Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1918-07-18

aid in liberating them. hut we ought TO
recognize that in freeing them we are
not engaged upon Il %quiNotic mission,
but in erecting barriers against our
common enemy. For 300 years and
more the Serbs fought the Turk along
the anube and broke the weight of his
thrust and thus contributed greatly to
the salvation of Europe. Poland like
wise saved Europe against Turk and
Ieuton. Both races have a new mis-
sion in the new order that is to come.
but 1T is essential that the American
people should understand that the mis-
sion is one of vital Importance to them,
That 1t Is a necessary part of the in
surance we are going to take out
gains a repetition of the great
tragedy OF the world war.
Not Talking Time.
We have got a new German offensive
TO meet n break and it is die to talk
about peace terms and peace negotia-
lions while the German is less than so
miles from Paris and gathering his
legions for a new thrust toward the
Seine or the channel. We are not Out
OF the area of military dangers yet.
n TO discuss peace terms is to fall
INTO Il German trap. as we have fallen
before. But it is getting close to the
time when the German will have to win
MS military decision or so back to his
second line, and his second line is di-
plomacy. And we ave got TO be ready
for him there, for we can lose the war
there just as easily as on the battle
field. and it will be harder to win back,
once we have lost it in this fashion.
In the German mind a u cam
fighting chances diminish he turns
more and more eagerly to the second
arm. When we talk about peace. we
allies, it is with the thought of ending
the conflict, but with the German it is
merely the effort to use Il desire for
peace among his enemies as II means
of winning something he has not won
by the sword o. perceives he cannot
hold by the sword if the battle goes to
its logical conclusion.
Unless all signs fail, the German is
getting ready for u new peace often
sive. IL will be the most dangerous of
all. because with everything at stake
present military offensive. then he will
lose the war. IL it succeeds he will win
the war. wen If he never gets another
mile nearer to Paris and ultimately
s%urrenders Metz and Strassburg.
No German peace proposal will be a
real peace proposal, Il proffer of.peace
on reasonable or possible terms, while
the German army is unconquered, be-
cause all peace proposals will be con
trolled by those who control the Ger
man army. Therefore all proposals
must be met as attacks by the enemy,
not as anything else. The way to peace
remains through military victory, and
before we can hope for victory we must
repulse first Inc German military at
tack. which is now going forward, and
the German peace offensive, which
is preparing.
The German military. offensive must
be beaten in the west. Ludendorff has
temporarily made "westerners" of us
all, but the peace offensive will be in
the east. and when it opens there we,
too, must become "~easterners," for the
decision of the war will be based on
permanent subjugation or complete
liberation of eastern lands and races
from the German yoke. Victory on the
Marine, the Seine and the Somme must
be turned to account on the Vistula,
the Danube and the Golden Horn.
These are The issues of the war. the
tests of real victory or of actual failure
on u part and on the part OF our all
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