The Stratford Evening Post. WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER SATURDAY, OCTOBER 7, 1916. THE GERMAN FAILURE.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXI, Issue 60, 7 October 1916, Page 4

The Stratford Evening Post. WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER SATURDAY, OCTOBER 7, 1916. THE GERMAN FAILURE.

Those neutral countries whose Governments have any foresight at all would do well to take notice that it will soon be too late to take an active part against the mad dog. °i Europe that they have so long hated and feared, but dared not attempt to punish. The reason is that defeat, titter and complete, is fast approaching for the Hun, and he is sorely afraid of the consequences. During the past few months even lie-fed German dullards at home must ' have realised how vastly the war situation has changed. The German plan to flatten out the Verdun salient by an obliterating mass of artillery looked well enough in German'-eyes, but it failed miserably with enormous losses to the attackers, and a corresponding gain in every way to the arms of France. Berlin at the beginning of 1916, although in a much more subdued frame of mind than when the Kaiser’s machine set out on a world-dominion tour in 1914, bad still high hopes. The entire chain of the heights of the Meuse was to be captured and the French driven out of Argonnc. Visions of successive; triumphs in West and East filled the minds of the German generals, j Artillery preponderance, saving man-] power, was to work the oracle. At the close of last May even the enemy would not believe that they were beaten. Verdun, they thought, i though it had levied a fearful toll on tile German ranks, would Udl. France would he left in no condition, moral or physical, to take the offensive. Italy would be paralysed by one crushing blow; Britain’s new armies would only fight to fail. Witu that gross nndor-cstimate of others which has boon a characteristic of their nation, the German militarist rushed on and drove legions of mere rattle to their death. Still Verdun stood, and France calmly threw back the mightiest attacks. Then followed the great battle of the Somme in which once again was proved to the world that British troops have never xvvt their superiors as fighting men. • I,ending authorities now know and assert that the Allies can steadily follow up their victories until the complete break-up and final overthrow of German power is gradually effected. There may be some strong fluctuations yet ou both main fronts —it is as well to remember this—but tlm Allies, always including our new ai mi(>s, will move steadily on conj verging lines from the beginnings oi 1 victory to its goal. This must happen because the whole foundation of German thought and method in con-

nod-ion with European war has irreparably collapsed. Every single assumption in the over-weening caleu- | lations of Potsdam has broken down. ( It is the end of the true Prussian tradition. The original advantage of, internal lines and railway transport means little or nothing now that the Germans, fully engaged on every hand, already want more troops onj many sectors than they can supply, and henceforward are certain to be more and more outnumbered. Ger-, many treacherously and with callous, brutality sought to crush all tree nations and enslave the world to Germanism and has failed. There can be no mercy when the murderer! js caught, and no staying of our hand 1 until punishment is inflicted. Therefore the Hunnish squeal for peace must pass unheeded.