Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-09-21

ixed and the prccarious POSITIONS Oh
both Germany and Austria ana war
wearincss have combined to create a
real desire In both countries to quit
while the quitting liz good. 'Whether
the present drive is only preliminary 10
"A grand offensive In the spring or mas
been undertaken as n serious effort 70
force peace In the near cas-. Is not Yet
apparent. II In certain. however, that
Il is notice TO the Bulg,rs that they
| will be attacked next year unless they
sue for peace, and with bulgaria out
| OF IL Turkey would be isolated from the
central powers and eliminated as &C.
rious war factor. There is also this
Interpretation to be PIT upon the
Franco Serbian offensive; Germany ~
seeking to coax or force Bulgaria TO
send troops to the western front to help
Won Hindcnburg defend German terri
| tory, Mcnaced by an invasion by thr
troops Of her old O. rmy, Serbia, suoh
consent probably is forestalled. Czak
Ferdinand Is one of those royal cha,ac-
tiers who values his kingly lob above all
else.
The general advance OF the French
4
and it's purpose were analysed oy
American stiff officers to mean:
/. That the object of the tremendous
activity on this long forgotten front 's
no; the punishment Of Bulgaria or the
emancipation of smaller states, but the
isolation Of Turkey.
.. To enforce the maintenance by
Germany of large army to assist
A p,,I. Ill, Ia limo
5. To force Turkey to abandon the
greater part of her resistance to the
| British forces that have come up thru
! Asia Minor 10 threaten Turkey from
that side. This side, by the way, was
! thought to be most vulnerable after the
failure of the attack via the Oar
danelles.
In it's broader aspect the present
| fighting in Macedonia is perhaps the
next important development after the
exploits of the American field army at
| ST. Mihiel. That is the opinion of one
| OF the members of the stan whose
F., specially is the observation OF the war
as one unified plan to carry out the
declared purposes of President Wilson.
| This official said it was within the
! early probabilities that Turkey would
| throw ,p the sponge. This would be
forced the moment she was cut off
from the German line Of transporta-
ton. -
The Austro German peace moves are
generally accepted as cries OF distress
President Wilson could do no1ess than
reject them The brevity of his reply
and the promptEess with which that
reply was made, is approved by the
people of America and those OF the en-
tente nations 1t is predicted now that
having tested out President Wilson
and found him infleNible. the Germans
will, start an intensive propaganda TO
win the European allies away from, the
United States. Already there has been
an intimation of an effort in this d.
rection. Europe For the Europeans
will be the cry. and every possible
ruse will be adopted to create jealousy
lin the minds of the French, the Brit
ish and the Italians over the role
America is playing and intends to play
in the concluding chapters OF the great
war.
4 The Austrian note itself laid the
foundation for the spread OF the new
propaganda. It spoke in several places
Of the suffering European nations
and ignored entirely the mounting cas-
ualty lists of the American forces. For
a long while Germany tried to WIN
France away from Great Britain by
emphasizing the French losses and be-
lifting Englands effort. Something OF
the same sort will now be tried at the
expense Of America. If the German
statesmen had attempted their peace
program before they made their last
desperate effort for a military victory
it would have had a far greater chance
for success 1t was the German drive
last spring that really made America
awake. The rate at which we were
sending troops to FraDce up to the list
Of last March was frankly disappoinl-
ing to the British and French. IL
looked as il we had not Grasped the
immensely Of the task before them'
Z. Now they know America Is in the war
until lasting victory is assured.