The Goldfield news and weekly tribune. [volume] (Goldfield, Nev.) 1911-1947, 1918-10-05
THE GREAT PEACE DRIVE

New York Commercial: Germany cannot hold the line
from the North sea to the Swiss frontier near Belfort Wheh
the Huns bring mp reserves to check a drive at one point they
have to leave other sectors without sufficient support, while
Marshal Foch can strike whenever he chooses without weak
enng his line at other points. The enemy has shown skill In
retreats and has escaped disastrous losses, but has neverthe-
less suffered severely. The fall of st. MihieI proves Ger
manys lack of reserves. This important salient would never
have been surrendered if sufficient troops for its defense
could have been spared.
Two other points in the line held by Germany will be
watched with intense interest by those who closely follow the
strategy of this campaign. AT Lens and north of Rheims the
Huns have maintained their positions though the line between
these places has wavered backward and forward for four
years. AT and behind Lens lie the best coal fields in France.
North and east of Rheims lie rich agricultural territory and
the great iron mines. These coal and iron deposits Germany
intends to hold and exploit, and their loss would deprive her
of the raw materials for continuing the struggle.
If Germany loses these coal and iron mines it will be be-
cause her man7power is no longer sufficient for defense. AS
she loses, France gains the coal and iron upon which the out
come depends. With this coal and iron in French hands less
would be drawn from America and this would release ship
ping for other purposes. None knows this better than the
German high command. The late peace offensive, started in
Berlin, was easily understood.
If Germany cannot hold these spoils of war she will be
too weak to- hold the Rhine next year. The German people
have been encouraged by the fact that the war is being waged
on foreign soil, and it is probable that they will become panic
sticken when it comes home to them. If their armies cannot
defend the outposts which have been so strongly fortified,
they. with shattered morale, will do no better at the Rhine.
By offering to Belgium a separate peace, Germany con
fessed that the western line from the North sea to Switzerland
was TOO long for he. to defend. She feared to attempt to cross
the frontier between her territories and France because it
wa strongly fortified and she has failed to breach this line
il. four years of constant warfare. To get around the fortified
line she drove through Belgium in defiance of the treaty to
which she was a party. Now she wishes to use Belgium as a
buffer so that she can shorten her line to the dimensions it
covered before the war, and thus deprive the entente allies
the opportunity to strike through Belgium at the heart of the
Rhineland just as she struck at the heart of northern France
hy way of violated Belgium in August, 1914. These astounding
peace drives can be taken as nothing short of a confession of
defeat and desperate necessity for establishing a short line of
defense on the we'll fortified frontier of Asace-Lorraine.
Austrias offer to discuss terms of peace without binding
any of the parties concerned is evidently inspired by Berlin.
The Teutonic alliance is crumbling and Germany has reason
to fear a renewal of the war with Russia and a breakup of
Austria Hungary with Bohemia, an enemy country, lying be-
tween the two empires. America must present as firm Il
front to these peace drives as our soldiers show to the enemy
before Metz whose forts are now under the fire of our guns.
Germany and Austria Hungary can have peace at any
time, but not on terms dictated by them. They must sue for
peace and accept what is offered to them. Having submitted
their claims to worldwide domination to the arbitration of
1.-THE sword, they must abide by the decision now being rem
dered on the western front on the terms defined by Senator
Lodge in the United States senate a few weeks ago.