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(2)

INTERNATIONAL SITUATION. (Continued)

The British have made a big military contribution to the war
particularly on the Western front, but this is apparently at its very
maximum. The food situation is good, incomparably better than in
Germany. The democratic movement, however, is very strong and the
working people have constantly gained in economic and political power
throughout the war, and are carefully guarding what they have won.
They will have to be very well assured that the purpose of the war is
indeed a democratic one and that the war is necessary to their preserv-
ation, or they may not continue their support.

F r a n c e with the incentive of the conquerer on her own soil
and of the traditional hatred, which has been nourished since 1891
against the Germans because of the cynical seizure of a rich territory
in the heart of Europe by them (I refer to Alsace-Lorraine) has carried
the brunt of the war until recently. She has strung evry nerve to the
breaking point and the opinion is frequently expressed that she has
passed her zenith. The democratic movement is strong in France also
but, as in Germany, has been restrained by the fear of weakening the
defense,-- and there is no argument about a war of defense as far as
France is concerned.

I t a l y, the purity of whose motives in entering the war,
is rather open to question, has after a long series of tedious mili-
tary operations, which were beginning to achieve success, suffered a
really "crushing" military defeat at the hands of the Germans, who
were enabled by virtue of splendid organization and transportation,
and the lessening on the Russian front, to send the requisite troops
to Italy, thus carrying out a high-grade technical military operation
which would delight a military man's heart, and putting new courage
and enthusiasm into their people, - as well as into the faltering
Austrians. It is said that Pacifist (quasi-Bolshevik) propaganda
in Italy contributed heavily in this result. The impression is that
this propaganda has gone pretty deep. Perhaps it is a reaction against
the cynicism of the taking of Tripoli and the motives, which in large
part dictated Italy's entrance into this war on the Allied side. It
seems doubtful that very great things in the ay of offensives can be
expected from the Italians from now on. They will be well off if they
can pull themselves together and keep the invader from taking too much a
of their territory.

The U n i t e d S t a t e s is rapidly organizing both in
the development of an army and of a fighting and a merchant navy.
As regards the army, however, it must be sent to France and kept pro-
visioned and equipped after it gets there. Hindenburg said a lot of
rot in his interview with the Spanish correspondent upon America's entry
into the war, but he was right in saying that we could not have a formid-
able army in France within a year. Our motives are clean and enthusia-sm
is running high. Before we attain our maximum the Europeans will be
ready to finish very likely, and many people at home will be quite upset
about it, quite forgetting that the Allies were equally upset because we
stayed out for three years.

R u s s i a

SUMMARY

The manner of Russia's entrance late the war was typical of an
autocracy and of the ancient European system of clique-power, intrigues,
secret arrangements and all the rest of it. Once in, however, the issue

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