The Evening Star MONDAY, JULY 8, 1918.

Evening Star, Issue 16780, 8 July 1918, Page 4

The Evening Star MONDAY, JULY 8, 1918.

Speakixg si the Government dinner given ' in honor of the

Tho Fatsful Hour.

members of the In-

ternational Commer- ! cial Conference, the Chancellor of the Ex- ; chequer (Mr P.ouur Lav.-} stated that the allied High Command wore ooniident of j tho result of tho coming Gorman offensive. | " The fateful hour of the war had arrived ; ; it three months hence the enemy had gained no strategic objectives, then their , campaign would have failed, and he hoped ; it would he a decisive failure." In these ! few words the Chancellor of the Exchequer j sufficiently summarises the situation as it j presents itself to the Allies at this hour. \ It is one which they car, regard with rea- j sonable satisfaction. The outlook is distinctly brighter and more assured than was the case a few \veci.= since. We ; at least know where and how we stand. ; Three months ago we weie- in some doubt whether the armies of England and France would be able to stem the s'.vift and determined onset el tho enemy; we were even more dubious as to Italy's chances of success ; aii'd " - e had not that confidence we could have wished in America's ability materially to help on the battlefield at this early stage of her intervention. These doubts have been answered in harmony with our highest hopes. The armies of Britci'i and Franco have stayed the hastily-assumed triumphant advance : of the aggressor ; the ueieat and retreat of the- Austria ns across tho Piave have been followed by results the end whereof upon the future rotations and welfare of the Central Powers has yet to be disclosed in : its ti tgic nl'neos aid tie unntllou" ctltut itii rthicli the United Hates ot Amen th i> uicv. i 3 pourc i her tn&ad a Lgi ! i.J i s - iU ß uao \ <,i jincuii i of that ''stern joy which warriors feel, and struck, if not tenor, moie than anxiety into the hearts of those who dared challenge the right of the Christian democracies to continue to exist in their old-time pros- j tige and strength. ] All of which is to the good. The allied j leaders are under no delusions. They know . now something of the nature and possibly more of the military resources and strength of their enemy than they once did; and they know, too. that their enemy will again strike, and that the more dangerously, because of the time they have taken : in their preparations. German rulers have ; not tho least thought of peace. They may talk in the Reichstag about it, and instruct : their Press to compose articles expatiating on its necessity (not so much for Germany as for the Allies') ; but of that peace for which the peoples of the free nation-, aro now fL'hb'nir, and detenu ned to go on lightir?, iV\v heve not y. t !<• in ed the . lj haIct. Germany rein.dnt. 01.-e-ed u ith the Klief that she < m u-mps.l M>«- Alhes to i-ntt-r into nenothith n- with her. ami while tlvt ol'sp-dmi last- the war wiU go on. The cv.'-.-c frr which the Allies are fighting en mint bo io.de a q-tslion a* ■'dickers ai.J deaK" li v ■ ul.i tend to cHnty of tha'iL'ht and ci " no- oi vbu n u Heir Von Payer, \r ".(.<"•d of grudgingly accepting Hen- S'chridemannS im demand tint the Gocu'r.ment make < vtr-i tures for an " honorable peace, 1 ' were to tell the- Rekh-tai; and the nition tha r thert was no pos-hVlily "f the Yiika eiUerjnu nlo any airangen.u't u.ih th<- dnrial Powers that left I'ruVmn militarism untouched and Gerrmny in more or less >ecuio porses.-ion of the iri'its of her print villainies. Cntil this has been not onh sai'l bit acted l[0» th io mr hope of peace. The T.'.-ent i^-\o, in ,-pitc of tho henor of us .-arguinary envuonmcut, i- simple, and may be stated in few '.>ur,ls: "In or is not the world to Ire made safe for democracy to live in?" If it is not. then Germany has triumphed ;' the swurd has won ; justice, lie. lit. and Ire-alom must give place to the arbitrary densions of brute force, and tho nations build themselves anew- as best they may. On the other hand, if it is to be nn.de sate for u.-:- and for nil those; who shall come after us. there can be no immediate cessation of battlo unless Germany confesses her mines, offers reparation, and casts herself upon the mercy of an outraged mankind. Failing this—of which at present there is no tangible prospect—tho war will conI tuivte. Tke. reason was yUunly eet forth. I hv Pre.-ident W'iL-on mine than 12 months I ago: ■'l'nb.-s iu' p.-;r out bleed and I tuvsure now and succeed, wo may never 'be able to unite <r sho-.\ (.i-quori g fcrce again iu the creat ea-ae of human 1 belly." The goal bei'.i', r it K theree-mini, nor will be. any departure ftvin the course long inapned t,nt by the Allies until its attainment is as-ure.l. On the contrary, they will ]TOs forward witlnul thought or sli„dow of lurni' g. "We will not lay down th" sword until the menace of Prtissianisrn has been wiped oni." said Mr Daniels, tho Unikd States Secretary of the Navy, on Thursday last, It is a | revival of the pledge made by Mr Asquith i nearly fov.r years ago, when he spoke in ■ the London Guildhall. Only to-day it is backed by tho active support of the greatest Republic in history. "There can ba but oae issue; tho settlement must bo fined; there can be no compromise; ..no halfway decision will be tolerable, and no halfway decision is conceivable." The words are those of. the President of the United States, and in this grave hour of ; fate the last word rests with America.