Evening Post. TUESDAY, JANUARY 4, 1916. REASON FOR HITTING HARDER

Evening Post, Volume XCI, Issue 2, 4 January 1916, Page 6

Evening Post. TUESDAY, JANUARY 4, 1916. REASON FOR HITTING HARDER

If it is mot misunderstood or misconstrued, tho. news that Germany is approaching exhaustion is excellent. It is consistent with economic experience and with all the circumstances arising out of "the naval stranglehold" ; also, it is confirmed by American papers, some of which at any rate are not blinded by pnejudice nor careless in matters of fact. Therefore, there is reason to believe that this' news is, in the main, true. Nevertheless, if it is swallowed whole aaid accepted as a base'-for loose reasoning, it may do incalculable damage. lEveryone is acquainted with those Stories which, though "founded on fact," we yet capable of producing an impression . nof. altogether consistent with . the facts ; and in this war the Germans have proved themselves adept in the art of making an ounce of truth the father of a ton of falsehood. While it. is probably true that Germany is - not many silages removed from exhaustion, it is equally, possible that, she is allowing the position to be presented to the world in. a light calculated to deceive. In short, the British people in particular, aud the Entente in genera], must consider the possibility that this exhaustion talk is a German trap, the main pur : pose of which is to catch the wavering British Government, and. to kill in Britain not only compulsion but also voluntary recruiting. At the moment, the British .nation is just about keyed up to a great sacrifice. The Cabinet is converted to the beginnings of compulsion ; the nation nearly so. Compulsion will throw into the war the last, and the deciding, reserves. If it is adopted now*, there will be no going back. On | the other hand, if it' is lulled now, theßb/will be great difficulty—owing to | Brr&sh constitutional slowness and deliberation—in resuscitating it. The momftni is critical; it is just the moment when Germany would like to strengthen the' hands of the British anti-compul-sionists. How can she better strengthen their hands than by allowing it to go forth that she is in a bad way and that tho Kaiser is in a bad way? How can she do better than allow her exhaustion to bo painted in the highest colours by the press of the greatest neutral?—all on information which must' come out of Germany herself. If Britain is wise she will hear this news with joy; but let her not falter in her resolutiorr, Distress in Germany is not a signal for easing down, but for putting on speed, so that the end may come with the least sacrifice of time, treasure, and blood. The illness of Germaay and the illness of tho Kaiser are both, no doubt, facts, but their importance lies in their degree. If the JBritish Government broke up on compulsion, probably itwould be found that neither the Kaiser nor his country is quite so ill as was thought. As the Kaiser is the bete noir of many British people—who would -wrongly deem his eclipse the cure of Prussian militarism—he is nothing less than patriotic in retiring at this juncture to his Imperial bed. If it came to the eve of a critical division in the House of Commons or the Labour Conference, he might not be above signing even his own death certificate. The world has seen again and again how Germany has manipulated the press services. For many months nothing seemed to come out of Germany unless it' coincided with the interests of the German Government. If the Government needed silence, Germans 'were silent; if Germany's sufferings-had to be minimised, they were minimised; and if it should ■happen that her purpose -would be served by a temporary exaggeration of them, might not the German brain bo equal to that Task also? Up to a certain—but not quite ascertained—degree, Germany is in a bad way financially and economically, and her man-power is dwindling; but it is quite another thing to say that she is done, or oven that 1916 will -witness her finish. We quote, elsewhere evidence collected by the London newspaper Nation. ' establishing clearly that, for all her military advances, Germany is on the downward path. It remains our interest and duty ■to help her down it as fast as we can. Wo would be imbecile if at this stage we stopped pushing. If our opponent is "groggy," that is good news, but it is mainly a signal to ,hit harder. Anticompulsioniste should now be all the more reasonable in spirit, because, against a weakening Germany, compulsion is' a short cut to peace, just as a wavering attitude would be a guarantee of prolongation of .present horrors. How keen tho. Germans axe to block compulsion in Britain is shown by tho Frank. furter's cheap taunt that tho British are introducing the militarism which they arc trying tp crush in Germany. But there is a huge difference between an expedient and a system. If democracy is'not prepared to take up the sword to end militarism, the death of freedom and the triumph of tyranny are clearly'at hand.