Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1918-07-05
WHY THE WAR is PROLONGED.

the Importance of the Italian victory
over the Austrians along the Piave
Germany is about ready TO throw
up the SPONGE" and Austria will
collapse within month";" are some
of the opininos expressed. The
natural results of these sanguine but
hascless hopes is the slackening of
American effort in man directions
There is not the slightest evidence
that Austria's army is detnoralized
as result of its reverse. That army
numbers probably over 100000 ac-
lively in service, with large re-
serve. The defeat of a part of tho
army is doubtless known to Austrian
forces in the mountains, but it need
not be expected that the soldiers
will exhibit much, if any, impair
ment of morale because of the news
The Germanized army of Austria is
not permitted to indulge in indivi-
dual whims. 1t gets such news as
is allotted to it by it's masters. Its
thinking is carefully provided be-
forehand.
1t is foolish for any one in allied
countries to base predictions of vic
tory upon single battle or even a
single campaign. These are not days
IN which brilliant generals person
ally command compact armies and
stake the fate of kingdom upon
single encounter. This war is n
struggle involving all mankind di-
rectly and indirectly, the question
at issue being the right of men to
govern themselves. Some of the
nations are fighting with every
available weapon at their command,
down to the labor of infants. All
the others are drifting more and
more into condition of permanent
warfare engaging all their facul.
ties and resources.
/ Mankind perhaps would have been
free if Russia had fulfilled the
hopes of its allies. The appearance Of
the United States on the western
front. with an ever-mencing Russian
army in the east, would have brought
Germany to terms. She would not
have had the redoubled forces which
were hurled against the western
allies in March and which are again
about to be sent into the furnace.
But Russia fell, partly through Ger
man intrigue and military prowess.
Germany's army of Intrigue and
propaganda in Russia now numbers
100000 men, all under expert direc-
ton and animated by the jealous
ness of rapacity and greed. The
assassination of Russia, now rapidly
in process does not mean the immi-
nent collapse Of Germany or an en-
forced appeal for peace on the al
lies terms. Germany may ask for
peace, but its appeal will be merely
to deceive the allies, and probably
there will be proportion of the
people of allied countries who will
be deceived. The gullibility of some
peacefully inclined individuals seems
TO be impervious to the buffetings of
experience.
Austria admittedly is in bad shape.
But Austria is not an organized in
dependent government in which pub
lie opinion can sway the rulers. Its
policy is made up by Hohenzollern
and his military advisers. Austria
could not make a separate peace, no
matter how ardently Emperor Kari
should desire it. He wrote letter
along these lines not long ago, and
was compelled to apologize to his
master and disavow the sentiments
he had so honestly expressed.
If the Allies wish Austria to disin-
tegrate and hang like corpse upon
Germany's neck, let them get busy
and foment the revolution which the
oppressed peoples Of Austria are
trying to organize. Hohenzollern does
not need the people of Austria in
his plans. The shell called Austria
Hungary" the obedience which the
Teutons and Magyars of the Haps
burg empire yield to the dynasty,
and the services of the corrupt
Hapsburg court ring are all Ger
many needs in order to force the
whole of Austria Hungary to do its
bidding. Thus two-fifths of the en-
pire is made to dominate three-fifths.
Of the 5OOOO,OOO persons in the en-
pire, nearly 3O,OOO,o0O are anti-Ger-
man and proally. They cannot throw
off Hohenzolern and Hapsburg I'M
less they have help from the outside.
1t is the duty of the allied powers to
furnish this help in abundant mea-
sure-not with idiotic inadequncy,
but with the assured momentum and
penetrating force of Germany's army
of intrigue in Russia.
Sllillful propaganda in Austria
can accomplish as much as 1,00O,-