Mexico Missouri message., 1918-01-24

that she is invincible. And most Of
us are too willing to accept the idea.
The truth is that England and France
have whipped Germany in every
point But the difficulty is here
Germany overran France and Bel
gium before an effective resistance
could be organized. She struck quick
ly and she struck exceedingly we'll
She grabbed the commanding posi-
tions and fortified them. She knew
the country by the acre. Yes, even
lby the foot. When the Allied defense
reached a stage where 1t was effect
I've and the German advance was
checked, the German, cunning in
strategy, crafty in tact, fell back into
these positions of defense. His ad-
vance checked, he determined to
hold his ground. The Allied offensive
opened up. Gradually he was forced
out Of his strong holds. Literally he
was blown out, for it was back The
Allied advance has been necessary to
blow him up to force him slow and
costly hut the fact is Germany has
been beaten. From the Marne to the
lSomme From the Somme to the
supposedly impregnable Hindenburg
line. Hindenburg's line is broken to-
day in every sector The idea that
Germany is invincible is a myth.
Hindenburg is farce The Germans
lat heart are towards. Germany
wants peace worse than we do She
lcan't hold the line and yet we can't
advance except with tremendous eff
fort and then only slowly. The war
is three years old and Germany still
occupies most of Belgium and part of
France. 1t may look as though Eng
land and France should have done
better than that but remember what
one German can do with a machine
gun and then remember-the mud
1t is going to be big job to push
the Hun back where he belongs, a
long, weary, tiresome, dirty, bloody
Job. If we had to depend entirely
upon infantry and artillery to do it
would be somewhat despondent. But
thanks to our great old Yankee abil-
ity of seeing the most effective cure
for an evil think we will win in not
a very long time.
l have told you it is so muddy out
here you can't get around. That be-
ing the case what would you do If you
were the man in power? I am sure
you would do just what the boys"
at Washington have done - build
aeroplanes. We want thousands of
aeroplanes. Then few more thous-
and. Then we can win the war in
, hurry. They fly around here like
! birds. They can do almost anything
they want to do. Fly low or high,
turn flip flops and loop the loop.
There is one good thing this war has
done. 1t has proven that aeroplanes
are practical. l can already see Cliff
NcElvain flying around Albany with
: the prettiest girl in Gentry county
(whoever that is) hanging on his
coat tail There is where America
will render her most effective assist
ance in the war. Still, can't con-
scientiously say that. l think the
greatest service we are doing out
here is right where I am tonight-in
the hospitals. Our surgeons are the
greatest in the world, and guess the
4 force or the department of energy
that saves life will do a greater serv-
ice than the one that destroys it. But
D Ifor military results, the areoplanes
/" surely will be of the most effective
$ means of gaining an end in this
4 war Anyhow, We are going to win.
4 Everyone knows that-but Fritz"
When the stunt is all over, John
y md I get back at my old job of using
y your telephone to talk to Lewis Eli
. oft, I'll write you some whooping
features" I have some great sub
l. iects. For instance How to speak
u French with your hands, eyes and
{ ears" Thrilling experiences of a
Red Cross man in France" Dark
:, and dreary days behind the lines"
IS "Why the French laughed when l
e 'alked to them in their own Ian
d guage," and numerous other topics o.
= equally educational Importance. OF
1t course shall expect more liberal
n use of your telephone as payment for
d my stun, until then carry on. Your
Is paper is excellent. have only re-
If ceived one copy but it did world of
.e good. If you continue to improve you