Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1918-10-23
EDITORIAL
THE WORLD WAR.

Inc status of the world war may be
summed up in one sentence: Ger
many's plight is desperate
Germany as leader of the eastern
allies, sought to trap the entente as
she trapped poor Russia. Finding
that her spring offensive has been
completely frustrated during its
height she boosted of what she would
do in the way of conquest and indem-
nities) and that her dreams of wealth
and power have been rudely shatter-
ed by the stubborn opposition, she
again turned to her other arm and
held forth wretched olive twig.
The twig has not been accepted.
Wise observers on the western side
pointed out the grave danger of a
false and premature peace with the
Teutons. 1t seems that their counsel
has been needed. Germany's only
chance is that she make complete
restitution for the wrongs she has
committed. These wrongs not only
include those committed in this war
butHstretch back through fifty years,
aye almost a century. First of all
Germany must give up Alsace-Lor-
raine. This means she loses the coal
and iron deposits in that region and
automatically she is deprived of her
greatest weapon for future harm.
Without iron and coal she cannot
build up military system and must
pursue her natural bent-industry
and agriculture.
A glance at south Europe shows
that Austria which is really a sub
sidiary of Germany, must be divided
The Czechs or Bohemians, without
doubt one of the keenest and most
practical peoples on the globe, high
ly capable Of self-government and a
race thoroughly able to see through
Germany's schemes and resist them,
will form an independent democracy.
This is one of the most certain events
of the near future. The Czechs have
been deluded neither by Pan-Ger-
manism nor the mouthings of the Boil
sheviki. They are the sane, cultur-
ed and easily the leading race of the
thirty or SO in the dual empire. AS
their numbers are immense they can
and will form a strong republic with
little backing from us. This back
ing they are getting in plenty through
President Wilson's strong stand on
their behalf.
With Austria broken up Germany's
door to the east is closed and her
scheme of Middle-Europe is shatter-
ed. Germany is thus left alone to
the north. AS further penance she
must surrender the Russian territory
she has retained since Brest Litovsk.
Her eastern frontier wil4v-tOuela-- that.
OF united Poland. To the north her
boundaries will be as before To the
west there is strong chance that
she must give up Schleswig-Holstein
provinces taken from Denmark in
1867 and mourned by that nation
since then. The final result can only
be Teutonic nation stripped of its
false and outrageous pretensions to
world domination A nation strong
industrially, scientifically and in ag-
riculture. A nation protected from
encroachment by league of nations
to preserve world peace. This is
Germany's best outlook
The worst that may happen to her
is stubborn resistance on her part
and prolonged war. If the war is
carried beyond her frontiers as it
will inevitably be should she resist
to next year, Germany will see her
cities, one by one, vanish in smoke.
Allied aeroplanes in myriad swarms
will bomb the industrial towns meas
ure for measure for what Germany
did to England and France for four
years. Allied armies will break the
Rhine defenses just as they broke the
Hindenberg line. The plains of Ger
many lie beyond these defenses MAX
ing march across the empire mat
ter of ease.
Germany is evidently unrepentent
but badly frightened Her retreat is
we'll carried out and her resistance
stubborn. Her losses are great and
her home morale low She is only
making bad case worse by holding
out further.
The allies did not fight four years
against great odds for nothing. Amer
lea did not send three million boys
across and spend thirty billions of
dollars to give Germany an easy
peace when she got ready for it.