The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1918-10-05
THE PAC|FIST
'''PINCERS"

1t is essential for all Americans
TO see the latest German manoeuvre
for the thing 1t actually is. Acting
as the agent Of Germany, Austria IL
endeavoring to enable Ludendorff to
regain the lost initiative. and thus
win the war, and win 1t by a mill
tary decision.
The best illustration Of German !
strategy is contained In a speech by !
Herr David. Socialist member Of /
the Reichstag. representing the
Mainz district, who said:
Germany must squeeze her enc
niles with pair Of pincers. The
German armies must continue to
fight vigorously while the German
Socialists encourage and stimulate
pacifism among Germany's enemies"
Now, for the moment. the military
pincer is. unable to operate, hence
the German strategists are making
use Of the other pincer, but. and this
is capital, with the express purpose
Of making use again Of the military
''pincer" when the way has been
prepared.
The best way to explain the pre-
sent manoeuvre is to recall the last
time the pacifist "pincer" was put
into operation. In the campaign Of
1915. after the failure Of Germany
at verdun and Austria in the Tren-
tino, the Central Powers lost the ini-
tiative, just as they now have lost
It again. The British and French at
the somme, Italy at Gorixia. Rus
sia in volhynia and Galicia. passed
to the offensive and won considerable
victories. Not even the Rumanian
disaster restored the German situa-
tion. Germany and Austria were
threaened on all sides. and IL all
their enemies resumed operations
with the same pace in 1917 defeat
was inevitable.
Accordingly the kaiser made his
peace gesture in 1918. What was
the result. First . Russian revolu-
ton. then, after Allied reverses at
the Aisns and in. Flanders. . war Of
-pacigism and pessimism In France
md Britain. While the peace pin
Ger" was in operation the German
Reichstag adopted . programme Of
peace without annexation or In
demnity:" pacifism and war weari-
ness all through the Allied countries
swallowed the bait whole.
Presently the preparation was COM
plete. The the military "pincer''
was a gain put into action. First
Italy was attacked and heavily beat.
en- at the Isonso; then Russia. al
ready disarmed, was treated 70 tAl
Drest-Litovsk negotiations. com.
PEELED to consent to partition. mutil.
alton. ruin.
And % . consequence. having dis.
posed Of Russia permanently and II
& ally temporarily. Germany recovered
the initiative. abandoned the peacs
manoeuvrs and. gathering up hel
full military strength. fell upor
France and Great Britain. who's,
armies had been shaken by the peac,
campaign. whose publics had beer
taken In and confused BY the opera
ton Of the pacifist "pincer.'
We have now exactly the sam'
mapceuvre. The German mAitar,
''pincers" IL in worse shape than I
was two years ago. But It is by nj
means destroyed-it can be brough
back into form again. But It is nee
essary for the time being to shift tn
field of campaigning. to undertake
again to undermine Allied armies
and Allied public sentiments. whel
this has been accomplished then Lu
dendorff can try again.
The moment. then. is critical. W
permitted the pacifist "pincer" to op
crate in 1917. and we lost Russia