems to me unlikely i'm the ex-
IRENE.
Thinks This Last Year.
Actually, the German general staff
set forth for itself in July and August.
1916, the task of holding through, and
one is obliged to recognize that. now
ever terrible the strain. on August l.,
1917. the German is still holding.
through. Nor can II mistake the
gravity of the new submarine war. Ger
many has been wrong in believing that
after three months of unrestricted sub
marine warfare England would be
brought to her knees, but there are few
naval experts who believe that if the
submarine ravages continue unre-
stricted England can fight much after
october ibis, or fail to make peace by
negotiations within a brief period after
that date.
For myself. l am satisfied that we
are entering into the last year of the
war. We may have a military. decision
now n the end of the cam
paigning season of next year. liz we
do not, l do not believe the war will
be ended by a military decision. We
shall not have a military decision if
Russia quits the battle line and the
United States fails to make a prompt
and great effort, supplying in some
part the Russian detection.
believe a military victory must now
come to the allies, il Russia and the
United States do their part. l believe
1t may com to the allies if the United
states measures up to her great task
and her obvious duty. But l do not
believe that the element Of time is any
longer an ally Of the enemies of the
central powers. l believe that unless
the submarine menace is ended, the al
lies cannot go longer than the end of
next year. And i do not believe that
without great, American r~einforcements
4 military decision will be had.
The German army is no longer the
army of 1914. German are
fading and falling. Yet during. theswar
OF the Spanish succession Louis XIV
faced the great coalition under equal
disadvantages and managed to avoid
u peace without indemnity or e
ton. II the Germans can last until the
snow flies e autumn. they NAV be
able to do the same thing. Whether
they will be able to do this or not de-
ponds very largely upon the United
States and Russia, and only a blind
and foolish man, whatever his hopes.
would place great reliance Upon Russia.