The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1918-09-05

inquire why, if defeat is 50 certain
does not the German army sur
render. Why do not the German
leaders, seeing the handwriting
on the wall, give in?
These men are among the most
able military men Of Europe.
Without heart, without honor,
| without conscience, without NOR
ais, they most certainly are. But
able military men, keen students,
thorough tacticians and able
strategists, we must, in fairness,
to ourselves, acknowledge, lest we
fall into q trap which they would
only be too glad to prepare the
trap Of undertaking their ability.
We have done it before. They
would rejoice if we hould do so
again.
This being ue-and no mill
tary man will deny it-why do not
these very able minds see the in
evitable and yield to it before
they cause the destruction of the
entire German race? It can only
be because they either hope to OBJ
tain a compromise peace or,
which is the same thing, a Ger
man peace, or hope that, through
q retreat, they will gain accre-
tions to their forces both in rela-
tive and actual numbers. BY fall
ing back to a shorter line they
will, of course, increase the num-
Der of men per mile of line avail
able for defense. The shortest
line they can take-behind the
Mouse, through the French and
Belgian Ardennes, through Lux
emburg and down over the heights
of Lorraine and along the Vosges
Mountains-would be very much
shorter line than that which they
| now hold, shorter by about 10
miles. This would be a clear gain
OF three quarters Of a million
men.
The increase in the defensive
strength of the positions along
this line, moreover, would prac-
tically add many more men than
this. But Americas forces in the
field already offsets this gain, it
might be said, and by next year
will be vastly superior. This is
fortunately true. But is this all
Germany can expect? Is this
shortening the only accretion to
her strength which she can OBJ
tain in another year?
There can be no doubt that such
a retreat as has been indicated
will greatly delay any allied Of
fensive, due to the tremendous
burden of transporting the need
ed quantity of supplies, artillery
and she'll to the new front, the es-
tablishment Of new bases, and
providing the thousand and one
items Of machinery, mechanics
and equipment which a modern
army demands. What will Ger
many be doing during the days
that must elapse before the al
lies can deliver the next blow?
This delay will be serious, we may
be sure.
Germany may. retire to the old
v1indenburg line and wait there
until spring And when we are all
set and ready for the blow she
may repeat her strategy of 1917
and retire again before we can
strike. This will give more time.
RUSSIA THE KEY TO VICTORY
What will happen in the mean
time? The probabilities are that
the answer can be found in Rus
STA.
Two arguments are advanced a.
gainst this conclusion. The first
is that when this stage of the war
has been reached the German peo-
pie will have become aware Of the
fact that their leaders have de-
ceived them, that all their talk of
victory was made up. Of lies, that
defeat stares them in the face,
and that, as consequence, they
will overthrow the leaders whose
dupes they have been.
But who is there that will take
the ground that our military prep
arations,that our hopes of win
ming the war, should be based on
q German revolution? We have
no right to assume that such will
be the case. Whether the war ends
through revolution or not, we
must prepare to win it by force
OF arms. Any other course weuld
be treason to our people and to
our allies. Foment a revolution,
| Of course. If It can ho dnno hv