The Fargo forum and daily republican., 1918-01-19

W4eShGQ at LLlB hdEIGt LudI bluChSA
at Ypres and the User, and that
smashed before Verdun-there is to
be added a fourth, intended. like the
preceding assaults. to obtain a deci-
sion, TO win the war.
Today the discussion Is no longer
whether Germany win attack or not,
but about the when and the where
Of her attack. We may trace the
military development by the politi-
cal. Germans second great peace
offensive, so far as the western ma
tiOns are concerned, has failed. So
also has the attempt to put Italy
out of the war. For the time being
Italy stands firm; the Austro- Ger
man advance In VenetIa has been
halted after great but by no means
decisive successes. Only in Russia
has Germany been wholly success
full; the Slav state, despite all it's
protests, respite all the threats of
the Bolshiviki, cannot and will not
become a military factor again for
the current year and will probably
sign separate peace within a few
weeks,
At the outset of the Brest- -Idtovsk
negotiations the Germans sought to
use the BOlshivllLi as their agents in
ed peace. They failed because the
Bolshevih stood firm just long
enough to disclose that under the
guise of mo annexations and no in
IDENTITIES" Germany was planning to
seize 10000 square miles of Rus
sian territory and 20.000,O00 OF peo-
pie, When these facts were disclos-
ed Lloyd George and President Will
son took prompt advantage of the
diplomatic opportunity and set forth
to their own publics the terms of
tho Allies, which the British. French
and American publios were able at
once to contrast with the German
terms. The result was an immediate
change in the sentiment of the three
allied nations and their determine
ton to continue the war. Liberal eIe-
ments in all three nations, which had
been deluded by the language used
by the Germans and had begun to
believe Germany had at last chang
ed her war aims and was ready to
mako an honest peace, saw that thew
had been tricked, and with the per-
ceptton the peace sentiment in allied
countries disappeared,
Meantime in Germany a similar
change had taken place. In the sum-
meT, when German protests were far
from brilliant, there had been an
unmistakahle agitation for a peace
which should be based upon the sur
render Of the more extreme of Ger
man aims. But with the coIlapse of
Russia and the defeat Of Italy the
extremists regained the supremacy!
the war party, which seeks great
annexations and huge indemnities.
regatned its control, Hungary as she
Is, dislllusioned as the millions of
German people are, they are still
sutlclently encouraged by the change
IN the appearance Of things to be-
willing to risk another CAMPAIGN
with the hope that 1t will give them
the victory which would save Ger
many by imposing huge indemnities
upon the enemy and acquiring for
Germany a new era of Industrial ak
pansion.
The consequences Of these two
revolutions in public sentiment are
manifest. On the allied side there
has been rededic2ti0n Of the ma
tions through their people to a war
Tor victory. The liberal and demo-
cratic elements, so ready to talk
peace terms a few weeks ago. when
they believed that a similarly wide
spread and sincere sentiment was
olScoNeFaDIe in Germany. have
abandoned such a view in the face
or German manoeUVres at Brest-
Llt0Vsk, In Germany victory in Italv
ana the ruin Of Russia have similarly
put the situation in the hands OF
nose who believe in a fight to a
finish,
Thus, after three and a half wears
of war the great antagonists face
each other in something the same
as in August, 1914. Nothing is de-
clded. because the German has not
been beaten absolutely or worn
down by the struggle sufficiently to
be willing to abandon his Erandiose
plan for world supremacy. With ali
due allowances for changes incident
TO the great prolongation Of the con-