Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-08-25

was secretly party to 1t. AZ was the
Court of Greece. Turkey was absolute
~ committed to it. her tryant Enver
being completely bought. Roumania
and Serbia alone barred the way: Rou-
mania was too close TO Russian sup
port. The gate OF Serbia must at all
costs be smashed in and the Pan-Ger-
man map and empire would be COM
plcte. Besides. once Serbia was down
and the iron highway of the map COM
plcte, Roumania. like Belgium and Hol-
land. could easily be swallowed.
Now the man in the street will easily
understand why Germany launched her
war over IAN affair with Serbia; will
understand why Serbia was not a mere
excuse for the war; will understand
why Germany fought the heroic lit
tie people of Serbia with such logged
and bitter hate. for he can now see
that once Serbia was overthrown. the
Pan-German empire Of Mitteleuropa
was a reality.
stances. Germany won, without war,
her whole Pan-German map. except the
gateway through Serbia. She still
hoped to bully Serbia into surrender
without a wide confiagration and so
be able to set TO work to consolidate
her empire for the great war of her
first plan OF campaign; but the heroic
little people OIL SERBIA saved the WOElu.
How SerbIn Saved the World.
So 1t came about that in trying to
complete her second plan of campaign
Germany suddenly found herself head
ed on the mad career OF her full first
plan OF campaign. She had to launch
her vast legions at France and Russia.
To Germanys CONSERVATION. Britain
strickland from that moment it was
almost inevitable that the first plan OF
campaign was lost. 1t was Germany's
gross strategic blundcr, and was car
ried on in blunder after blunder.
From the moment that Germany was
defeated at the Marine her first plan of
campaign ,wilted, and all hope Of vic
tory in the west persisted. Hopelessly
defeated in the west. the German could
only look to snatching sufficient vic
tory in the east to save him his second
plan OF campaiEn-his Pan-German
Empire: and the moment he could get
that, then peace must be sprung on
the world at all costs.
1t may be thought that merely to
crush Serbia and call for peace were a
pretty easy affair. 1t may be SAID
Why attack Russia before flying the
peace -dove only Serbia needed break
ing to complete the Pan-German map!
1t SO happened that Serbia refused to
be crushed-indeed. crushed her
enemies instead! And Russia would
not allow her to be crushed.
Again, while Turkey and Bulgaria
and the Greek Court were only waiting
for a great German success to declare
themselves openly for the German. the
German armies were being defeated
everywhere, and these treacherous
partners in the Pan -German Empire
did look for some sign OF German In
vincibility. The only safeguard for
them was for Germany to prove her
self able to punish Russia. So, while
the German knew that he could not
now destroy Russia, he bent with
frantic address his every nerve, and
brought the weight OF his every man
and gun. to defeating Russia sufficient
~ to secure the Serbian gate. That
done, she would fly the peace -dove as
maEnanimous conqueror, and every day
made more urgent the need for that
flight.
So Germany went to earth In the
west. and dashed out at Russia-in-
vaded Poland; was disastrously de-
feated and flung back. Things looked
black for the second plan of campaign.