The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-04-30
Back From Bulgaria
Says That Is All Important.
Germany Will Crumble if They
Succeed in Doing So.
R. H. MARKHAM ON THE WAR
He Says Hun Allies Are Near
DesertiOn Stage.
People Led To Believe Big
Sacrifices Will Win.

If by August the allies still retain
the French channel ports. keep their
armies intact and refuse to consider
peace, Bulgaria, Turkey and Austria
will desert Germany and Teutonic op-
position will win the war hands
down. That was the assertion made
today by Reuben H. Markham, Wash
burn graduate and director of the
American Girls gymnasium, an edu-
cational institution, at Samokove, Bull
garia. Markham, in Topeka today at
the home of his father-in-law, ]. E.
Gall, 735 Horne street, after coming
direct from Bulgaria thru Austria,
asserted that the present drive is the
supreme and final effort of the CEN
trail powers.
The central powers" said Mark
ham, have been saving their men
and energy for this effort. At the
same time they have been winning and
the morale of the Austrian, Bulgarian,
Turkish and German people is high.
They are in fine spirits and brag about
what they are going to do. They all
want peace and think the great often
sive is going to win peace. Military
leaders of the central powers estimate
that victory this year will cost 1.OO0,-
900 and have told the public that by
the sacrifice of this many men victory
and peace may be obtained.
Public Is Deceived.
THE governments have told the
public that Germany is fighting for
her very life and existence. So strong
has this propaganda been that the
public believes it and thruout the CEN
trail powers every man, woman and
child has turned to the task of win
ming the war"
DO you think" Markham was
asked, that the spirit in the central
powers is as high as in American"
Markham smiled. This country"
he said, shows no spirit over here
1 see everywhere men of military age
powers there are no young men at the
theaters, on the streets, in the field.
If anyone sees young man in civilian
clothes, a complaint is made and some
one says, Why is he at home in civ
ilian clothes while our sons and faith
ers and brothers are dying at the
front?'
No. I would not say say the man
power of our enemies is dwindling.
Every man, young and old is at the
ing we'll fed. well clothed. Why. the
Prussian horse in war time receives
more care than the average peasant in
peace time. / have seen German SOL
diers run Bulgarian men and their
wives out of their bedrooms in order
to have place to put horse.
over there everything tastes ano
looks like war. One wears war, one
sleeps war ana one nNeS ana WORKS
war. Everywhere you see women in
the fields, in the streets, in the stores,
in the trains working that the men
may fight All is one great war ma
chine.
THE people are going about this
willingly with little complaint because
they appear to be winning and victory
this year has been promised them.
They are straining every nerve that
they may have the promised peace
this year"
And when the drive fails?"
when the drive fails, the morale
of the people will crash. Bulgaria will
quit. Austria and Turkey will desert
Germany if the allies keep their ar
mics intact and refuse to talk peace
by the rainy season. August.
Germany is driving for the channel
ports. With these ports in her pos
session and Paris fallen, Germany
would have attained more conquest
than she ever dreamed of. Germany
would be on the road to victory against
all the world.
And, for my part and every one
should see it, 1 would rather see the
Huns take Paris than Nieuport. Bou-
logne or Calais, the French channel
ports. The fall of Paris would be lit
tie more than a blow to French NOR
ale. The fall of the channel ports
would be far more serious. as they
would cut communication of the allied
tent that 400 per cent more ships
would be needed. Everything for the
allies seems to now depend upon more
ships.
Must Hold Ports.
IF the allies can retain these chan
mel ports they have won the day. If
they lose them, there will be nothing
else to do but stick it out in a long
hard grind. This will be up to Great
Britain and the United States. Britain
is now the backbone of the allies.
Britain is making sacrifices to her ut
most to keep up the French morale
which she realizes is a dangerous
thing. The French people are senti-
mental and might go to pieces, Great
| Britain never. Great Britain is Civ
| ing more food to the French than she
same thing with the Italians, people
| like the French.
There are dark days ahead. Ger
many and her allies think they can
| lose 10000 men a month and win in
three months. That is their plan, and
their great military machine is grind
| ing like clockwork. That machine
must be held and the allied armies
kept intact. The headline in the news
papers the other day said the drive
was com oletely checked. 1t wasn't
checked. They took Mont KENNEL
after twentyfour hours fighting, and
] the great stronghold must have been
defended by 100000 men. 1t is SIM
ply a case of the central powers saw
ing and working into shape every
ounce of energy they possessed and
turning it loose in supreme final ef-
| fort.
published, it remains right now that