The Dominon MONDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 1915. BLEEDING TO DEATH

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2607, 1 November 1915, Page 4

The Dominon MONDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 1915. BLEEDING TO DEATH

A New York newspaper opinion which camo to hand last evening expresses tho view that Germany is already beaten, and is bleeding to death. It adds that Germany's one hope is that she can make peace this year. From Switzerland comes news of great activity in peace circles; wliilc on Saturday last a message from Washington stated that the Kaiser had belen in conference with Mr Gerard, the American Ambassador Berlin, ' presumably on peace proposals. On the previous day Mr. Lloyd George, in the House of Commons, emphatically denied that Britain was engaged in any peace terms direct or indirect, o'.' that any negotiations had been or were being carried on between London and Berlin. To-day we are told that Japan has become a party to the agreement between the Entente Powers not to conclude a separate peace. The happenings recorded above may be taken to indicate that there is some foundation for the suggestions which are in circulation that peace proposals are being talked about in responsible circles. But it would be rash to assume on the evidence available that any serious movement in the direction of a satisfactory peace settlement is in sight or even contemplated by the belligerent Powers. On the contrary it is safer to regard any such suggestions as a device of the enemy (1) to prejudice the Entente Powers with neutral nations, who are anxious to see the war ended, and who might be cxpected to resent the refusal of either side to- consider peace terms; (2./ to arouse distrust amongst tho Entente Powers and their Allies by creating an impression that, one or other might be negotiating for peace independently of their obligations to their Allies. This does not mean that Germany would not welcome genuine peace proposals if sho thought there was any chance of the Entente Powers .being willing to agree to a patohed up peace at a time when sho could claim £o have the upper hand in the struggle so far as her hold on enemy territory is concerned. Tho truth is that despite her tremendous preparations; her enormous resources; her splendid organisation; and her military successes, Germany is, in the words of the New York journal, "bleeding to death." Her rulers know this, and her people suspect it. It may be said, and with truth, that the nations opposed to Germany are also being exhausted in the same way; but on the whole they arc better situated to stand the test of endurance thus imposed. We do not hear very much regarding conditions in Germany, and much that we do hear is purposely misleading. But there can be little doubt that the civil population of Germany today is under a deep oloud of doubt and depression. The highly-col-oured stories of German victories with which they have been braced to bear the terrible losses of friends and relations, and which were to bring tho war to a rapid close, no longer inspire that hopeful confidence which prevailed for so long. Why is it. they ask, if victory is so near, the restrictions on food supplies grow harsher and still more harsh \ Dutch and Danish papers which are in close touch with Germany, while they do not suggest that the German population is in any dire straits regarding food supplies, yet contain frequent references to the hard conditions under which a large part of the people now live. And winter is coming on. In Germany repression of public feeling antagonistic to the dictates of the powers that be has been reduccd to a fine art. Yet outbursts of popular sentiment, food riots, resentment of harsh, war restrictions on the everyday life of the people have become comparatively common. These arc signs to which we should not attach too much importance; but wc can fairly derive some encouragement from them. And as Germany weakens under the strain of the terrible struggle into which she has dragged us, we must increase our efforts. In Britain thore has b<s<3B qf late of ij hfU'Elfrtißg Pi tfte national sp.ii'iWa pim

[ resolution to press forward _in the struggle with all the weight of which the nation is capable. Over three million men have answered the call, and now the appeal has gone forth for three million more. That is an earnest of Britain's determination to win this war at all costs. Germany, the American writer tells us, lias spent her strength now, and is bleeding to death; whereas we know that Britain is only now bringing her full strength forward into tho struggle. And as the Mother Country is doing so also arc her Overseas Dominions. Canada, a cable message which we publish to-day states, has called for* another hundred thousand men; Australia recently decided to increase her forces to a greater extent even than Loud Kitchener asked for; and New Zealand has undertaken to increase the forces she is sending to the fighting line. That is Britain's answer to her enemies who seek to profit by talk of a premature peacc that would leava tho world still overshadowed By the terrible fear of another Armageddon. That should be Britain's warning to those neutral nations in tho Balkans who are balancing the possibilities of loss or gain from yielding to the threats or bribes of German intrigue. .