Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-02-27
MYTH OF HUN INVINCIBILITY

THERE is no organized antagonist TO
= Germ any left in the East. Brave Ru.
mania i, surrounded on all SIDES, left des.
olate by Russian betrayal, and must ac-
cept dictated peace under duress. Rus.
sian redemption of Christian territory in
Asia Minor has been abandoned. Only
In Salo.ica is there an army of respectable
proportions defending the Allied cause and
In Bsgdad and Jerusalem there are Brit.
ish expeditionary forces. 1t is true that
Drained men gather in the squares to unite
in defense Of their country; but they have
no guns. none Of the machinery of modern
warfare. and even as they gather, motor
cars by the thousands and great parks Of
artillery fall without protest into German
hands We do not go so far as to charge
that this booty has deliberately been placed
within German reach. but the situation is
= suspicious one. Time was when masses
Of undrilled men might fight like heroes
and win. but dauntlessness is now mere
fodder for machine guns and organization
ID as requisite to defense OF rational terri
tory as to the preservation Of law and
order.
Historians at future date will look back
in amazement at the marvellous prestige Of
victory which Germany was able to acquire
by political achievement. Since the first
month of the war she has not won an i'm
portant military triumph against disciplined
troops under anything like equal condi-
tions. So long as Russians had munitions
and order they experienced little difficulty
in making headway through East Prussia
or into Galicia. The Rumanians were be.
trayed from the beginning and left without
promised assistance. The Italian armies
were invincible until German propaganda
wrecked morale and fooled whole regiments
into believing that the war was over and
All these victories have been achieved by
guile and there has been nothing whatever
to indicate German superiority in tactics
or strategy, in bravery or military eff.
cheney: yet it is certain that the Huns
enemies have been impregnated with the
idea of a Germany invincible in arms. and
Eve hear educated men, even in this coun-
try, talking of the impossibility of over
coming the Juggernaut which the Kaiser
is ruthlessly driving against civilization.
The truth is, of course, that the Ger
man army is not invincible, the German
morale not absolute and a German triumph
not won. She is at the pinnacle Of her
power. Each day strengthens the Allies.
1t may be true that the economic ring of
iron about the Central Empires is broken,
but the new lands opened up are in pitia-
Bile condition. A year ago the energies of
the Allies were being expended in supply
ing munitions and other material, under
extraordinarily difficult conditions, to Rus
sia. where treason handed them to the
enemy. There has been a school of experts
which all along has taught that the gamble
for a decision should be on the western
front, In a straight fight, with the full
might Of the Allies exerted in the field cas-.
lest Of access. For period Russia was
essential, but that was months ago. We
can outman and outgun the Hun from the
( North Sea to the Adriatic, and we see no
reason for dependency in a situation
which gives US the opportunity to do so.
We never heard OF triumphant nation so
eager for peace as Germany is.
We believe that militarism is as def
ntteiy doomed as slavery was; that the
Kaiser is as sure of defeat as Napoleon
was: that not a foot of territory by con.
guest viii finally go to Berlin; that the
Al:ies win nght their way to the only sort
n y psaes that civilization can countenance
& - aocspt. The prime requisite is for this
\ ne<icni 10 keep its head. We need then
ox> - fear, but rather supreme conn
4 ~ 81 the outcome
~ en- afEord to be pessimists as to de
~ ~ Standardization, for criticism is q
p y Griys NJ nation on to herculeau
~ but - 10 the Anal outcome ever
- must b n optimistf