Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1917-08-23

1t were possible, which is unlikely, Italy
has sufficient reserves to send more
troops to france than Austria. Bull
garia and Turkey combined. L dwell
on this detail because in certain qua
ters, and for obvious purposes, great
Importance is being attached to this
detail.
1t is, in point of fact, unlikely that
Russia will make peace. If she does
not. very few German troops and no
Austrian can be moved west. The truth
is that the eastern line has already
been skinned so deeply that the RUS
sians were able to accomplish much be-
fore their recent offensive collapsed.
Cannot Stand Att~tion.
Now, given the figures which | have
set forth. / believe that before next
July the Germans will have to choose
between a wide retreat in the west and
u great disaSter-the disaster which
came to Lee in 1864. when he remained
too long in the mes about Richmond
and to Napoleon when he kept his
armies in eastern Germany after Ores
den. in 1913. And II wide retreat must
be, as Napoleon's retreat after Leipzig,
a confession Of defeat.
So much for the question of Men.
Germany has not the reserves for am
other great offensive. She has not the
reserves to last another year of such
Ia SAAS AAoNp 0AA0 lCl u
foes. with the help Of the United
States. have the men. Before the year
Is over ! am satisfied the British will
give us a new and convincing evidence
of the real situation.
AS to guns, the Germans have been
out gunned in the west for more thar
a year. Their own official reports
have again and again conceded this.
Fewer guns mean greater casualties,
and II this condition persists-as it
must-it means h gradual breakdown
OF morale-a fact already proven by
German surrenders - s5. 0 at the
Somme, 5000 at the Aisne, 80. 1000 at
Arras and Ypres and 10000 at Verdun,
100000 in o battles, together with
more than 500 guns.
Can't Starve Germany.
On the material side it is exceedingly
unlikely hat Germany can be starved
out, but another year will bring greater
h~ardships. greater suffering. and a
failure OF crops would mean ruin. Ger
many has suffered for two years more
thar Britain or France is yet suffering,
or will suffer for a year, and the moral
effect Is increasing all the time. 1t
will not be q decisive factor, but it
will weigh.
Looking to the commercial side. the
fact Is this: Every month the war goes
on Germany loses more of her
cial establishment. She is barred from
British colonies and Great Britain for
years. l remember the Right Hon.
William M. Hughes. prime minister of
Australia. explained to me two years
ago how German commercial influence.
and particularly German control Of
the metal industries. had been routed.
out of Australia, where it vas once
taken place all over the empire. It has
taken place in France. in Italy. It is
beginning to take place in the United
States. and will go rapidly forward. 1t
cess continues. Imagine what chance
German agents and German goods
marked made in Germany" will have
In Belgium after the war; in France;
in Great Britain. after Zeppelin raids;
In the British colonies, where hatred
OF Germany is far more intense than
in Britain.
Fears Her Loss Of Trade.
The German shipping and manufac-
turing interests are keenly aware Of
all this. Even the permanent posses
sion of the Berlin to Bagdad empire
would be no immediate counterpoise to
the loss OF the entente markets and the
products after the war. A war pro-
!onged until the United States. having
lost thousands of lives, was perma-
nently allied with the other foes Of
Germany. and the American market
closed by tariffs. would be fatal to
German shipping and commerce, how
ever successful In permitting Germany
to occupy Serbia and dominate Asia
Minor.
The war has added nearly SIG. OOO,-
600. 900 to the German debt, and Ger
many had no such accumulation of
capital as Great Britain. France or the
United States: II 1t is prolonged for
Qnnfhor Vnar ~ mill <ol,4 - <olv a.
wealth producing population far great
er n that of any other nation. To-
day Britatn's casualties are not q third
OF the German and casualties mean the
loss OF the best of the productive ele-
ment In the population.
In my Judgment. Germany cannot. for
these reasons. carry the war on until
November 1, 1918. I do not believe that
she will attempt to do it IL the United
States sends 100000 troops to the
western front before July 1, 1918. The
recent German political crisis was
largely fictitious. but 1t did serve to
disclose q real undercurrent Of unrest.
q growing realization that victory was
impossible. "a
The Russian collapse has enabled
those In control Of German affairs to
persuade their people that victory 10
possible. 1t has given them one more
chance to endeavor to break the nerves
en- Germany a numerical superiority.
or even q numerical equality-this she
can v have again unless one of-the
western allies succumbs, and OF this I
see no prospect.
Britain BY No Means Done,
In my Judgment. we shall see an
other heavy British blow this year
perhaps two. We shall have one more
clear demonstration Of the superiority
NOW n0aaessed NV the Rrifiah nuor tho