Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-10-12

in authority in his statement that the
German military leaders and their
forces will be defeated. that the
hour of triumph is drawing near and
that the day of the war lords is al
most over. Because this is true there
is a natural feeling of anxiety in
many minds as to what trickery
Germany may resort to in a pretend
ed compliance with the Presidents
terms. Everywhere the German lines
are crumbling and we are now in the
most critical hour of the war. Any
mistake at Washington might mean
the actual defeat of the Allies
through an unwise cessation of hos
tilities.
1t is the belief of his countrymen,
however. that the President, now
fully advised as to the real attitude
of the people, will avoid any act
which might further the plans of the
lretreating foe. Berlin will not be
heartened or encouraged in the
slightest degree by the emphatic ut
terances of men and women of all
classes regarding the peace terms.
1t may be that within the next few
days the most important develop
ments of this titanic struggle will
have occurred. The solidarity of our
people has never been so clearly
demonstrated as during the last
lforty-eight hours. Their demand is
unconditional surrender of the Kais-
er and all he represents. Not only are
the people of the United States de-
termined to crush the Beast of Ger
many; our allies are equally insist
ent that there may be no peace save
one which will mean the utters de-
struction of militarism and repara-
ton for the ruin of the coun-
tries which have been invaded dur
ing the last four years or more. The
German government and the Ger
man people are one. On this propo-
sition a great authority has just de-
clared:
There has not been one minute
When Germany and all of Ger
many, including all the German
people. have not been ready to
snare in the plunder whenever and
wherever her war bandits were
able to seize it; no time when
they nave not approved oppression
and the frightfulness of their
armies wading through the blood
of women and children to reach
the spoils.
The attitude of the whole Ger
man nation was defiant and unre-
lenting when her armies began
the drive in March. 1t was not
until after the turn of the tide at
-Thierry in July that she
began to relent, and as she was
swept on further and further.
boldness turned to fear, and
boastfulness changed to whining.
And now. with Bulgaria out and
the shell cracking, Germany turns,
or pretends to turn to parliaments
and popular representation. as a
hypocritical means of wrestling an
armistice from the avengers.
After Germany has surren-
dered. whether the swords are
handed in by a German parlia-
ment or by Hindenburg. there
should be not an ounce of pity for
the German people. They must pay
the price-a bitter price-for all
the horrors for which they. as
much as the Kaiser. are to blame;
for they supported him in his
and will have adopted the subter-
fuge of a Peoples Parliament only
because the sword of the avenser
hangs over them.
So it naturally. follows that our
people are disturbed over anything
that looks like negotiations with
Berlin. They will not be content un-
til the air is once more clear as to
our purpose and every vestige of
hope that might have been enter
tanned by the Kaiser and his gang
shall have been dissipated by some
such answer as was made by an
American officer when blindfolded
prisoner was sent from the German
line to the surrounded Americans
on the west front with a demand to
go to hell"