The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1918-07-03

the seeming lOWnees OF the earth, all
gave me the same feeling as does
low, marshy, wooded swamp encircled
| by highlands-sOme gruesome, noX-
ious place, inhabited by strange crea-
lures who live and have their being
Huns Far From Victory.
No nation ever won so many vic.
tories as has Germany during this
war, and no nation was ever farther
from final victory: First. there was
the victory over Belgium-a nation,
completely crushed her railroads, her
seaports, her towns and cities. her
farm lands, all in possession Of Ger
many. Surely, a great victory, and
how the German populace thrived on
it. Then the drive through France to
the gates of Paris. and the almost
complete annihilation of the first Bri-
tish army. -.
Then came the utter destruction of
a Russion army of 240.000-not a
single unit of the army was ever
assembled again. What food for the
German populace! Followed the COL
lapse of the British efforts at the Dar-
danelles with a loss of 100000 men.
Victory sufficient to keep the German
pulse above normal for season. Next
they drove the Russians sheer three
hundred and fifty miles eastward and
captured Warsaw after which they
cleaned up Serbia and Roumania. Even
though hunger began to pinch. nourish-
ment that could not be supplied with
food was furnished by the glory Of VIC
tories. The destruction of Macedonia
and Albania and the hope of an alli-
ance with Greece furnished additional
substitutes for food.
Germany's people were demanding
food, either by victory or peace. Fail
ing a decisive, military victory over
Russia, Germany ;resOrted to bribery
of officials and propaganda among the
| socialists, and for season the Ger
man people forgot their hunger. The
offensive against the Italians bridged
over, another short period of foodless
days. During all these months. Ger
many reverberated with victories-all
Of them foOdless.
Not much longer will the German
people endure famine. They are un-
der.fed and under-nourished. The
slow, steady spread of hunger-typhus
is reaching dimensions that can no
.
know the suffering Of their wives and
children at home. To relieve them,
they are fighting like tigers. for they
have been told that the capture of
| Amiens and Ypres and the channel
ports will bring peace-and food. 1t
/ is Germans final fight for food. That's
what the present offensive means. Yet
even were they to succeed in their
objective the ultimate situation would
not be altered. ~ -. gu,
Victories without lpeace. victories
without food, have befome stale things
| for the German napulace. No victory
has come to the point where the war
will be won and lost. a. -
Comparing Losses.
The allies have suffered all these
defeats, and today the morale and
spirit of her people is an hundred
per cent better than Germany's with
all her victories. And the allied fight
ing forces are daily increasing while
Germany's are daily decreasing. Am
erican troops already in France no
doubt more than. make up the total
British losses. 1t is estimated that
the German losses this spring will
more than offset the addition Of their
1918 recruits.
This is the hope for peace. this
year: They will fail to crush the
FranceJBritish army in the present
offensive, and Germany may, fearing
the new forces arriving rapidly from
America, offer such terms of peace as
can be accepted. There can be little
doubt that the Austrian emperor's
suggestion to France about Alsace-LOr-
raine. made soon after our entrance
into the war, was made with the advice
and consent Of Germany.
1t was a feeler. made in the hopes
that France would quit fighting If she
could get back her lost provinces.
That France refused is to her ever
lasting glory. II Germany was ready
year ago to give up Alsace-Lorraine
for peace, she is more ready for peace
now that her U-boat campaign has
failed and America is in the war. That
these provinces is one of the big is
sues there is no doubt. but it is by no
means the only issue. Lloyd George
once said there could be no peace
until Germany learned to pronounce
without stammering the word "restitu-
tion." She must also learn to speak
with emphasis the word "disarma-
ment!"
Allied Armies Increase.
AS Germany failed to crush the Bri-
tish army as it stood in Picary and
Flanders on March 21st. the beginning
of the drive, she certainly cannot
crush it now. for across the channel
have come a host Of fighting men. 1t
was announced in the British parlia-
ment the other day that never before
had so many men crossed the channel
in so short time. In addition there
have gone in behind the British,
French and American forces in vast
numbers.
Failing a German peace proposal
that can be accepted. England and
France will hold against the day when
Americas millions of fresh troops can
be sent against the war-worn Germans.
And then the end.
Most remarkable. and in sharp con-
trast with reported conditions in Ger
many, is the attitude Of the French
people. Many steps have been taken
for the conservation of food since l
came to France, but there is no hun
ger. Everyone is well nourished. The
spirit of the people is miraculous. The
destruction Of towns and cities. air
plane raids, long distance guns, hOspi-