Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-02-15
A Time for Courage and Faith.


While it is important for the American people
to realize the serious import of the recent turn
OF events in eastern Europe, it is equally i'm
portant for them TO understand that it is fully
within the power of their nation, together with
their Allies TO overcome such advantages as Ger
many may derive from the present situation and
to press their to complete and glorious vic
tory Pessimists there who see only the German
side Of the shield. They picture the massing
on the Western front, of a million and half or
two million additional Huns. released war pris-
oners from Russia. They : their minds
frenzied eye vast avalanches of Hohenzollern
troops descending upon Italy and upon France as
well, burying the entire Allied force beneath
them, or else sweeping it straight into the At
lantic ocean. They see, too, measureless quanti-
ties of foodstuns pouring into Germany from the
newly established Ukraine republic, which COM
prises what were Russa's richest agricultural
lands and which has made separate peace with
the Central Powers. This, they tell u.s. solves
Germanys food problem once for all, and so
makes her defeat a task of many more long years,
IL indeed it be accomplished.
GIoom-gatherers of this type less harmful
than the rosy-visioned patriot who takes the sit
uation so lightly as never to mind about saving
food or buying Thrift Stamps or looking grim
facts in the face. Better aIarmist who cries
for harder fighting and higher devotion than
optimist blind the crucial needs and duties of
the hour. But the really serviceable patriotism,
1.-The sort that is producing results today and that
Eventually will win the war, recognizes the dan
gers that throng ahead, without failing to
see beyond them the certain victory that awaits
an unrestfng and unflfnching prosecution of our
Just what effect is Russias quitting the fight
likely to have on the military status in the West?
Any answer, of course, is largely conjectural but
no careful consideration will support the opinion
! that million and half or two million additional
Huns will be made available for the Kaiser's ex-
pected drive. AS competent military observers at
Washington point out, the great majority of the
Teuton prisoners held by Russia Austrians,
only small contingents of German troops having
been CAPTURED on the Eastern front. We may
waive for the time being the doubts, though they
are serious doubts. of large numbers of Austrian
soldiers being sent against the Franco-British-
American lines Grant that a full million Aus
tro-Hungarian prisoners released from the
Russian camps, where they have Jared for long
months-many of them for years-as pris-
oners do in a half-famished land. Are we to sup
pose that all these, or the major portion of them,
can be thrown into the impending battle far away
in the West? They could be used for industrial
il not military needs, it is true. But Germany
has depended largely her hordes of captured
Russians for labor. that in wholesale ex
change Of prisoners she would gain in this respect
little nothing.
As for the Ukrainian food resources, now sup
posed to be available to the Central Powers, it
should be noted that in that region, in nearly
all of Russia, transportation facilities for the
most part out and altogether inefficient.
What proved a fatal Russian weakness in military
operations will prove a heavy German handicap in
getting out such food supplies as Ukrania affords
Authorities point out, moreover, that the best
wheat regions which may be opened to Germany
are in a remote section of the Ukraine and are in
such poor condition that the agricultural system
may have to be made over" There is no denying
that in gaining access to this territory Germany
has substantially improved her economic position
and thereby has rendered more arduous the work
ahead of the Allies. But it is equally apparent
that this Will not her food problem rapidly
or so thoroughly as materially affect the events
of the next four FIVE critical months.
But granting the utmost advantage that the
Huns themselves could claim from the Eastern
situation granting that it will not be necessary
90 keep even corporaPs guard the long frontier
of ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Russia, granting that mil
lion or more troops can be added to the Kaiser's
forces in the West and that vast stores of food
will pour into him from Ukrainian granaries,
granting what is improbable if not, indeed, impOs-
sibIe what does it all mean to who fight
ing for justice and freedom? That shall grow
faint of heart, and hear to a peace that would
leave brutal Prussianism dominant? That may do
for the disciples of Lenine and TrOtzky, but 1t
will not do for Americans 1t viii not do for the
English and the French II will not do for valiant
Italy and Rumania, for any of our heroic
Allies. To every fresh German onset there can
be but one answer steeling of wills, a
doubling of our blows. This is hour for pes
simism. but fOr the high courage and faith that
have lighted this republic through its darkest
nights and for the answering purpose that has
steered 81 through the widest storms