Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1917-08-30

- kOpOI Jl0u OF OIH
GERS among the killed and prisoners
~ h battle continues. That gnneans
tnaL tne mems morale is weakening,
and that the oficers are forced to ex-
pose themselves more to make them
follow. Perhaps the same thing will
happen at Verdun.. Then we can be
certain that the equilibrium is tend
ing to be upset. Il
civilians seem to be mfsled by
military pharses about limited allied
and the impregnable Ger
man line. ! have heard people say:
But, II we can advance only three
niles and are then compelled to wait
Tor the artillery to move up and
Smash n three miles, what is to pre-
vent the German falling back in short
stages for years? or course, from
g military point OF view such a the
DRY is impossible: no army could re-
treat Q long without its morale be-
ing affected enough to- break the
equiNbrium-Ieast OF all the Germans
az the end OF three hard years of war.
you've only to look at the way they
sacrifice men in counterattacks to see
nat they know the danger of retreat.
: Breaking the Germans, Hearts,,
LAS 1things are going now. theaalNes
are breaking their hearts as Grant
broke those of the Confederates in the
battle Of the Wilderness; and when
the defenders hearts are broken the
most impfegnable position may fall
like a house Of cards. Remember, we
have still two more months in which
70 maintain the pressure. Personally
! consider the recent German bomb
Ing OF hospitals significant. Cortez
burned his boats behind his men to
prevent their retreating. The Germans
burn hospitals before theirs to prevent
their surrender from fear Of French
vengeance.
Best OF all, now for the first time
Austria and Germany are hard press
ed together. When the crown prince
Is forced to ask Rupprecht Of Bavaria
Tor reserves, and the latter Is wasting
the Prussian guard like water in the
effort to retain Lens, 1t is not likely
tina German troops will be sent. to
stiffen Austria, as has been done in
the past.
II regard the italian victory as Of
the highest Importance. There is Ger
many's weak point. If the allies
pierce the armor there the end may
|be nearer than men think"
AS regards Austria, information
from switzerland Through financial
and diplomatic channels, paints her
situation in the blacklist colors. Bank
rupt, oralned by terrible losses, dis
united with a general strike in Boz
hemia just repressed under conditions
resembling open revolt, her military
machine upheld by the unpopular
Germans. Austria had placed her last
hopes on the Papal peace move. Many
Swiss observers assert that that was
IN reality a cloak for an Austrian at
tempt to make a. separate peace with
the allies through England, her old
fr1end-an attempt rendered abortive,
on the n hand, by the impossibility
OF reconciling Austrian and Italian
claims and by the mailed fist of Hin
denburg, who got wind of the affair,
on the other. Instead of peace comes
Italy's greatest offensive, and Hinden-
burg cannot help his wavering ally.
From Austria came the beginning
of the war,"" said q member Of q great
International banking house to me.
From Austria will come the wars
end. Either Austria will crack and
leave Germany to her ruin or her
dead weight on Germany's shoulders
will weaken the latter beyond fendur-
ance and the line will go in France.
You ask me when? I cannot say; but
! will tell you this-that the Austrian
banker, Rosenberg, who cleaned up
millions here on the Bourse three
years ago by selling everything In
sight, during the last fortnight OF
July was offering to bet a fortune In
Switzerland that the war would be
over before Christmas. Let us hope
he IS still as good a guesser as he used
to be-" @s&fsl .@aI