The citizen., 1919-01-23
THE TRAGEDY OF THE
TWENTIETH CENTURY
Professor LeVant Dodge
Nv. The Decisive Victory

tory would be complete. Germany
was the head and directive power.
Austria Hungary, Bulgaria and Tur-
key were dominated by her. Thus,
with Germany debating the policy,
and largely ofIicering the armies Of
her allies, she thus made the COM
bination far more powerful than IL
all had been on an equality, each
having ambition 10 lead. And so it
was as If one empire of i40,000,000
people, after thirty years Of careful
preparation, should suddenly pounce
upon an unsuspecting world. The
surface probabilities pointed 10 their
success. IL was not TO be expected
that Belgium would delay for a day
the on-rushing German hordes; and
scarcely more so that France, taken
by surprise, could prevent the
speedy capture of Paris. With that
center of art, culture and wealth,
the pride of France, at the mercy
of the INSCRIPTIONS victors, the
most burdensome and humiliating
terms of peace would be dictated,
and more quickly than was done in
1870. This accomplished, there was
little hope that either Russia OF
England could prepare effective re-
sistaDce before each should be
crushed in turn. Italy never would
have entered the war. Then what
would hinder the Teutonic hosts.
intoxicated by their triumphs, from
carrying out their ambitious design,
and establishing an empire beyond
the dreams Of any former conqueror!
On the other hand, until six
months ago, the opposing side was
divided in council. No one place
could be cited as the source Of mil
itary policy. Largely as the result
of this, there were disastrous cam
paigns on the western front, in Rus
sia, Italy, the Balkans, the Gallip-
oil. and Asia Minor. IL required
that the spectre of imminent defea.
be staring the Allied nations in the
face before they should completely
unity their forces by giving that
superb soldier, Ferdinand Foch, the
supreme command. After that the
Central Powers found themselves
assailed on all sides. General Allen
by's troops restored the Holy Land
to ChristendOm and destroyed the
MOslem army. The expedition from
Saloniki brought the Bulgars to alb
ject submission. The REINFORCED
Italian, under Diaz, rolled back the
waves of the Austrian invasion with
such impetuosity that the dual em
pire first sued for peace and then fell
into pieces. On the western front,
the chief center Of conflict, there
was such campaign as the world
had net known before. Millions
were engaged on either side. For
over seven and a half months the
fate If future generations hung in
the balance. For the first two
months or more it looked as though
the boasts of the Huns were going
, to De justified. For a considerable
| Time following this. the contendine
r forces gripped each others throats
t Mother able TO secure a decisive
2 advantage. Then Field Marshal
Foch, having gotten his resource:
well in hand, entered upon thai
great offensive which will engage
the study of military experts fol
years to come. Slowly at first, anC
then al a more rapid pace, the erst-
/, while victorious Germans were
: pressed back. No chance was giveT
; them for a successful rally. Mos
of us could scarcely persuade our
r selves that the enemy would mo-
soon recover himself, and agaiI
! stand at bay But the eleventh o.
November, to be forever historic
q saw the complete collapse Of Ger
man schemes.
q Let us glance for a moment at thu
e Allied victory, and try to realize it,
full significance. IL is unique ii
many respects. Though only al
armistice, leaving the real treaty o.
: peace still in the future, the ont
! party is PROSTATE and wholly sub
/. ject to the will of the other. At thu
r peace table the question will b.
C what the victors will allow or re-
quire the vanquished TO do. Th'
! chief discussions must be among
! the partners in the victory. Th'
Germans submitted when no hostil,
2 soldier was within their borders
z The mass Of their people have seeI
y nothing of the havoc of war. Almos
To the same extent this is true o
J. their chef ally, Austria-Hungary
Z Most of their ships of war and thu
submarines 50 lately dreaded hay'
4 a