OCR Text |
Show FALLING APART. The unholy alliance between Germany, Ger-many, Austria, Turkey and Bulgaria shows signs of breaking, the Bulgar premier having asked the French commander com-mander in Macedonia for an armistice for forty-eight hours. The cessation of hostilities was asked upon the ground that two commissioners were on the way from Sofia with peace proposals. The French commander agreed to receive re-ceive the envoys but refused to grant the armistice, as he could not be certain the Bulgarian premier was acting in good faith. The Germans claim that the action of the premier was taken without the knowledge or consent of the king and the pro-German officials. The imperial government at Berlin has protested, and it may be that nothing will come out of it. But it is to be noted that since the recent victories in Macedonia have laid Bulgaria open to invasion, there does not appear to be much hope that the Bulgars will be able to defend their country against the Serbians, French, British and Greeks, so that if they do not secure a separate peace, wTeck and ruin will follow. Bulgaria has been in a state of unrest un-rest for some time, and the dispute with Turkey was generally expected to complicate com-plicate the situation for the central powers. Turkey, owing to the smashing victory of General Allenby in Palestine, is not any better off than Bulgaria, and may be expected to drop out of the war at the first opportunity. Then the back door of Austria will be wide open and Vienna may be reached before Berlin, if the war continues. But the .ns-trians .ns-trians also Tcnt peace, and it is probable prob-able another proposal will be made by Baron Burian in the near future. It is certain to come if Bulgaria and Turkey Tur-key surrender to the entente. If Austria Aus-tria should accede to the terms imposed upon her by the powers, Germany would be compelled to play a lone hand during the remainder of the war. - We look for a general cry for peace from all parts of the German empire. Ever Bince General Foch turned upon the Hun forces, the French, American aDd British troops have literally smothered smoth-ered the German armies on the western front. The crack Prussian and Bavarian Ba-varian divisions have been ingloriously defeated every time they have attempted attempt-ed to stay the advance of the allies, and have become disheartened and disorganized. disorgan-ized. The Americans and French are making great progress in the Champagne Cham-pagne sector, while the British are now within reach of Cambrai. The Ger-' mans are having better luck than the Austrians, Turks, and Bulgarians, and it will be very difficult for the kaiser, the crown prince and the military party in general to convince the German people peo-ple that there is the slightest ground for hope. Yet, bad as the existing situation appears ap-pears to be for the Huns on all the fronts, it would be an act of stupendous folly for the entente nations and the Vnited States to ceaBe the most extensive exten-sive war preparations on account of a supposed prospect for peace. Tho proper course to pursue is to continue the attacks all along tho line, send more men and munitions to Europe, and 6how by every word and deed that whether the time be long or short autocracy will be beaten down. The Bulgarian premier pre-mier was pro-ally at the beginning of hostilities, and he may have run his neck into a noose in trying to save his country from the ravages of war. In any event, he cannot conclude peace with the allies without the consent of the king, who has risked his throne in order to assist the kaiser in hi 9 desperate des-perate effort to rulo tho world. Of course, a revolution in Bulgaria is among the possibilities, and, so far- as we are able to discern, a revolt is the only thing that would aid the premier and thos: who hold with him that now is the time for the Bulgara to get out of the war. Many conflicting reports will be sont out from Derlin for tho next day or two, and it mfiv bo some time before tho pf'",lf; of the United Btates get a lino on Hie exact situation. All we need to kno-v j'ip.t fit present, however, is the fai t that tho central powers and the two Biimller nations now fighting ne'iirvt civilisation aro in desperate s'ra!K-, anl that it is only a rjucstion i.f lime when tliiir armies will bo pul- ' r.' 'I'l.o-r I'f-fr h'" lire., II P V have differed as to the duration of the struggle. We do not believe it will last more than another twelve months, even if the Germans fight it out, but we shall need a mighty army before the end comes. |