Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-09-09
Force of Arms and Deter.
mination to Win Will
Crush Germany
ROCHE NOW A FATALIST
Teuton Fighting Machine Is
Beginning to Show Fissures,
but Is Still Strong
By EDWIN L. JAMES
Speciol Cable TO Evening Public Ledger

: Spect0t Cdote 10 EteH"S uoH' heus"
Copyright. 1918. bU Ne,c York Times Co.
with the American Army, Sept. 9.
The people of the Allied nations
were told some months ago that when
the German army had tasted defeat
II would go to pieces, that fighting
well upon the wine Of success 1t would
stop fighting when its cup was drained
to the dregs of failure, and that when
he began to be whipped the boche
would turn upon his leaders dis
tinguished American visitor here in
In June said: THE German is bad
q loser. / once knew a delicatessen
keeper who lost 81 and went into n
cellar and hanged himself"
These prophets said. and their
7 audiences were great, that when the
Allies had once turned the tide the
war would be as good as won, because
the German military machine would
crack and crumble.
One recalls recent proof that much
Of the talk of German revolution
in America we used 70 get came
from propaganda sources.
Seven weeks Of German defeat have
4 failed to Justify the prophecy of re-
volt One may say the contrary Is
true. Instead Of revolving or quitting
. when he sees he cannot achieve
military victory the German fighting
man has become imbued with a spirit
of fatalism, acceptance of his fate
whatever 1t may be, and is fighting
on. This proves the far-sightedness
of those who have preached all along
that hope Of Allied victory lies not in
I. anything that the Germans may do
within their ranks, but primarily In
the force of Allied arms. The war vii.
not be won by a revolution in Ger
many or by revolt in the German
army. 1t will be won by the Allied
sword, backed by the determination
of the Allied spirit.
Allied Machine Is Best
The results OF seven weeks of Ger
man defeats have proved that the
Allies must not further depend or
promises but only upon results. In
stead of being demorallzed, the Ger
man military machine Is still an eff
cient machine. and as far as on,
can see at present. capable of fight
ing on and on. Its wheels may no
be running quite so smoothly, Du
they are running pretty well. Th
boche machine loses only becaus
the Allies machine is running bet
ter and has more fuel.
It may be true that the boch
doesn't like being whipped, but h
shows up on the firing line. It ma.
be true that workers brought fror
munition shops do not fancy thct
change Of occupation, but they sr
shooting allied soldiers on the west
ern front. 1t may be true that tn
internal situation in Austria does no
encourage the sending Of troops to tn
German front. but Austrian division
are facing Allied soldiers in France.
True. the Allies have driven th
Germans back over much TERRITORY
but it is just as true that their lin
Is vet long ways this side of tn
German boundary. True. we have a.
complished much. but II is Just a
true that we have to accomplish mor'
No one means to say that the Ge
man morale is as good now as 1t wa
eight weeks ago. Morale is not
good when losing as when winning
But the question for the Allies is nc
the condition Of the German fighter
disposition. but the condition of h
military performance.
While it is perfectly true that tt
Germans have been forced to with
draw from the Marine and AmieI
salients, It is Just as true that II
withdrawal has been done we'll fro
a military point Of view. II cou