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Show END APPROACHES. The war of Christian civilization against Germany, Austria-Hungary, Turkey and Bulgaria has been practically practi-cally won and the culprits await sentence. sen-tence. It is true that the German armies ar-mies remain in the field, but the fight has been taken out of them and they anxiously await the moment when they arc told to lay down their arms. The Austrians have quit fighting and are on the run. All that now remains is for the allied war council to announce armistice arm-istice terms in order to bring the conflict con-flict to a close, for Germany must ac-'cept, ac-'cept, no matter how onerous the conditions condi-tions may be. Xo greater triumph of right against might has ever been recorded re-corded and no statesmen have ever reached higher pinnacles of fame than the men at the helm in all the countries participating in the struggle on the side of humanity, while the soldiers, from Foeh, Pershing, Haig and Diaz dqwn to the humblest private in the ranks, have won immortal glory. More than this, the world is to enter upon an era of peace which will never be broken unless the lesson of the present awful war is forgotten by Christian men and women. We see no possible chance for the Germans Ger-mans to hold out or to haggle over terms. Neither do we believe there is even a remote possibility that the members mem-bers of the allied war council will allow themselves to be deceived. If Emperor Wilhelm has not already abdicated he will be thrust aside when the peace terms are finally signed. He started the war and brought woe and desolation upon the earth. But it has resulted in his own downfall and that of the honse of Hohenzollern. Abhorred and execrated he . will be shunned to the end of his days and there is no certainty that he will not be exiled. The tenure of Karl of Austria has been comparatively brief. He came to the throne while the war was in progress and has been loud in his claims of peaceful intentions. But he followed the orders of the kaiser so long as he thought there was a chance to win the war and rivet the chains npon the Serbians and millions of his own subjects as well. Now his empire has been torn to pieces and he is doomed to figure in history as 'the last of the Hapsburgs. He will probably be content con-tent to give up his imperial cron, if he -is able to escape assassination, and retire to some secluded spot, Constan-tine Constan-tine of Greece and Ferdinand of Bul-l Bul-l garia are already in exile and if the Sultan of Turkey retains his throne he wilt be fortunate indeed. But perhaps we should not take too roseate a view just at this moment. At last accounts the allied forces in Italy were still in pursuit of the fleeing Austrians Aus-trians and the Americans, British, French and Belgians were continuing their drive against the disheartened Germans. The possibility that the Berlin Ber-lin government will decline to accede to the terms of the allied war council remains. But there is absolutely no danger that they will gain any material mate-rial or moral advantage by reason of delaying the surrender. General Foeh understands the situation thoroughly and will continue to press his advantage advan-tage so long as a Hun remains in the field. Of that we may rest assured. Whatever happens the war has been fought anrl won and the allies will soon wear the laurels of victory. |