The Alaska daily empire., 1917-03-06
THE GERMAN DILEMMA
Now Ynrk Morldl

(NeW York WOrIdD
 On Aug l. 1914 the German General Staff was certain that it could capture Paris within six weeks beat France her knees and then, by an rresStOie invasion of Russia end the in three months.
 The plans of the General Staff were so perfect on paper that the fate of the German Empire was staked their The Kaiser signed the oruer ol mobilization against his own better judgment, the treaty for the naturalization of Belgium was converted into a scrap of paper and the imperial armies set forth to actualize the German dream or WeItmacIt.
 Yet at the end Of six weeks 1t was not ParlS which had fallen but the German scheme or world power The plans of the General Starr had lalIeu and henceforth Germany was doomed to fight TOT lIS on A'StG' Feb l. 1917 the German General Staff was certain that by tearing up it's pledge to the Untea States and resuming ruthless submarine waIl"e It could starye Great Britain within two months and dictate peace. It is the same old story.
 In 1914 the General Staff eliminated Great Brain i as factor in the equation. The mandarins ot Berhn were confident that if Great Britain entered the war at all on account of Belgium, everything would De finished before an effective British army could take tb field and the British government would be forced to accept the proposed by victorious Germany or continue a disastrous war to which the britiSn In 1917 the General Staff eliminated the United States as a factor in the new equation IL was sure that the United States would not sever diplomatic relations account of return to ruthless Su0mar' inc warfare The German-AmericanS were releu up, on to attend to that. But regardless Of the Unteu States the thing to do was to sink everything anu bv sarvng Great Britain into submission end the war before neutral opposition could be made effective
 The German General Staff may have learned noth'
 
 people have learned something from their experience with the General Staff Now that the crisis with the United States has come, the German people nave met if in oue different spirit from that in which they met the British crisis It is apparent from the dis patches that popular faith in the infalbuity Of the General Staff is subject to heavy dl counts ana while the newspapers support the action of the Govern ment their tone is that of regret and misgying.
 There is nothing 10 indicate that the great mass of the German people want war with the Umted States or believe that it would be worth the price that Germany would have to Their instincts are much soundeT than the General satrs reasoning and today the best hope of peace lies in German public opinion
 The Imperial Government is in a most embarrass- ing position, from which it cannot easily eNulcate itseg It cannot back down without abject humiliation, and it cannot go forward without driving the United States into and depriving Germany Of her last influential friend among the nations This is the pen alty that great Government must pay for permitting military autOcraCy to dictate it's policy If the Ger man people can be brought to perceive the conse- Quences of such roly their terrible sacrifices will not have been altogether in vain.