St. Johns review. (Saint Johns, Or.) 1904-current, 1917-10-05
OvercOnfidence DepIOred
Continued from Ist page.
off the mask.

Charles strove for declara.
tion on their side Not until
after his death did the allies
win over Roumania.
Hope that Turkey would re.
main neutral did not die until
hostilities began at the end of
October, 1914, yet we know
now. on the authority of the
Kaiser, that an alliance had
been concluded between Ger.
many and Turkey on August 4.
the day Britain declared war.
Land and sea attacks were to
have taken the Dardanelles and
to have been followed by a
siege of Constantinople, but
this ended in disaster.
AS the logical sequel to this
blasting of so many false
hopes and to these military
blunders, Serbia was overrun
and Montenegro extinguished,
but confidence still reigned.
The Saloniki army was to have
redeemed the country and
crushed Bulgaria, but it has
only cleared Western Greece
and recovered Monastir. 1t is
tied by the leg to its base.
Brusilof's offensive was to
have driven the Teutons out of
Russia and to have carried the
allies into Hungary. but it was
stopped by pro-German traitors
at Petrograd.
Roumania's invasion of Tran
sylvania was to have turned
the Teuton flank, forced a gen
eral retirement in the east and
ended in the conquest of Hun
gary. II did not. Before Christ
mas, 1916. the Germans took
Bucharest. and occupied two.
thirds Of Roumania.
In Mesopotamia the British
army was to have taken Bagdad
before the end of 1915. formed
a junction with the Russians,
and after conquering Asia
Minor to have besieged Con-
stantinople. II met disaster at
Kut and a new army has taken
Bagdad and advanced about
fifty miles beyond. to be stopped
by lack of Russian aid.
A British Egyptian army was
to have conquered Syria and
Joined the Mesopotamia army
in it's march through Asia
Minor. II has entered Pales-
tine and then halted.
Naval blockade was long ago
to have starved the central em.
pires into submission, but Mr..
Gerard tells us they cannot be
starved. and their morale is
still so good that every allied
gain is followed by repeated
and furious counter attacks.
Russian revolution was hailed
as the dawn of a new era for
democracy the world over. and
as the prelude TO an offensive
on the east which would hurl
back the Teutons and enable the
allies to end the war in 1917.
In truth. the Russians. their
minds poisoned with sedition
and treason. have been thrown
back on north and south, and
Petrograd itself is not consid.
cred safe. Russia is split into
factions with a government
which cannot govern. and there
is great danger that all her vast
resources may fall into the
hands of Germany.
Germany's man power was TO
have been exhausted by at
triton. but the labor of millions
Of prisoners and of conquered
civil populations has enabled
her to put more millions under
arms. and her man power seems
little nearer exhaustion than il
was two years ago.
Submarine war was scotfed at
and was considered to have fail.
ed when destruction of ships
fell off after the Sussex agree.
ment. In fact. that was only a.
period of preparation for more
ruthless war without any re.
straint. In hope that Germany
would not add the United States
to her many enemies. President |
Wilson exercised patience and |
deferred preparation for two
years. all to the advantage of |
Germany. When this country |
finally declared war. destruction |
of ships reached the maximum, |
but that of British ships has
since decreased so materially
that false confidence in defeat
Of the submarine has revived.
though heavy French and
Italian losses do not warrant
Il. We are warned that Ger
many is building more power
ful and swifter U.boats but /
We are deceived by statistics
nto taking our time about
ships.
Every announcement that the |
allies have gained a mile or two
If ground as though it were a
great victory, every statement
hat the submarine terror has
,een killed. help the enemy by |
'eviving that false confidence