Jasper County Democrat, Volume 20, Number 17, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 May 1917 — PROGRESS SLOW BUT SURE [ARTICLE]

PROGRESS SLOW BUT SURE

Things are looking better for us across the water this week. The; Russians have a new government in which the /socialists have taken a share in organizinz, and this will tend to make them less radical in their demands. The difference between doing and telling others what to do. or supplying in place Of asking, changes the view of every human being about life’s problems, whether he is in Russia or in the United States. Then the ,new Russian minister of war, a young mam ufacturer, has been applauded by the conventions assembled in Petrograd, that he would insist that the army in the future should be ruled by an “iron discipline” which will mean quite a change from its revolution day condition and may mean an— 1 eventual offensive. The Russians evidently are taking their liberty seriously. They 'are holding meetings and-sending delegates to national conventions to consider national questions and therefore, while the policies of the different classes may conflict, just as those of our parties do, yet there is every hope that in the end they will get together “for Russia” as we do for the United States. On the Western front the battle has continued to be favorable to our side. The Germans are continuing to, use their men to hojd the. English and French in check, which lessens the number left when our men get into the trenches. During the terrific battle of Ypres the English, outnumbered in aeroplanes, machine guns and artillery, were obliged to sacrifice men to keep the Germans from breaking through, and their losses were larger than they have been on these great offensives, therefore it is reasonable to suppose Germany has been hav-

iug the same experience. Counter charging, after having been driven out of their trenches is costly work, arid the German armies, already on tlie .decline, are dashing themselves onto the rocks in ff hope of holding out until their submarines can cori ; quer England—-a- result we have faith they can nbt accomplish. England has almost as much land per inhabitant as Germany arid this year is 'farming it as intensively, and oven yvith diminishing imports will :>e able to feed themselves as long •is Germany.