The Washington times., 1914-08-31
PROGRESS OF THE WAR.

!e VEL IitllS dlS pOulliliiS oh W.
ward Paris, regardless of loss and
cost, and the French capita! is max
ing real preparations for siege.
With what grim determination the
French people await the supreme
shock, the world may guess from
facts that are given to the press.
The outlying parts of the city, the
villa sections and suburbs, and
much of the more densely peopled
sections, arc to be cleared Of build
ings, trees, and whatever other OBJ
stacles may interfere with full and
sweeping view of the operations Of
an enemy. Paris is going to sell it
self at a price that will indeed stag
ger humanity.
Great warehouses are being filled
with foodstuffs, and aliens and 9TH
ers not needed for the defensive
struggle are being urged to leave
the city. The beautiful Bois de Bou,
logne, the great wooded park of
Paris, is being converted into a pas
ture, with many thousands of cows
and sheep grazing peacefully. They
will provide milk and meat during
the siege, if siege there must be.
There is no denying that the Ger
mans are making tremendous prog
ress toward the investiture of Paris.
But investment is a long way from
the capture of Paris as Paris is to-
day. If the French and British gen.
cral stats know the facts about re-
ported Withdrawals Of German
troops for transport back to Prus-
sia to meet the Russians, they have
not told. If any sections of the
German lines have been notably
weakened, the evidence has not been
developed. There is a report today
that German army corps has been
destroyed by General Pau's troops
in the neighborhood of Dieppe. But
it is mere conjecture as to whether
this points to the weakening of the
German advance by reason of with
drawing troops for Prussia.
Of some things II is possible to
be certain. The French arc raising
more and yet more troops. The Brit
ish are doing the same, and their
untouched resources in this regard
exceed these of France by far. The
spirit of the allies makes very sure
that even the fall of Paris would not
be accepted as a final catastrophe;
rather, it would he The beginning Of
the greater struggle. Therefore no
greater error could be indulged than
to assume that an early victory for
Germans on the Seine might mean
an early end Of the war. Rather, it
would mean a long delayed conclu-
sion.
In the Mediterranean the progress
of events has not passed the era of
Italy will probably join
the allies, moved by variety of
purposes. That of self-protection is
primary. The hope of aggrandize-
ment in Africa and on the Adriatic
is close akin. Germany would ap-
pear to have lost hope of Italy, for
she has turned her efforts toward
Turkey, hoping by drawing the porte
into the struggle, somewhat to coun-
terpoise tHe effect of Italy's en-
trance.
Put this again would mean that
Greece wou'd be forced, and Greece
would largely cancel Turkey ont OF
the equation. So the net result
would be a gain for the allies.
On the seas conditions improve,
from the viewnoint of the American
interest in re-estahlishing clear
highways FOR our commerce. The
British success of Helgolard, though
in a minor cnga cement, will have a
most helpful effect n discouraging
German efforts to destroy commerce.
Last week saw a very large move
mcnt of grain from American ports,
and thus Ear there has been 10 re-
port Of 3 single grain n-carryirg ship
falling a prize TO the war vessels of
any power. Liverpool is reported