Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1918-10-25
GERMAN ARMY IN NO
DANGER OF COLLAPSE
PEACE BEFORE END OF YEAR
DEPENDS ON INTERVAL con-
OPTIONS N EMPIRE.

believes is more than possible, it will
be due not TO a decisive military de-
feat in the west, but to conditions
inside Germany which will make it
unsafe for the military autocracy to
continue the war longer, w. w. Jer-
name writes from Washington, d. c.,
to the Seattle Times.
This means, if it means anything
and in saying this the Times is
echoing high official opinion--that
there must be no letup of war activi-
ties in the United States. Just as we
put the Fourth Liberty Loan glo-
riously over the top so must we pro-
coed with all our other war work.
Any sign of a. letup will be taken by
Germany as meaning that we have
begun to slacken our efforts.
The problem at this stage, in other
words, is a problem in psychology.
AS long as the nation means business,
which is the mainstay of the allied
side, Germany will know that the
longer she waits the worse her con-
dition will be. That will hasten the
end.
And if the war is to be pushed far
Their than ever, the cost will be
greater than ever. The American
forces must be strengthened and sup
piled. More ships of all kinds must
be buiN-transports and war craft,
especially destroyers. The cold
months are at hand along the fight
ing front, and money must be ex-
pended with a free hand to insure
the comfort of the fighters and the
men in training who soon will be
fighters.
The American government is doing
its utmost, and doing it we'll. The
president, by his recent replies to
Germany and Austria, has added ire
mendously to his already great repu-
tatiOn. '9N pr "a ny ~
What he will say to Turkey will
be equally appropriate. His words
are unanswerable save by surrender
But these words must continue to be
supported by force. force to the ut
most, in the language of the Bait
more address. The application of this
force, as these dispatches limited last
Saturday, will bring peace. probably
before the winter is over, possibly
before it sets in.
But it will not be peace based ON
q military collapse, for nothing of that
kind is in sight, good as the military
situation is from the Allied stand
point. The German army, although
falling back along wide front, is
not demoraliZed; it is not mob,
but well-organized body, kept well
in hand by it's commanders, who are
showing military skill of high type
in their ability to avoid numerous
traps" set for them in one salient
after another.
The number of German effectives
has been reduced through casualties
and capture, and these losses cannot
be replaced; the German transporta-
ton system has been rudely shat
tered, and there has been a huge loss
of guns, ammunition and other sup
plies. But there are parts of nearly
200 divisions left, and if cold wealth
err gives time for reorganization, an
other efficient fighting force will
confront the Allies next spring.
1t would be physically possible for
such force to carry the war far into
1919 on purely defensive basis, and
that will be the program if peace
should fail.
Germany, however, has frankly adj
mitted defeat, and is trying to get
the best peace terms she can. The
throne is in danger, and the Kaiser
is more worried than anybody out
side his immediate confidence knows
His allies are falling away from him,
and unless he gives up promptly he
will be fighting alone.
1t is this thought that inspires the
belief here that the end of the war is |
in sight; that the kaiser will prefer
10 bear the ills he has rather than
1y to those he knows not of. If he
must yield eventually, why not now.
Why tempt fate by farther resist
ance?
What Ludendorf is trying to do Is
,ause of the influenza it's meetings