New-York tribune., 1918-03-10

enty million souls within the limits of the
German Empire, including, of course, the
annexed populations governed against
their wills in the Polish and Danish PROV
lnces and in Alsace-Lorraine. In the new
districts, which will be subje ject to the Cen
tral Empires, there is another sixty-five
to seventy million. AS for the dimensions
of this district, the extreme length is
thousand miles and the average breadth
perhaps three hundred, the extreme
breadth, according to the limits of the
Ukraine, being from six hundred and fifty
to nearly eight hundred miles.
That is the state we have before us,
That is the price to hold which the Ger
mans are seeking negotiated peace and
the liberation of which can only DC ef-
fected by our victory
Another vital matter, which it is well to
understand before the military operations
recommence and with which the Ameri-
can public may be unfamiliar is the ques-
ton of civilian morale in Europe. Man is
citizen of a nation through All idea, Just
as he is member of a religion through an
idea. But, also, he is himself-he suffer
in his body or in his immediate domestic
affections-in far more positive fashion,
When the idea of nation weakens and
individual suffering or fatigue obscures it.
then for the purposes of war between ma
tons this moral factor Declines 1t is high
er in some places to-day than in others. It
may be reinforced by one policy, weakened
by another. What is the gauge of it to-
day? What sort of barometer can we con-
suit? That depends upon our Judgment
our right judgment-of the war under
/ these last conditions of extreme strain,
just as under the earlier conditions our
judgment was based upon our calculation
Of numbers in men and material.
A perfect answer could be given only by
mind at once quite impartial among all
the belligerents and at the same time per
fectly informed. But a rough answer can
be given by any one with fair information
who has made a continuous study of tht
campaign. l think this rough answer is
best arrived at by comparing the probable
present views of the various governments
and the populations dependent upon them
The Attitude Of
The Central Powers
First, let us consider the attitude of the
Central Powers The government of the
German Empire, under it's modern Prus-
sian organization. thinks somewhat as fol-
lows:
I'VE and our allies form one solid
territorial block in the midst of Europe.
Of this block we, the German-speaking
population, are almost exactly half We
not only directors of it but masters
We have mainly to concern ourselves.
therefore, with the state of mind of the
German population. If that stands firm
the whole mass will stand firm. We are
blockaded by sea and the blockade has
become very much more rigorous since
the United States entered the war
"The strain in the matter of food and
Of things almost as essential as food.
such as soaps and lubricating materials,
has gone on for long time and pro-
duces very depressing effect. The
enormous mortality in the field, the
rapidly rising figures of civilian NOR
talty, and particularly of infant NOR
tality, play their part.
''In any war but this such a strain
would have passed the breaking point
long ago. Men would long ago have
reached point where individual fatigue,
suffering and grief would have out
balanced national ties and dissolved ma
tional disc pline.
"On the other hand, we are fighting
for our lives. We have done things
which civilization will not forgive ard
which we can only compel it to reprieve
by showing that we are invincble and
therefore immune from punishment.