Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1917-10-13
ONLY AT THE CANNON'S MOUTH.

|
Germany's intention to hold all terri
tory taken iii the war, in order to
obtain the greatest possible advant-
age in the peace conference. Is tho
clear announcement Of Chancellor
|Michaelis. For once he is telling the
truth.
| If 1t were possible to imagine the
voluntary and. unconditional lrelin-
punishment Of German colonies by
Great Britain and Japan, it would be
easy to imagine that Germany might
Ilet go of Belgium. On neither side. is
friendly concession possible. What
ever is relinquished must be relin-
Iquished under the compulson of war.
Until the enemies Of Germany have
driven her out Of invaded territories
ut would be the height of folly to be-
gin peace negotiations. Under the
law Of nations each party is entitled
TO holu what 1t possesses, and If it
lsurrenders any captured territory it
requires an equivalent concession of
lsome kind. The starting point Of
peace negotiations must be the war
map, not the map as 1t stood before
the war. There was a Belgium once.
land Serbia, but they do not exist
now. Unless Germany's enemies drive
her from the territory that was once
Belgium and Serbia, Germany will
not relinquish that territory any
more than she will relinquish Bran
Idenburg. The allies would have to
pay all and more than Belgium and
Serbia were worth to induce Germany
to agree in peace conference to
with draw from those territories, IL
she should actually hold them at the
time OF the conference.
Germany Is willing to make peace.
So would the allies be willing. IL
they had the advantage OF holding an
immense proportion Of enemy, terri,
tory and could force Germany to pay
their price for its recovery. What
trading material do the allies possess
"~""~' ''n German colonies and some
Teuton ships?
Germany's trump card is the enc
my territory she holds. The iiallies'
trump card is their superiority In
military resources. If they play this
card sktllfully they Will he ablsp event
|ually to do with Germany as they
please.
The game Is far from finished.
|Overconfidence has injured both play
ers, but principally the allies. Ger
many expected to win early in the
game, but when she failed she read
ijusted her plans with lightning swift
ness. The allies expected Belgium to
hold the Liege forts; they expected the
British handful to hold Antwerp: they
expected the British fleet to knock over
the Dardanelles forts and take Con-
lstantlnople; they expected Serbia to
mold Belgrade; they expectul
lltuss1a to oyerwhelm Austria
and take and hold east Prussia; they
expected Bulgaria to join the enten-
tie; they expected Sarrail to cut the
|Orlent railroad; they expected Grand
l''uke Nicholas to march along the
Black Sea coast from TrebiZond to
Ccnstantinople; they expected Korni-
lioff to work new wonders In Galicia
lthey expected many other triumphs
which need not be mentioned, all of
which failed to materialize.
ANA now many Americans EXPECT
IGermany to sue for peace rather than
flight the United States.
| This Is not the time for Americans
to boast. Let them boast after the
enemy Is beaten and they have laid
lthelr armor Off. BY what logic is it
presumed that 100000 Americans will
defeat Germany, when three or four
times that many Germans may be
Withdrawn from the Russian front
meet the Americans? Is it wise to
underestimate the enemy?
BY colossal preparation and deadly
|flXedness of purpose. by thorough co.
operation with the allies by absolute
devotion to the one cause Of victory,
America will be able to furnish the
strength needed to win. 1t Is pure
madness to expect Germany to yield
anything except at the lannon's
mouth.
washington, D. c., Post, Oct. 1, 1919