Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1918-10-31
BY FRANK 4. slMoNps.

les. the armies of all the nations tight
ing Germany. have been marching
from victory to victory. Since Ma
poleon was defeated at Leipsic. a CEN
fury ago. there has been no such
amazing transformation in military
history as we have seen in something
less than 100 days.
AS a consequence of military events
and the resulting peace offensives,
both Austrian and German. there has
developed everywhere, but particular
~ in this country. where there has
been no such series of disappointments
as have tempered European optimism
in the last four years, IL quickly
mounting conviction that the war is
rapidly coming to an end and that
the present will prove the last cam
paign.
One More Campaign.
On the face of the military situa-
ton as 1t o exists this belief seems
to me unwarranted. and 1 purpose in
this article to lay stress upon the mill
tary reasons why it seems inevitable,
on the oasis of things rs they now APP
pear. that there will be one more cam
paign. and a campaign Iikely~to make
a supreme demand alike upon the hui
a h material and the moral re-
sources OF the nations ut war.
1t Is we'll to recognize at the outset
That there exists Il remote but still
latent chance hat the German armies
nay In the W. or three weeks left
defeated. meet a colossal Waterloo or
defeated, meet q colossal Waterloo or
sedan. Marshal Foch is unquestion-
IDLY striving for a decisive victory. q
'~vin-the-war Success. exactly like that
fought by LuIendorH In the opening
<nonths OF thu campaign. Under the
terrific pressure which is being ex-
erted German military strength may
collapse at any moment. but l do not
believe there IL one change in so of
such a collapse. given the practical
certainty that within three weeks the
weather conditions will place a final
veto on further general offensive
movements. II we had two months. or
three. then tho chances would be even,
but we have. perhaps. no more than a
fortnight.
In the same fashions political devel-
opments between November and March
may make further fighting uEneces-
sary. ny may surrender; she
may offer this same proposals which
have been accepted from Bulgaria. and
h may be freed to offer such terms
because of iAtcrnal conditions, con-
corning which we are al best only in
perfectly infurmed. Again. it seems
out of the reckoning. but not quite, and
OF course. IL Germany s%urrcnders there
will DO no moro fighting.
But we nave to face the situation
which we have deliberately created.
As a nation We have said, and we have
meant, that short of a German sur
render we will not make peace with
Germany: We have clearly demon
0trnted that we mean to continue the
battle until N capacity of the Ger
man army for resistance is exhausted,
until the German people are compelled
to recognize that the doctrine Of force
invoked by them at the outset is al
together falsI that their army canno
conquer the world. that 1t is not even
strong enough to defend Germany her.
self against the collective strength Of
aroused civilization.
This meana. IL 1t means anything,
that short of the destruction Of Ger
man military power by a victorious
battle. or series Of battles, peace can
only be attained by the unconditional
surrender OF he German people to the
Will OF the nations which arc now at
war with them. q complete reSignation
o. all power to resist, an nlualified
consent to accept when theil; armies
nave been dcmobilized and their con-
quered provinces evacuated, the de-
cistonS OF their enemies in thu matter
OF tho payment for past crimes and
the gunra1tees for the future safety
OF the world.
IN sum. Germany must reign not
merely her grandiose dreams OF Mittel-
europa. not merely her domination of
Russia. still continuing, but she must
resign In the world. for tho present.
that position which has been created
!py O long series Of aggressive wars and
2 enabled sher from the Treaty Of
to thai OF B~rest-Likovsk to
dominate European counsels. She must
ARA fhA AAAAnWNAA MSaA~x 80.