The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER. THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 1916. SIGNS OF THE TIMES.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXI, Issue 34, 7 September 1916, Page 4

The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER. THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 1916. SIGNS OF THE TIMES.

Every day brings surer signs of the disintegration of the enemy forces just as surely as it brings evidence of the gathering strength and solidarity of the Allies. The war is now entire-

ly Germany’s war, and the foolish and' dispirited nations, lighting with Gcr-' many are servitors, not partners.! And now Germany is being pressed; more tightly every hour by the B/us-, sians on the east and by the British and French forces on the west. Her internal conditions, the continued reverses which she is experiencing, and the almost superhuman efforts which are necessary to prevent the nations' in ostensible alliance with her fromcollapsing must soon dissipate completely any hope of ultimate victory, if such a vain hope still lives. As the groat struggle proceeds it becomes more and more apparent that history is repeating itself. “The military history of Europe,” it is pointed out by Professor Collins of Christiana University, ‘‘moves on great and menumental lines, which are beginning to , stand clearly forth in the light of present events. Four times in the course of four centuries has a single Euro- ; pean State been so powerful and so ambitious that it has sought to win , the over-lordship of Europe, and j thereby of the world: The Spain of , Philip 11., the France of Louis XIV., , the France of Napoleon 1., and now, , at last, Germany. Four times have less powerful military States formed a great coalition to avert a new Homan Empire, built upon conquest. The dream of ‘Universal Monarchy,’ inherited from the Homans, has three times suffered shipwreck, and is presumably on tiie point of running on the rocks a fourth time. And this time may not improbably prove to be the last. In that case it is a new era of which we are witnessing the unspeakable birth-pangs. England has in every case acted in its own wellconsidered interest, but at the same time, whether purposely or not, in the interest of the whole European family. To the advantage of ail, no less than to their own, the British have kept the way open towards a far higher form of world-Stalo than any Universal Monarchy.” At the beginning of the war Germany’s power and cunning organisation were generally underrated, but even so Germany’s boasted super-excellence is a pure myth, and the vain hope of worldconquest is again but a Huiinisit dream. The New York “Times” holds that “German efficiency is baffled by the unexpected, and lacks imagination to foresee the new conditions; it j sees narrowly and in a straight line, and when deflected by uncousidered j obstacles which imagination might have provided for, it is like a locomo-

tivo off the track.” Great as German organisation has been, it has been unequal to the work of consolidating into a genuine partnership the nations that have been warring on its side. With the Allies tendency is all the other wav. They have developed their strength, and have more clearly defined their purpose. “Hold together by the one cause and the one belief they are fighting the battle of freedom which is the battle of humanity.” That is why Germany is merely rushing towards defeat.