New-York tribune., 1918-06-14
Terrific Losses
In Battle Shake
German Morale
People at Home Discou-
ragged by Failure to Win
Decisive Victory
The Ne,O York Tribune
Fore;or rress Bureau


The terrific German losses in the re-
cent fighting on the Western front
have caused encouragement among the
German people and many bitter COM
ments on the events of the day. This
disappointment, due to the failure Of
the promises of the German military
leaders to bring decisive victory, also
is apparent in the Reich hstag. The mill
tary critic of the Krupp organ of Ber-
lin, the "Vossische Zcitung," tries to
combat the growing feeling of alarm
in Germany in an illustrative article.
ut is remarkable in this war;" writes
Won Salzman, chow often the tension
of the nerves Of large part of the
German public produces hallucinations.
In Berlin people have been saying quite
openly to cne another everywhere: 'In
the Reichstag they say our losses were
enormous. In the Reichstag they say
our offensive has run aground. In
the Reichstag they say the enemy is
much stronger than the highest COM
mand assumed at the beginning of the
offensive. In the Reichstag they say
we had no horses at all left, and there
fore were unable to continue the often
sive. In the Reichstag they say the
entire territory around Yprcs is great
lake, and therefore impossible. In the
Reichstag they say all the land be-
tween Amiens and Paris is mined and
would be blown up There is much
more which is said to have been said
'in the Reichstag' and which is being
credited.
People Losing Nerve.
"People have begun to lose their
nerve. One asks Why? How is this ?
One strains ones mind and cannot
understand it. The War Minister, in
answer to a question in the Reichstag,
said this: of course, heavy losses are
unavoidable in such q battle. They
we're very heavy at one part of the
front; in many regiments two-thirds of
"A story is being told of certain
Deputy that in connection with this he
said to his electors in northeast Ger
man town: The War Minister has pub
licly stated our losses are so heavy the
offensive must be abandoned.' This is
what they say of the Reichstag in
Berlin.
GLOW comes it that whenever a lull
occurs in the fighting it is always said,
on the authority of the Deputies, that
they have spread the most unbelievable
rumors? Something must be wrong
somewhere. Let these gentlemen think
what responsibility they have to the
Fatherland and the morale of the whole
nation--they whose first duty it is to
maintain it. 1t is very easy to criticise.
1t is more difficult to take up a fearless
attitude in regard to making improve
ments.
Urges Firm Confidence
Facts always prove. The events
which represent facts have happened.
Is the capture of Mount KENNEL not a
fact? Is our offensive halted? I think
we have no reason to hang our heads
and to look gloomily upon the future
1t is time to take q little more conf
dence into our hearts. If man can
not hold his teeth firmly closed he
ought at least resist the temptation of
opening his lips and weakening the will
of others by his foolish talk. This is
no time to whine.
zone must not allow himself to be
frightened by old women's tales Is
there anything the German soldier is
ever unable to do? The man in the
steel helmet can do everything. Of
this there is no doubt. He has proved
himself superior to the opponent wher-
ever he has met him, and has moved
the world out of it's hinges. We shall
see even greater things done by our
countrymen over there