Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-09-30
huns MILITARY MACHINE
JOLTED, BUT NOT BEATEN
Still Formidable, but Disappointed
Disguised and Desperate in
the Highest Degree.
GERMANS LEARNING THE TRUTf,
Greatest Lie Told Them Was Thn
america Doesn't Matter"-Whcr
ever We Look Day Goes We'll for
Allied Cause.
ny EnIsDERICK WILLIAM VILE.
Iby Inte.na tional News servlce.I

lBy lntocnati onal News Scrvice.I
sun formidable. still dangerous, still
capable of dealing tremendous blows.
still In possession of immense nghting &
reserves. material as well as human,
but chastencd. disappointed. dis
gruntied, discontented. desperate in tho
highest degree. Her rulers and lead
war in the customary and in the ex-
pected sense Millions OF Germans
know that the supreme throw for IA
decision in 1918 has failed irretrievably.
But the nations masters are bounding
T. into continued prosecution of the
struggle Tor one cardinal purpose
nerN" anu staying-power Will give out
frat. enabling Germany to secure by
superior moral what she cannot achieve
by military power
IL Is for this reason that all the re-
sources OF suppression and deception
ut the war lords command arc now
1."nac; OCT OF existence. For Il year
afl'r tho United States entered the fray
the Germans were doped with soothing
assurances that the Americans would
make war Ike they play poker-they
would "tluT'' II they tried to make
good their bluff" Hindcnburg would
call II. using t-boats for the purpose.
y million Yankees in France? In 1920.
perhap: And starved Yankees. too.
to- :ood-carrying ships with which to
fced raif Il million Americans Will long
or the countless lies which the war
birds have told their dupes, the Ameri-
can IL, Is the biggest and most fteful
of all. 1t is coming home TO roost at
this very hour OF the wars fourth an
nirorsary. There arc many things for
which Germany will demand IA terrible
an morally certain that the vengeance
! be wrcakcd on the men who said
America doesn't matter" will be
.rightful beyond compare. For the
, hat Ikb o N
they forced the United States into the
allied ranks they wrote their own
death warrant. Having said as much
having intimatcd that Germany's in
ternal plight is the last word in dis
tI:ss. due TO food shortage. disease.
clothing famine, and unutterable priva-
issue solemn warning against the
natural temptation 10 conclude that
Germany is already beaten. She is a
long way from being beaten. The spirit
OF tenacious and highly patriotic
lcopl" il not yet broken. Their i'm
vincible" military machine has received
at Foch's skillful hands the most stag
E"r'nr jolt II has experienced since the
trSf battle OF the Marne. But IL Is a
'racEinc that can stand joltS even OF
ta;,; kind without collapSing by the
women we'll rs machine guns and
troops and field artillery. | mean the
home front as we'll as the battle line.
The machine cannot stand such jolts
irdcitnitcly, II we could administer
one regularly once a fortnight or once
month the machine would begin TO
crack to some purpose. We should be
rolling its physical part toward the
Rhinc. AMI sweeping it out OF Belgium.
We should have it's spiritual aXles
crcakinS in a sense that counted. Bets
that the war will end by the new
year" would not make us look quite
SO ridiculous as they now do.
The SOBER truth is that the road to
victory against Germany is still a long
aui stony path. IL will be a grievously
b. td-smeared path before we have
trodden it to the destination of our
hopes and indomita bic resolve. The
corner has not. in my judgment. yet
been turned, despite the vociferous
optimism Of supcr-enthusiasts. But
we are aSsuredly on the certain track
TO the corner Paris Is saved in all
are no longer In danger, according to
tho same law of chance. The sub
maronc is not conquered, but it is
baked. II cannot starvc Britain. the
island keystone of the grand alliance,
into an ignominons peace. The British
and battleworthy. The French army.
glorious and invinciblc. is fighting with
pristine valor The Italian army. re-
generated as cffcctually as If Caporctto
safely at bay. Japan is making ready
20 play worthy part IN preventing the
Hun from sprawling across Siberia to
the Pacific The other allies gave
tardy evidence Of inclination to do
something effective TO ward off the
in Eastern Europe and Central Asia:
Tho giant strength of tho United
States-that land Of unlimited posi-
blities. as the Germans themselves
to be unfoided. Wherever we look, the
lay we'll for the allied cause.