Evening journal., 1914-11-09
TODAY 5 MOVES
in THE WAR ZONE:,
What THEY MEAN
Grand Duke Nicholas Now
AlludeS to New Task"
of Russian Army
TURKEY MAY Be
Coal OF nation
By J. w. II. MASON.
Former European Manager of The
United Press.


NEW YORK, Nov. Ill a. M
The cryptic announcement Of the
Grand Duke Nicholas at the end Of
last week that Russia had won the
most important victory of the war in
Galicia and Poland is now followed
by a further extract from His High
ness report. which must excite un-
easlness among the western allies.
The Grand Duke declares that this
most important victory Of the cam
paign permits our troops to turn to
other tasks, the inception of which
opens a new period of war" These
'Other tasks" must mean something
else than the Russian march on Ber-
lin, which was the original task set
the Russian armies in the allied plan
of operations. Turkeys entrance into
the war would provide Russia with a
new task if she desired to accept it,
while the easier road to Vienna than
to Berlin makes still another task
possible, if Russia decides the time
has come for placing her own exclu-
sive interests above the common in
terests of all the allies.
The Car is understood to have ar
rived at the field headquarters of the
Grand Duke Nicholas and he doubt
less is accompanied by his closest
advisers. The statement Of the
Grand Duke about "Other tasks" is
not a military announcement at all,
but is a declaration of state policy.
What It means cannot at present be
interpreted with certainty, but the
probable inference makes uncomfort-
able reading for Russia's western
supporters.
It seems as II the Car and his ad-
visers have agreed that the temptation
to march on Constantinople must not
be resisted and new tasks" in Asia
Minor must receive the chief atten-
ton Of the Russian general stan.
This is more probable assumption
than that a march on Vienna is being
planned as a new task. Russia seems
to be saying to her allies that hav-
ing just won the most important vic
tory of the war. she has done the
chief part of the work assigned to
her and hereafter the western allies
must look more to their own might
for victory.
Such declaration by Russia would
mean that the Slav march on Berlin
has been abandoned for the march on
Constantinople. It does not follow
from this that Russia intends to aban-
don the campaign along the German
frontier. To do so would permit the
Germans to overrun Poland. But there
seems little doubt that Russia is ar
ranging to divide her offensive strength
and to use part of it for the Asia Minor
campaign. Such change in Russian
strategy will allow Germany to use
most of her men against the Anglo
French and the Belgian armies, while
at the same time preventing a Russian
invasion from penetrating far into the
East Prussian provinces.
The allies undoubtedly are exerting
pressure on the Gar to induce him to
follow out the original plan of cam
paign. It is necessary, however, that
much delicacy be used for the allies
cannot, at any cost, afford to see the
Kaiser's former hypnotic influence over
the Car return.
] The situation is a grave one from the
allies standpoint. If the Gar insists
on going ahead with the "other tasks,
Germany's objective in persuading Tur-
key to enter the war will be realized.