The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-05-29

lie to the extreme west, and the talk
ing OF this territory by the Germans
would involve great disadvantage to
the allied cause.
Amiens is about seventy miles east
of the coast. and the Germans may
have many obstacles to overcome that
they never dreamed of before they
reach that long hoped for objective.
In the first place they are battling
against armies that nothing can daunt.
II there be yielding. it will be purely
for the purpose OF conserving.
For every one man that will be
sacrificed in this struggle by the al
lies, Germany will pay the price OF
three. Such ratio is the rule as
against the aggresor, and the rule
may well be expected to obtain in
this engagement. The aircraft will
destroy tens OF thousands OF Ger
mans a. NIltS duNdHtS IN great waves
against our lines, and the machine
guns OF the soldiers will scatter ter
rife slaughter amongst the on-com-
ing enemy
This is the part our armies are at
present playing in the war. On the
one side, the foe realizes that to re-
main in the trench means absolute
defeat, for. were IL otherwise, he
would be only too glad to remain.
and hold what he has already seized.
But To remain means starvation, and
nothing can demonstrate this more
strongly than the desperate efforts be-
ing made to drive through the al
lied lines
The present thrust will. in all prob
ability cost the German fighting forces
another 100000 men. and they may
gain a few miles OF land for the price
which they will pay, The allied
armies will have retired TO positions
ready prepared to harrass the in
creasingly weakened and distressed
Prusian forces. and so the plan is to
let them continue till the time is en-
tirely favorable when the fresh and
highly spirited soldiers Of democracy
will counter with an avalanch against
which the Huns will find their
strength unavaling.
The morale OF the German airy has
foundations. They have held up al
ready with wonderful spirit. but the
day is coming closer and closer when
the kaiser's men will fully realize that
they cannot win. They will finally
sicken at the sight OF their suicidal
efforts They will learn more and
more of the suffering that is falling
upon their families at home. Their
morale will be gone
, The things that have fed the cour-
age of the Germans through these
three years OF war are no longer oc-
curing There are no more Russian
provinces which they may we'll under
take to overrun; there are no more
Servias, Belgiums Montenegros or
! Rumanias over whose fields they may
exult in victory. The thing has at
last come squarely down to brass
tacks," and they must soon realize
that their cause is lost.
Today, there are thousands of thou
sands OF mothers who are praying for
the boys on the firing line. These
mothers know that their boys are
hghting hravely for the things that
are more sacred than life itself, With
! hearts that have consecrated their OFF
spring to the simple cause of human
happiness in the world. they are look
/ Ing TO the God Of Love and Justice for
guidance. On the other hand, there
are thousands on thousands of moth =
ers weeping that their boys are be
ing driven like cattle in the slaughter
pens OF war to aggrandise the amhi-
ton OF barbarous rules, One hears
from his mother in the words God
bless you, My Boy; the other hears
from his mother in words that are
choking with sorrow. And out of the
messages and prayers Of the two moth
ers may be easily interpreted the
handwriting on the wall"
II