Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1918-02-08


munitions resources in the West.
In 1916 Germany struck TO avoid the
blow that was sure to come when Brit
ain was ready Today her offensive
must anticipate American participation
in the war on a great scale, because
when America enters in fact Germany
will be for all time put on the defensive
through inferiority in numbers. Not
TO win the war before America arrives
is to lose the chance OF winning it at
all, just as not winning it before Brit
ain was ready would have meant not
to win it At all, if Russia had stayed in
the war.
Russia's collapse restores something
70 the situation of 1915 Germany has
reserves she has artillery. Her foes
in front Of her have no decisive ad
vantage Of numbers. if they have any
They cannot attack now, because to
attack and to fail might lead to disaster.
while to wait is to be assured of
American help. If Germany. by strik-
ing. breaks France, then Italy will be
easily put out Of the war and Britain
and America will be left to fight the
thing out. This would mean victory
Of supreme proportions. for Britain
and America will continue to dominate
the seas, but il would mean mastery
of the continent and leave Germany as
Napoleon was after F'riedland and
Wagram.
Falling short of a decisive victory,
the Germans plainly hope that they
will produce such exhaustion in the
ranks of their enemies that the foe will
consent to talk peace and abandon the
task Of holding on until America gets
ready, since America is sure to be a
considerably delayed arrival. These
are the two stakes Of the German
gamble: Decisive success with the
mastery of the continent and the per-
pc tuation or Mittel- europa, If the as
sault have the success which was not
realized at the Marine or at Ferdun;
possible peace by negotiation on reas-
onably satisfactory terms, if the as
sault makes material but indecisive
progress ON the field but uses up the
moral and material resources of the
French and brings them to willing
ness to make peace before America is
ready.
Similarly the program has obvious
periis. An attack which does not bring
victory fairly speedily, an attack which
becomes another Nerdun. after the
first few days, will unquestionably
awaken protest at home, just as Yer
GUN did. The military leaders have
told a war weary public that they can
win the war if they are permitted one
more try. The people have been partly
persuaded and partly dragooned into
giving their consent to the campaign.
But il will be watched with suspicion
and if it does not produce rapid results
it may lead to a change of popular SEN
timent and a far more serious crisis
than Germany experienced just before
Russia collapsed last year.
Germany has her chance to win the
war again. 1t is not as good as the
chance sha had at the Marine. 1t is
not nearly as good as the chance she
had at Verdun. but it is chance. She
is in all human probability, planning
To- take it and to make the greatest
military venture of human history. as
great in this world war as was Napo-
Icons campaign to Moscow in his day,
And Moscow had similar stakes. Ger
many can attack. she must attack, but
| to attack and fail means approximate
ruin.