“Say, wouldn’t that be fine?” exclaimed Phil. “How I’d like to march down Unter den Linden singing ‘Over There!’ or some other of our popular songs!”
“I don’t believe Germany will allow the war to go that far,” answered Dave. “They know well enough how angry all the Allies are because of the wanton destruction in France and Belgium, and they’ll most likely be afraid that if we got into Germany we’d start to rip things up the same way.”
“Do you mean by that, Dave, that they’d give in before we got into Germany?” demanded Phil.
“That’s the way I figure it. I don’t believe they’ll allow any of the Allies to get a foot farther than the Rhine.”
“How are they going to stop us if we push our way through?” questioned Ben.
“Only one way to do that, Ben. They’ll have to ask for peace. And that is what I think they’ll do. Behind it all, I think the common German people, as well as their allies, are sick and tired of the conflict. They have been hemmed in on all sides for several years, and been unable to get supplies from the outside world, and the whole thing hasn’t sat very well on their stomachs. I think if they could get out of this war gracefully they would do it in a minute.”
“That aviator we captured didn’t talk that way.”
“He was putting on a front—that’s all. Germany may have had some notion that with the collapse of Russia she might be able to get the better of France, Italy, and England before we got into the fight. But now that we are bringing our men over here by the thousands every week, she must realize that the jig is up.”
“I can’t see it that way,” said Shadow. “I think she’ll fight to the last ditch.”
“Well, if she does, Shadow, it will mean a terrible ending for her. The Allies will keep on pounding her until there will be nothing left to pound.”