The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-02-02


really serious nature are taking place
in Germany is now manifest to all.
Just how serious the situation may be-
come, time only will reveal.
Last week, before trouble on any
considerable scale had been reported
in the press dispatches, I expressed a
belief that the German authorities
were confronted by real danger. one
that might ultimately develop into
actual revolt, and that the reported
vast preparations for an offensive
against the French front had been
prompted by desire to force mill
tary decision before the mailed fist
should be palsied by a collapse of the
body of civil organization behind it.
The events of another week have
tended quite forcibly to vindicate that
belief.
It will not do. however, to draw
over-hasty conclusions from what has
appeared in the press dispatches of
the past few days. OF course, Ger
many may be on the verge of revolu-
ton, but it is much more probable
that the issues involved in the strikes
may be settled by compromise, or the
strikers coerced by the military and
the crisis averted for the time being.
Anything may happen when society
is in a state of unstable equilibrium
such as exists in all of the nations of
Europe today. But, so far, there is
ton has begun in the kaisers domin-
ions 1t is certain, however, that the
seed of revolt has been planted in the
hearts of the German masses by the
Russian revolution. That seed has
been well watered by the peace
negotiations at Brest-Litovsk and by
the statements of war aims on the
part of England and America. 1t may
be a long time before the day of
harvest, but that day is surely coming
unless the imperial government can
force a spectacular victory over the
main forces of the allies and thus re-
new among the people lively hope
of ultimate triumph, coupled with
conquests and indemnities that would
lift the crushing burden of immense
war debts from the shoulders of the
German workers.
The reported massing upon the
western front of practically all of Hin
denburg's reserves probably is the first
step in desperate attempt to force
Just such a triumph. A tremendous
drive against the allied front in the
west might be partially or even wholly
successful, but no one knows better
than the German high command that
a repetition of what happened at YER
dun is far more probable.
Another defeat like that at Verdun
would almost certainly precipitate an
internal crisis from which the govern
ment could hope to extricate itself by
little short of a miracle. Why should
the German commanders risk such
dubious and fateful undertaking if
they could safely assume the defen-
sive and let the allies year themselves
out assailing their powerful line of
defenses. unless internal conditions
were such that she dare not postpone
the final decision? Apparently the
Teutonic rulers feel that German mo-
rale would not hold up under a con-
slant and tremendous hammering of
their front by the allies, especially
when that hammering shall have been
made doubly intense and destructive
by the arrival of America as military
| factor in the spring of 1919.
There is, of course, a possibility
that the German threat of a vast Of
fensive on the western front is only a
deceived the war departments of the
allied governments. If such be the
case what is the motive behind it? 1t
seems hardly possible that the astute
intelligent departments of the allies
could be mistaken as to the maSSing
of immense German reserves along the
western line. Such a massing of troops
| in France and Belgium could hardly
be for the purpose of making feint to
deceive the allies while the Germans
are preparing to strike elsewhere. The
transfer of large bodies of troops is
| a tremendous undertaking and re-
| quires much more time even in Ger
many than is commonly supposed. If