Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1917-11-15
Kaiser Gains Through Lack
Of Unity Among His Enemies;
Fo]lous Napoleon's Plan

the collapse Of the south could not be
long delayed.
II the Germans now succeed in put
ting Italy out Of the war as they put
Russia out In 1915 they will have ma
terially diminished the chances Of a
military decision in favor of the allies.
u only becaus the world Is weary of
the struggle. Even with Italy out Of
the war the allies will still possess vast.
ly superior in men and in
money. Austria in her present condi-
o viii not be able to contribute much
TO aid Germany against France, Brit
ain and the United States. The Italian
deteat may save Austria from collapse.
Dut nothing can restore the strength of
austria during the period of the present
war. NOW n always Germany will
have to fight her western battles alone
ana germany will confront her western
enemies weakened by all her sacrifices
in the east.
Still Germany Can't Win.
1t Is essential to take the situation
as 1T exists on the military side as the
basis of calculation. Even were Italv
to be crushed, Germany could not win
the war against Great Britain. France
and the United States unless these
three nations should consent to give up
a struggle which they could not lose If
II We're pursued. Russia and Italy even.
II Italy were permanently removed
from the war now, lave lasted long
enough to destroy Austria's value as an
ally to Germany, n Germany must
stand or fall alone in a battle with
three nations, two of which in wealth
and in population vastly exceed the
kalser's empire.
Napoleon failed at the task which the
kaiser has undertaken. He could not
defeat Austria, Russia, Prussia and
Great Britain. Louis XIV failed with
better initial advantages against a
Europe more completely disorganized.
Nothing is more eloquently illustratiye
OF the situation than the fact that every
German success is Immediately used in
Berlin and elsewhere by every German
agent as the basis of the flotation Of
peace propaganda.
Must Follow German Lead.
On the other hand it is plain that
German defeat will be tremendously
delayed if the French, the British and
the American high commands, together
with the Italian, if Italy is to remain q
pelllgerent, as one should now believe,
do not initiate the German method and
m~easurably at least seek to achieve
unity of command in all directions and
concentration of on a single
front. If Italy can now be saved and
the enemy pinned down at the Taglia-
mento the Italian man power should
thereafter be joined to French, British
anu american on the Belgian and
French fronts and the campaign Of 1918
should see the concentration of every
man and every available in a final
effort to break the military power Of
Germany, as Germany has sought to
break the military power of each one Of
her foes separately.
Must Pool Resources.
The next conference of the allies,
about which so much is being written,
must achieve a pooling of all military
resources, an agreement for the subor-
dination Of all national schemes to an
allied plan and the formulation of a
concerted program for the operations
Of 1918. AS long as France, Great
Britain and the United States continue
In the war eventual German defeat is
assured. There is no present prospect
that Italy will not also stay in the war
and by so much increase the advantage
of the allies. But an alliance which has
been unable to ave Belgium, Russia,
Serbia, Rumania and temporarily lost
Greece politically can need no further
Illustration of the weakness of it's strait
egg either on the political or the mill,
tary side.