Evening journal., 1917-04-23
THE CONFEDERACY FOUGHT FOR YEARS AFTER
SHE WAS IN WORSE CONDITION
THAN GERMANY.

A LOT Of Congressman and probably millions of
"A American citizens are deludng themselves with
the idea that Germany is about call in and that all
the fighting Americans will have TO do will be carried on
in bank parors huge patches Of bonds will be
sold
What basis is there for this talk Of German col
lapse?
Germany is feeling the pinch Of hunger and will
continue to draw her belt until the next harvest Ger
many is also having financial difficulties.
But the idea that hunger and bankruptcy mean the
end OF war is based on nothing except hope and the
desire to shirk.
The plight OF Germany today is nothing to compare
with the condition OF the Southern Confederacy in July
1868 The Confederacy put up its most terrific night
after that date eighteen months, after all hope
Of victory was gone, held its enemies at bay. There
is no reason to believe that the Germans have any less
grit or determination
At that time the South, with only 100000 white
population had enlisted 100000 men, nearly one out
of every eight AT the front she was outnumbered
three or four to one She was enmeshed in blockade
compared to which the present blockade Of Germany
a sieve
She had scarcely any Industrial oreanzaton-hardly
any iron and no coal: Her railroads were few ana
wore out rapidly with facilities for repair or re-
placement There a slave population OF SOOO'-
600 to be kept quiet Food riots appeared early IN
1863 Food was and poor
Admittedly bankrupt. her paper money was worth
less and supplies taken for the army without
pretence of payment in any kind of currency over
third of her best territory in the hands Of the
enemy and what remained cut half IN two by the
surrender of New Orleans Memphis Vicksburg and tne
opening Of the Mississippi river.
Germany today has not enlisted as many men In
proporton as the South. She probably still has over
million reserves Her territory is almost untouched
by the invader She has three allies
with Austria her md-Ewopean territory is prob
abv one of the best organized equipped indusria
units in the world and she is rich in coal and iron
Her armies are not outnumbered in ratio greater
than two 10 one Her communications are almost per
feet and has the inside lines and short haul De-
tween all the fighting points
There is every reason to believe that many Germans
believe that their cause is just, although the world
has condemned it, The world had rendered its YER
dict against the Conederacy, but its people believed
they were right.
There may be discomfort among the German poor
but for three years before Appomatox the sentiment
that this is a "rich mans and poor mans fight
was widespread in the Confederacy.
| Probably tho wiser Germans know that their fight
| is hopeless But that does not that they are
ready TO quit All the intelligent people of the South
knew after Gettysburg that their cake was all dough
to use the phrase that they themselves employed bu'
they set their teeth and went through to the bloody
finish
| Germany is not going to surrender just yet.
Rather she is probably ready to fight a new and
greater wilderness campaign over successive lines o
trenches back to the Rhine itself
We are not in for any mice war" a bankers
war; nor training camp Old Glory will wave
VIGOROUSLY in the end but like all victorious battle
flags every stitch of silk may be soied with the blood
CRIME sweat and grease which the essence of tina
! nose elemental OF all things-war.
The best American policy in the world is for the peo
pie 10 go into this fight with their eyes and thei
pockets wide open and with their hearts and mind
closed to all thoughts except those which lead t
victory regardless Of time and cost