The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1918-03-08
CLEANING UP
LITTLE ONES FIRST
CONTINUED from page -

" admitted before the British house
OF commons yesterday by Chancellor
Of the Exchequer Andrew Bonar Law
Sir Eric Geddes, first lord Of the
British admiralty, recently went to
Salonika to investigate conditions and
the possibility of adequate transpor-
tation Of troops and supplies to meet
the expected German drive. His re-
port, apparently, was not optimistic.
Military authorities here view with
equal concern the expected German as
Eault.
Enriched by the spoils of her drives
against the weak nations of the near
east, Germany. it is believed would be
hardly inclined to risk much in morale
men and supplies on west front
drive, when there are still more small
nations, rich fields, ETC., to be overrun.
And military men point to the fact
that after Salonika--if Germany Is
successful-she may turn again on
Italy. before turning to the clash on
the west front
Meantime, however, as Bonar Law
pointed out "the man power of Ger
many is not inexhaustible' and they
can't do everything at once" The al
lies are preparing. with haste as the
watchword, for a supreme effort in
the west. 1t is confidently held here
that if Germany. continues her ma
rauding expeditions after spoils in the
east, she will pay dearly in the west.
VIII Draw in Greece.
IBy J. w. T. Mason, Written for the
United Press.l
NEW YORK, March S.-New Ger
man designs for a spring offensive
against the allies position at Salon
ika, would result, if carried out, in
throwing Greece into the arms of the
allies for self protection.
The Greeks, at present, are reluc-
tant to take an active part in the
war. A sweep by the central powers,
however, into the Attica peninsula
could not be accomplished except at
the cost of such great disruption to
Greek life as would follow a belliger-
ent invasion. The allies situation at
Salonika interferes to minimum ex-
tent with the Greeks, but if Greece
were turned into a battle field, the
population could not remain passive.
Every national interest Of the
j. Greeks would then press for active
participation in the war with the al
lies. The substitution of German oc-
cupation of Salonika in place of the
allies, would mean that Greece must
thereafter accept an inferior position
in the Balkans. Bulgaria, Greece's
principal rival for Balkan leadership,
would be able to dominate Greece,
with the assistance of the German
army of occupation.
It is not to Germany's interest to
permit Bulgaria to occupy too power
full field in southeastern Europe
Such a development would interfere
with Germany's mittelEuropa plans.
The Greeks must not be made hos
tile to Germany by deliberate acts
Of aggression, if Germany hopes to
try to extend her mittel-Europa idea.
A serious blunder, as to develop
ments after the war would, therefore,
be committed IL the Germans carried
hostilities into Greece.
The west front is now the decisive
area OF the war. The announcement
. by the British government that the
allies have a superiority there in
men, guns and aeroplanes indicates
that new German attempt to break
through would invite an even greater
disaster than German assault
hgainst Salonfka. The Germans are
now on the defensive and must re-
main there if they hope to save their
man power from well-nigh perma-
nent Gripping.