Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-07-16
"HANDINC IT TO THE GERMANS
Yesterdays Drive Was Aimed Almost Ex.
clusiyeIy al Our Men

ana SO, IN hc idSt nONrS oI Tue oFeut
Madness. Germany concentrated all its
hate and fury upon The Americans"
COME such sentence as this is certain
~ to appear toward the end of every
future history of this war.
And if history is written in slang it
will say that the Germans were gorge
ously trimmed.
There used to be men who had secret
sense of something that approached ad-
miration for German efficiency" They
had pet phrase. "You must hand it,"
they used to say, "to the Germans"
They saw it handed to the Germans
between the eyes. And it is certain
that whatever may happen to the Ameri-
can line the Germans who again at
tack it will pay with their lives, with
agony and with blood for every inch that
they may be permitted to take. The
German will meet an adversary who de-
spises him for skulker and long
range fighter. And he will have strange
things to tell if he srvives.
Yesterday the war became actually
our own The great attack in France
was aimed not so much at Paris or the
Channel ports as at the American forces
on the line. Virtually all of our fighting
men now under Foch are in or near the
fifty sweep of trenches that runs
from Massiges eastward, around Rheims
and on to Chateau Thierry, where the
fire was heaviest. Where the Americans
predominated the Germans were most
savage. Even the city of Meaux mid
way between the American front and
Paris, where the Americans are pre-
ssumed to have a concentration point,
was bombarded with longrange guns.
The very nature of the attack, the
knowledge of German commanders that
they cannot hope for a victory of any
value shows that Wilhelm is willing to
burn up few more hundred thousand of
his men in an offensive strictly political.
All Europe has reason to kno,U that
the crisis Of the toar has passed for the
Allies. The function of the line defend
ing Paris is that of q mdgnifccntly
tempered spring, q shock Gbsorber that
7rW bend bit not break. Paris may be
the ostensible goal OF the latest German
action. BIT the capture Of Paris or its
destruction, If that is imaginable, iCould
do the Germans bit little good. RcG-
soned upon Il basis of physical and spir-
itual endurance or finance or food or
morale or materials, the 1Udr is almost
orer for Germany. And it is only begin
ming IN earnest Witb America and her
allies.
America is the Great Terror in Ger
many now. America is the new factor
that has spread panic and despair
among all the people. Germany is bare
foot and in paper clothing and without
food or fuel-and the winter is only a
few months off. If it should be possible
| for the Berlin communique writer's to
announce a victory over the Americans
the people of Germany may endure their
agony a while longer and grant little
more time to an emperor and his clique
1Chosc chief concern noaV is aCih methods
to outwit the ineritable whirllVind.
When a wounded wild beast is dying
it has an interval of false strength for
| the final paroxysms. Germany, thrown
and chained, is lashing out from the
ground with every ounce of the energy
that makes wounded animal terrible for
a few minutes. 1t is for the Allied com
mands to give the beast room in which
| 20 h., al
pare to kill at leisure. If lines are re.
tired it will be always with that pur-
pose. There is likely to be harsh fight
ing in the process. 1t may be that we
in this country shall experience some OF
the swift and sudden pain that fell -four
years ago to France and to England
when the long casualty lists began tc
appear and the people knew for the first
time the awfulnesS of modern war. The
situation is one that will react to the
everlasting cost Of Germany 1t will
harden and inspire American determina-
tion. And it will leave an indispensable
hunger for vengeance.
The Americans are the targets of Ger
man hdte-because they are decent ana
clean and lercI-eyed and free; because
they 1vW "stay in France till the acur
ends and take back nothing but their
dedd',; because they are proud and an
selfish and fighting not for themselves,
but for others. Because they are out
upon high mission they face hordes OF
second class humanity, Which offer Them