New-York tribune., 1917-07-28
A Time for Courage

Memoirs. General Grant recalleo Ihe low
that while his own men were IN disorder
be caught a glimpse of the enemy retreat
ING quite as rapidly as his own men and
Giving evidence of being at least as scared.
This was, as he says, lesson which ne
never forgot during all the four years that
followed.
Il begins to look as if some sort of evi-
dsnce like this was necessary for the Amer
ican people, who are going through PERIODS
Of depression and optimism with great
rapidity and with too little regard for
the essential facts in the war. If anybody
had told us in any day of August, 1914,
that the Germans would never again dur
ing the war be as near Paris as they were
In the last week of August, the world
would have accepted this as evidence OF
certain German defeat. Two years ago,
when the Germans were pursuing the
broken Russian armies into the heart OF
the Muscovite Empire, at a time when
the British armies were not yet organized
there was cause for depression and Tor
pessimism.
The present prospect in the war is grave
enough but the extent of the gravity IS
summed up in the fact that there is no
present prospect of victorious peace in
the immediate future, and that those who
know most about the situation recognize
that there are hard suffering and bitter
fighting ahead before the end.
But does anybody imagine that, bitter as
is the prospect for all on this side Of the
firing line, it is mere promising to the
Germans? Two years ago we were talking
about the possible return of the Germans
from the East to the West. Two years
ago we were talking about the prospect of
an absolute German victory, just as little
less than three years ago we were contem-
plating what seemed the immediate pros
spect of the conquest of France.
The question before us now IS not a
question of whether Germany can domi'
nate the world as the immediate conse'
ouence of the present war. The German
advance in the West has been stopped fol
all time. Whether it be possible, without
American aid, to push the Germans back
to the French frontier may be problemati
cal. Whether it may be next summer ol
the summer after before a military de
cision can be had in favor of the Allies i:
open to discussion. But no one will now
discuss the chance of a decision in favo,
of the Germans on the West front, where
the war must ultimately be won and lost.
In so far as the present events have
served to demonstrate to the American
people how serious is the task before US
and how great the extent Of the sacrifice
they must make, they have served a useful
end. If there has been any disposition tc
minimize the job, to underestimate the
amount Of American contribution that
must be made, then we should be grateful
for the adversities of the present hour.
But depression should not go beyont
this; and there should be no failure tc
recognize how much has been won already
how far we have already marched on the
road toward the liberation of all mankind
from the German menace. We shall cele
brate the third anniversary Of the Marn,
in a few weeks. A year and half after
the German assault upon Verdun tn,
French flag still waves over all the forts
Every battle on the Western front in re
cent months has resulted in the capture Of
great numbers Of German prisoners anc
German guns, and in the present campaign
We have seen more than one Thousand
square miles Of French territory redeemed
while each successive thrust OF the new
British army has been more Immediately
and completely successful than that which
preceded it.
We shall do i'll TO take counsel now o:
our fears or our apprehensions, at tim,
when there Is less reason for fearing
absolute German success than ever befor,
in the war. We shall serve only the Ger
man ends If now we permit ourselves to b.
captured by German interpretations Of cx