Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1918-10-15
WHY AN ARMISTICE is WANTED.

j. w. I. Mason, United Press war expert calls aten-
ton to the fact that an arstce permitting Won linden
burg to retire unmoested to the German frontier would
give the kaiser of the successes OF the war;
The heroic struggle of the American forces north Of
Verdun is threatening to cut Of the two avenues OF
retreat for the German armies in France
Luxembourg by protesting to President Wilson
against the further occupation of her soil by German
troops shows complete understanding in the little duchy
of Americas advance down the Meuse.
Luxembourg knows the Americans are closing in on
the famous Senay line of communications so necessary
for Won Hndenburgs safe retirement to Germany
While General Pershing is blocking the way to the
German frontier to the glory of American arms the
kaiser appeals to President Wilson to let Won linden
burgs defeated armies pass through PerShngs lines un
scathed The only alternative for Won Hindenburg is to
fight his way home His forces too large and too un
wiedy to try to make run for it. They would be
whelmed and thrown into devastating confusion.
1t is three months ago today since the Americans
threw the Germans back across the Marine and started
thm on their disastrous retirement Since then Won Hin
denburg has gone less than half the way home and has
lost at least million men, He may lose half million more
if he must continue to to the border It is possible even
that great disaster involving quarter OF million more
casualties might Overtake him.
Besides these losses of human material Won Hinden-
burg cannot get home without abandoning vast stores OF
munitions and guns to the allies unless he is given free
passage.
Won Hindenburg is being forced to abandon his in
tention of forming army to oppose the Am
ercan invasion of Germany. His plan to accomplish this
shortnng of his line and saving six thousand per mile
has been destroyed by the ceaseeSs attacks of Marshal
Foch during the last three months If Won Hndenburg
is given no armstice he will have less per mile when
he gets back to Germany than he did when his retreat be-
gan The only way the Rhine reserve army to oppose the
Americans can be created by means OF an arsce per
mittng Won Hindenburg to withdraw from France and
Belgium, taking his men and guns with him.
President Wilson's reply to Chancellor Maximillan
however has aveTed all danger of armstice and will
cut deeply into the German morale 1t is worth more
than many army corps to the allied cause for its dsnteg
rating work will be effective not only among the German
soldiers in the field but also among the German people at
home. Three months ago today when the Americans
drove German army across the Marne the kaiser knew
Aeerca was arriving at military maturity and ordered
his defeated troops to start for home Today the kaiser
knows that his diplomatic note writers have likewise been
trapped by President Wilson's greater skill The strategy
of the situation is wholly the side of democracy The
exchange of notes has revealed the kaiser his people
shon Of his divine right and humby pettionng the demo-
cratic nations for amstice But it is not enough and
so the HOhenzoern intimate of Got has promised
to abandon the conquered territory for whose possession
two million Germans have been killed permanently in
jured And still it is not enough No absolute monarch
can long cling to his prerogatve when his impotence
thus shown to his victims President Wilson has set the
Hohenzoen throne rocking There can be no question
but that the kaiser now in jeopardy of losing his crown
by act of expiaon the part of the German people
1t is said to have proven great shock to the
PTussan iunkers to find so many GermanAmercan boys
fighting in the ranks of the Yankees 1t shows how little
they really knew of this country which never worries
about mans former nationality, so long as he is good
American citizen while here.