Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1918-05-24
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3
There Is ground for hope that the
7 announcement Of an agreement among
y the opponentssof Germany on limited
{ program OF intervention in the far east
will result in an offensive campaign to
save not only Siberia but Russia 1t
self from German domination.
Japan and China have large and
we'll trained armies which could be
self-supporting in a campaign In the
east while the American and allied
armies fought Germany on the west
Such a war would compensate for the
4 military collapse of Russia and might
bring that nation to its senses and to
3 revival of the military spirit which
carried Russian armies into the enc
my's territory in 1914.
AS prospects for the defeat OF Ger
many In the west have been growing
brighter, the kaiser's grip on the east
has been increasing rapidly Here in
America this has not received so much
attention as in England, to judge from
the attitude the British press has
maintained for months with regard to
the. subject. And yet, the London
Times quotes President Wilson in an
l editorial reference to the risk the
allies are taking as long as they delay
actual Intervention on large scale.
The article in The Times says in part:
A Nearly year ago President
Wilson denounced the German
scheme of world-conquest and de-
clared that it proposed to throw
belt of German military power
and political control across the
very center of Europe, and beyond
the Mediterranean into the heart
OF Asia" Six months ago he re-
turned to the subject. and bade his
hearers look upon the map and
note that Germany had absolute
control Of Austria.H Hungary, prac-
tical control Of the Balkan states,
control Of Turkey control Of Asia
Minor" That was long before the
Brest treaties, and before she had
vs.: shown her hand 80 plainly as she
has since shown 1t in the $4,000
square miles-an area equal to
the whole Of her own territory
and that of Austria Hungary
which she has successfully de-
tached from the Russian pos
sessions. Yet even in November
Mr.. Wilson saw that IL she could
retain what she had then acquired
In the east she would have won
Y the war, whatever terms she made
IN the west. Her rulers would
promised that force would gain
s for her, Their credit, and with
their credit their political power,
would be established more firmly
than ever. The progress of Ger.
man arms in the east, the treaties
she has forced upon Russia and
upon 4he vassal states she has
carved out of Russia and the inter.
probation she has placed upon
these scraps Of paper" as her
plans develop, confirm, the presi-
dents warnings and make them
more Impressive. The allies can.
not disinterest themselves in the
future Of Russia, even II they
would. The independence of SO
great people as hers is Euro
pean interest, and even a world
interest, as Mr.. Wilson perceives.
They are passing through heavy
trials, and the prospect before
& them seems dark; yet the trials
ore not heavier or the prospect
NArker than those from which 9th.
or great nations have emerged, in.
vigorated and purified, to resume
their rightful place in the world.
This, of course, was published be-
fore the decision OF the allies was an.
nounced in favor Of active resistance
by Japan and China to Germany's pro-
gram Of conquest in the east. The de-
tails and extent Of the proposed cam.
pAign cannot be revealed now, OF
course. but 1t is to be hoped that no
suspicious nor lack of trust will impel
the entente nations or our own gov.
eminent to dissuade the oriental
armies from making and realizing an
(a00resSiYa far.rea ching warfare