The Washington herald., 1918-10-09
FINAL CRASH
FOR HUN NEAR
Front and Rear Cave-in at
One Time Presages
Breakdown.

London. Oct. THE world Is now
witnessing the beginning Of the finsl
breakup of the central alliance AZ
a military power.
| How rapidly the Austro-German
but the period of ascendency now
to the end.
This summarizes the British off,
cisl view Of the greatest week Of
the war.
Greater Events Near.
| For the first time since 1914. Ger
many finds her front and rear cav
| ing in at the same time.
4 Events even more momentous
than those Of the last few days lie
just ahead.
! Whitehall from end to end is
I charged with tense expectancy.
awaiting stupendous military and
| diplomatic developments. 1t Is re-
| garded as certain that Turkey will
quit the war soon. other possibil-
| tiles are:
Rumania will rejoin the allies as
| fighting nation.
| Constantinople will be taken, the
DardaneIles opened, and the Black
Sea- for years known as . ''German
lake" will be conquered.
Russia will be aided in esta blish-
| ing battle front and getting back
into the war.
May InvsAe Austria.
Austria will be invaded, and an
! Austrian collapse will result Then
will come the big smash into Ger
many, with American troops forming
large part of Marshal Foch's bat
| tering-ram.
Germany will doubtless make veri-
table hostages OF the Austrian peo-
pie, keeping them in subsection az
long as possible.
A final and desperate peace often
sive by Germany this winter is now
considered certain TO follow presen.
developments. Unrest Is growing in
Germany. but despite the certainty
OF the Kaiser's defeat most officials
| are skeptical of any revolutionary
movement in the central empire sue
ceeding. A splurge of demoerstizs-
ton OF German governmental sys-
TENS and important changes in the
government must be expected The
resignation of Hertling. Won Payer
and Won HintEe are significant dem.
onstrations OF the political upheaval
that is to come in Hunland The
depression and hopelessness preva-
lent in Germany become more evident
every day
The whole story OF the allies first
knockout blow to German aims and
hopes cannot be told until the war
is won, but this much can be said
Bulgaria's collapse didn't Just
happen"
The timeIiness Of the military Of
fensive in the Balkans was care
fully considered by the allied LEAD
ers for weeks before it began. Much
more was known than has been told
Of the internal situation in Bull
garia and OF the result that an allied
offensive would have
Knew Psychological Moment.
It was known that Bulgaria had
begun to realize the hopeIessness OF
its alliance with Germany and Aus,
trta Secret reports from allied
agents were the key to the success
, Of the Balkan offensive. The al.
lied leaders knew the psychologist
moment to strike. and they struck
precisely at that moment
Americas action in remsining a
peace with Bulgaria will 20 down IN
history as one of the greatest ex,
hibitions of statecraft in the world.
. history. 1t may indirectly lead tc
the end Of the war
Many well-Quslifed observers say
the West front, aside from Turkey
/ Is the place TO expect tangible re-
suits. because Germany soon will bt
forced to attempt a great with,
drawal Of her line from ostend tC
Metz. She must increase her force.
in the Balkans and on the Austrian
border as the menace to her bach
door" grows, and to do so she mus
shorten her line IN France
, Under the rapidly mounting al.
lied pressure this withdrawal bid:
fair to become a great German dis,
aster. 1t may force the Kaiser e
relinauish not only Northern France
but all of Belgium before winter.
Pershing's army. in conjunction
with the French, is rapidly driVin 6
a wedge into the German line where
il lies nearest Metz and Luxembourg
threatening to cut of the army
west OF Verdun from that in Ler-
raine and Alssce.
When the Germans swept int