, 1917-08-30

out of Moldavia within three weeks,
and last Monday the Germans began
an offensive in the Riga region that
forced the Slavs back toward that city.
At the south end of the line the Rou-
manians still are making valiant efforts
to hold back the invaders. There is
no longer any doubt of the bravery of
the Russians or of their desire to keep
OF fighting the common enemy of the
world, but it seems that they cannot by
themselves surmount the great eco
monte obstacles that confront them.
The governmental troubles of Rus
STA also are approaching a crisis. The
extraordinary national council" being
about to meet in Moscow, the constitu-
tional Democrats, discontented bust
ness lei and dismissed generals, gath
cred there ready to demand radical
changes. On the other side stand the
cabinet and the Socialist left. In pre-
liminary discussions Prince Trou-
betskoi, Generals Alexieff and Brus-
sileff and others attacked the cabinet,
excepting only Kerensky, and declared
the government had fallen into the
hands of corrupt men of Petrograd,
who think only of their own inter-
ests. The Socialist orders that de-
stroyed discipline in the army were
bitterly criticized.
AS had been fOreseen, the pope's
peace proposals were received decently
by all the belligerent nations, but with
more than an undercurrent of skepti-
cism by the allies. No definite reply
to them has been made at this writing
by any government, but representative
speakers of the different parties in Ger
many all Endorsed in general the Vati-
can plan. and it is believed Berlin may
go so far as to offer autonomy to Al
sace-Lorraine, which of course would
not in any degree satisfy France. Aus
tria, too, as was expected, approves the
proposals, but insists any settlement
must include the abandonment of
Great Britain's naval bases at Gibral-
tar, Malta and the Suez canal. Can
n imagine Great Britain willingly dis
mantling these guardian posts of the
route to her immense domains in the
Orient? The vOciferOus assertions of
the German press that the pope's pro-
posals were not inspired by Germany,
and the intimations that they really
were due to British suggestions can
only be considered as more "bunk' and
serve to confirm the suspicion that the
plan had its inspiration in Teutonic
sources.
German Poison Gas in America.
The poison gases emitted by the pro-
German press and all the other traitor
u agencies in America are not grow
ing ~noticeably less in amount of viru-
lence, but Uncle Sam is beginning to
apply the antidOte with considerable
vigor. In many cities soap box" Or
ators are being gathered in by federal
agents and several more rabid papers
have been denied the use of the mails.
The German-American press of the
large cities is still too clever to sub
ject itself to that penalty, but If 1t
keeps on its present course doubtless
some means will be found to suppress
it. Regretfully 1t must be said that a
disgracefully large proportion of the
Germans in America-naturahzed or
10 ploNihB hioloyul W lle luhu VI
their adoption. This is shown by such
instances as the annual picnic of the
Schwabenverein in Chicago, where for
several days the assembled Germans
occupied themselves in denOuncing
Americas entry into the war, abusing
the president, sneering at our armed
forces and making fun of the draft and
the National army. The same thing
is going on all over the land, where
Teutons get together, but they are pre-
pairing to reap IA harvest of woe for
themselves, for the men of the depart
ment of justice are cognizant of their
words and acts. 1t is comforting to
believe that the great mass of German
Americans are truly loyal, but thou
sands of the more ignorant are led into
~disloyalty by the falsehoods of German
secret agents and by the %utterances
of the La Follettes, the Reeds, the
Masons and the William Hale Thomp.
sons for whom all na%tive-born Ameri-
cans blush.
Former Ambassador Gerard, Secre-
tary of Commerce Redfeld, and other
prominent men found opportunity last
week to denounce bitterly the coward
ly, treacherous pro-Germans and pusi-
luminous pacifsts, who are doing all
they can to make the world unsafe for
democracy.