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MISTAKES OF THE OPTIMIST Capt W J Denny an Australian discusses in the New York Times 3Iistakes of the War Opti ¬ mist lie finds American officers straining at the leash fearing that they will not get to Europe before the war is over lie recalls that Australian officers felt the same way more than three years ago when he left Australia for Egypt The divi ¬ sions which landed in France in 1915 were nervous about getting there too late lateThe The events of the last twentyfour hours in the SoissonsReims section give the observations of Capt Denny especial timeliness lie says saysWhen When we arrived in France the great attack on the Somme was being organized Tbe Germans were thrown out of their carefully prepared in trcnchments and before winter was over were pressed back to the Hindenburg line The Hun ever prepared even constructed another huge defensive system at the rear the QiieantDouai line to meet all possible emergencies It was felt that now at last the German power was broken and I well re ¬ member a sergeant in July 1917 calling us at II a m with a message from headquarters The IIuii is 011 the run and were after him But again we were mistaken The Germans did indeed retire but only to acquire added force and energy energyThe The drives of this year conclusively show that lie is still a determined and implacable foe No British officer ever dreamed that important towns like Bapanme and Albert would ever return to the hands of the Hun or that he would ever retake the old line on the Somme from which we had displaced him himIt It is difficult to comprehend the cause of the misplaced optimism which leads so many to think the war will shortly be over No reason is vouch ¬ safed Let us consider the facts factsGermany Germany has subjugated Russia Finland Poland Rouniania Serbia Montenegro and the Ukraine She has secured enormous territorial and economic con ¬ cessions She has gained all and more than she set out to achieve on the eastern front she has re ¬ leased millions of seasoned troops for service on the western front She has in her possession practically the whole of Belgium and the best part of northern France Is Germany likely to give up these tangible evidences of victory without the fier ¬ cest most tenacious and longdrawnout struggle Why should she Os the other hand are the allies prepared to allow Germany to maintain the extraor ¬ dinary result of her victory and fraud There can be no peace without a peace conference and what possibility is there with such divergent and con ¬ flicting views of reaching finality Besides the allies have pledged themselves to victory and Ger ¬ many although most certainly doomed to eventful defeat is still far from vanquished vanquishedIt It is therefore absurd to refer to war weariness to diminished morale internal revolution and finan ¬ cial disintregation These are exploded myths which have done duty since the beginning of the war warThere There is only one sure way to victory to be lire pared for a long and sacrificial war The American soldier is up tigainst forty years of military prepara ¬ tion of the most efficient and ruthless character of terrorism carried out with system and delibera ¬ tion of atrocities defended by pbolisophical as well as practical grounds There is terrible fighting yet to be done there are many young Quentin Roosevelts who will pay the supreme penalty but America has a fixed and definite resolve and few of the millions of American soldiers who arc to carry out that noble resolve will arrive on the field of battla too late lateKitchener Kitchener said at the beginning that there would bo at least three years of war If lie were alive today he would in all probability not predict an early end of the war because of the brilliant advance of the allies upon Germanys western front frontThe The events of the last fortnight have demonstrated the strength of the allied armies upon the front where the military victory seemingly must be won and there is no cause for alarm about final results but those who believe that the end is in sight because ground has been gained by the allies wiiere ground was gained this summer by the Germans will be disillusioned There still is a long fight ahead Louisvillle CourierJournal
