A FIGHT TO A FINISH.

Taranaki Daily News, 26 January 1917, Page 6

A FIGHT TO A FINISH.

PLAIN WORDS FOR PACIFISTS. GERMANY AND AUSTRIA WILL NOT QUIT. TURKEY AND BULGARIA CANNOT. (By Professor T. G. Masaryk, the exiled Austrian M.P.). Will Germany fight to the end? My answer is a decided "Yes." Germany will light to the last man and the lpst shilling. In this war she has,everything at stake and she will need to bo utterly crushed before she will relinquish her grip on the territory she has invaded and on the countries over which to-day she exercises practical control. I think I know the Germans. I understand the psychology 'of t,he German people, and .[ say there was truth behind the boast that Germany in the end will, metaphorically speaking, arm every cat and dog in the empire. We.make too much of little things—we are too apt to jump to conclusions on the flimsiest grounds. A few doleful Utters are found in the possession of Gorman prisoners. Immediately the cry ;.- raised that the German morale is being lowered, that the army is listless and lacking in spirit. We do not stay to inquire what relationship the men., on whom these documents are found bear to the rest of the army; whether, in fact they are solitary exceptions or typical representatives \Ve never' think of asking ourselves whether in lugubrious letters are ever lound on scldiers of the Allies The German leaders are shrewd men win; understand their own people. They arc never lacking in the means to infuse new hope into the breasts of m Hip docile pi filiation and the machine-made army. And just a» the leaders of Germany can control by spectacular events tii« spirits of their own people, so they ar<! able to influence ILe amotions of their neutral neighbors. They suggest that Ihe battle on the- Soimno is one huge holocaust of the Allies and contrive to einccntrate main attention on the Roumanian front, where Falkenhayn and Jfiiekeiiseii, thanks largely to superior artillery, have certainly brought off effective exploits. The neutrals find themselves believing that Germany is able to rise to every occasionThe British fleet commands the sea, but by the skilful use of the publicity gained by their submarine*, their torpedo craft, and tlieir^undersea merchantnun, the Germans manage to hold the ct.ntre of the pietußfc, and everybody says: "What a clevef and resourceful people they are." That is the German way and, frankly, it answers its purpose.

The Germans have made many mistakes; their whole war plan was a mistake, based as it was on an under-esti-r.iate of 'the spirit of France, and military possibilities of Britain, the mobilisation capacity in a given period oi Russia, tlie extent of Austria's pre'paicdness. But in one thing the Germans have never made a mistake—they h«vu never misinterpreted the psychology of their own people. They know, olid we should know, the greater the danger to Germany becomes the more devotedly this nation will fight. The Allies nearing the Rhine will"have no walk-over.

Apart from the military progress ol the Allies, the rulers of Germany are conscious of one great danger—the possibility of starvation. It may be that ■ this danger h'as been provided against; it may be that it cannot be provided against; if tlie latter be the truth, then when the period 01' starvation arrives Germany is b;aten. I do not base this view on the effect of the inevitable food riots—a starving man being indifferent a-; to his fare—bin. on the effect on the hundreds vi thousands of war-workers. Without sustaining food they cannot continue their exertions. The mines must stop and the great arsenals inus* languioii. If the resources of Germany are proof againi-t tlie starvation of her industrial population, then the only hope is in the invasion of Germany. ' How far into Gtrmany need the Allies penetrate in Older to win? My idea is that Germany to all intents and purposes is beaten when the Rhine is crossed. Why' Because the great coal and iron-prodi'ie-ing i:one is invaded, and Silesia alone could hardly meet Germany's requirements; also Essen and the neighbouring munition factories, on which Germany is largely dependent, should come easily under the Allies' bombardment if only from the air. Besides, Germany would have been deprived of all tlie material d/rived from Northern France and Bel gium. She would be hopelessly handicapped. The spirit of resistance in Austria .- not so strong as it is in Germany, but Austria also will go on to the end. The civilian population do not count. The men who might make a revolution aro in the army. The military machin? 1 olds them in an iron grip, and that machine is run by Germany. The Magyars will fight to the bitter end; they an- fighting to save themselves; if iliey lose Transylvania and Banat, what is left?

The P.ulgars will fight to the end; they cannot help themselves no«'. Getmany has them in her grip, and will not lightly let go. Turkey fights on for Constantinople. If she thought sh" could withdraw from the war with Constantinople safe she would make peace in a month. Both Bulgaria and Turkey want peace, but not on the Allied terms. Ai'icr al! theit sacrifices the Allies cannot compromise with these two minor enemies.

'The duty of the Allies is clear; it i» to smash at tlie enemy even harder; j victory, however long deferred, must bs theirs, if they,are sufficiently constant They perceive that, strong as Germany is to-day, her nnejt troops are gone, those , splendid troops,* magnificent]? equipped, whom I saw mobilised the first day of the war in Saxony and in Prussia. The succeeding lot are not sn good; those who come after will be still more inferior. The attrition process admittedly is effective so far as quality is concerned But Germany is a long way from beaten, and it is obviously her plan to conserve both her territorial gains and hOi manhood resources by remaining on (he defensiee and letting the Allies use im as much of their strength as poss'ble. T'ere will be no revolution in Germany. The military people will sje t<\ that. In any c-;se the roots of revolution have poor soil in f,he submissive population. There will be no attempt to interfere with the dynasty. If Germany is defeated, as I sincerely hope ril. bf the ease, a great impetus will .ie given to the political influence of .the Sccial Democrats, the effect of which will he to increase the power-of the Parliament and lower that of the Crown.