Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-03-02

February. 1918 has passed into his
IjCry and the German promises to make
me. rfla;I the hloodiest in the history
of the word have not been tulhled
H. h,th-r the prediction sent out from
E,r.ln VAS a part Of that propaganda
winch seeks TO brighten the entente
allies or whether it was, as indicated on
its face "A sincere effort to prepare the
German people for the immense sacri-
tice Of hamun lives Il drive on the Wes-
tern 'front.' VII entail. is not fully clear
! /, % probable the object was tWo-toid
and was put out for possible effect both.
at home and abroad.
/ March Is passed, spring has opened
in Flanders and in northern france
and the HIN drive IS net yet IL eE!-
dence While there is great activity
| on the entire west front, warfare mas
! been confined to trench raids, artillery
! ducls and air combats with nothing
! resembling the preliminary duel OF oiS
guns which will precede drive. I'M
! less the Germans have made COM
{ plete change in tactics. If the drive Is
| started il will be bloody, undoubtedly
| the hloodiest battle in world history
| The German war lords are said, on
good authority. to be willing to sacri-
I flee a million men if assured Of an
ultimate victory. That assurance
/ however Is lacking. 1t will be lacking
unless it should transpire that Ger
many has preponderanCe OF men ana
guns or that America will fall down IN
Its great obligation to feed the allied
armies. There is not going to be an!
slump in the morale Of the allied Tor
ces so long as they are properly tea
land the comparatively small Amerl-
| can forces now at the front continue 10
maintain their present lighting spirit
! Faced by the prospect of defeat IN
1.-The west and The more favorable condi-
tions in the east, belief is growing that
| Germany has decided TO postpone the
/ offensive in France and Belgium and
Will seek by g continuation OF force
and intrigue in the east. to gain posi-
ton which will force peace which
in reality would be a Prussian victory.
In fact it is being predicted the Ger
mans will be content 10 play waiting
game in the west until the empire can
recuperate from its exhaustion thru
the food stores now in prospect OF pro
curement from the Ukraine. More 1000
for the hungry people at home would
strengthen both the government ana
the army. and the release OF portion
Of the grains 10 AustrIa-HungaTy
would further obligate that war-wearE
nation to Prussianism and tighten the
fetters which hold the dual monarchE
! 10 an alliance from which she Wouia
| break away if some opportune con-
tingency should arise.
REPORTS Of a growing strain OF the
! relations between Austria and Ger
many should not encourage Americans
| TO believe the end of the war Is mus
| TO be FASTENED. Austria can go so lar
as to refuse to send troops against the
Russians or Roumania without fear OF
ICoercive measures by the Berlin gov
| eminent. It is probable Austria can
! convince Germany OF the danger TO the
| Aral monarchy such a move would en-
| tail. Austria's announced policy OF no
annexations and no indemnities was
adopted in order to forestall revolution
at home, and it is not probable the
people are ready TO accept change
| in that policy. The war party in Ger
many is not in ignorance Of Internal
conditions menacing her ally and the
German kaiser is not likely to preci-
initiate a crisis that might demolish the
monarchy OF his brother kaiser.
A separate peace between the en-
tente and Vienna is among the pos
sibi1ities of the future. but not now.
While such a peace probably would
lose to the entente the fighting
strength Of Italy-in the war solely
because Of Austria HungaTy-t woulo
also eliminate the remaining allies OF
Prussia-Turkey and Bulgaria In fact
the elimination Of Russia from the war
has removed all reasons for these two
oear-east nations to remain as allies
of Germany The kaiser has larger
but as yet unaccomplished plans in the
Balkans. Mitteleuropa is nearer a
dream fulfilled than ever before, and
as the next step toward its accomplish
ncnt German diplomacy and arms are
seeking to force Roumania, the only
remaining ally of the entente in the
east. to make a peace favorable to the
fulillment Of Prussian ambitions.
| In view Of these developments some
Of the students of the war now are pre-
dieting the next German offensive will
be in Saloniki where the allies have
considerable army, modified for the