Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-11-04
Germany Is Beaten.

what may prove to be the hnal
week Of the war opens with Germany
standing alone in the field. Bulgaria
has surrendered, Turkey has yielded,
Austria has been granted an armistiee
which is tantamount to capitulation.
Germany awaits terms of armistice
which are being formulated in Paris,
and which, it is expected, will be equiv
alent, like those granted the other
powers of the central alliance, to un-
conditional surrender. Upon her ae-
ceptance or rejection of the terms will
depend the cessation or the continual
ton of hostilities.
If Germany accepts the armistice
terms the war ends, as regards the
fighting of organized armies. There
will be continued work by the allied
forces in clearing up the field. There
is xefk to be done in Russia, and
supervision of the conditions in Aus
fria-Hungary and in the Balkans and
in Turkey. Signing of the armistice
between Germany and the allies will
not mean the immediate or even the
early disbandment of the forces. An
armistice with Germany will merely
place that power in position in which
1t cannot renew the hostilities, but safe
ty demands the retention on the field
Of force sufficient to insure observ-
anee of whatever terms may eventual
ly be imposed.
Fl Germany rejects the terms and
elects to continue the fight, the war
will proceed, pressed even more vigor-
ously than ever by the allied COM
manders, to insure the speediest pos
sible defeat of the foe. Germany can
conduct a retreating fight for perhaps
some months, Withdrawing successive
" from position to position, and caus-
ing the drive eastward to cost the al
lies as heavily as possible. But at
whatever cost the pressure must be
maintained, to the end of a complete
military victory, if the enemy chooses
the hopeless course of continued war.
1t is impossible to predict what Ger
many will do. The signs that come
from Berlin are confusing. Now it is
reported that the kaiser has abdi-
Gated. Again this is denied and the
statement comes that reiehstag par
ties have voted in favor of the contin-
uation Of the kaiser in power. The
sending of dozens Of trunks bearing
the Hohenzollern monogram" to q
chateau in Switzerland evidences
preparation for the flight Of the royal
family to neutral haven.
Choice of the alternative of fighting
rather than surrender cannot change
the ultimate outcome of the war. Ger
many is beaten in the field. Her al
lies have successfully fallen away from
her. Her armies have been mastered.
Her position in France and Belgium
grows more perilous daily. North of
Verdun the line 80 tenacioasly held
has been at last broken by the Ameri-
cans. In Belgium much ground has
been yielded and further retreat is i'm
perative As allied fanking operations
succeed. Another line has perhaps
been prepared, to which the Germans
will retreat. But there is no chance
of its being long held against the as
saults Of the allied armies, augmented
doubtless by reinforcements from other
fronts, freed BY the yielding Of the
Turks and the Austrians. Further
more, Germany is now exposed to at
tack from the south and from the east,
rs the frontiers have been exposed
through the breakup of Turkey and
Austria.
Germany's case is hopeless She is
beaten. The end is only a matter now
of hours if she elects to accept the
armistice, or Of weeks if she elects to
Sci