The Washington times., 1914-08-25
THE WARS IMMENSELY.

Somewhere from 100000 to 15c,
0O0 British soldiers on the Franco
Belgian line constitute mere droI
in the bucket. The vast army tha
Austria can put in the fleld-ar
army nearly as big as either Norti
or South ever had under the color:
curing our great war-is So minol
an affair that it is cast aside as al
unimportant factor. Servians anc
Austrjans fought a battle in which
probably 100000 men were engaged
and yet it can only he regarded as>s
minor affair.
Italy is being pressed to enter the
field with the allies, and there j.
much to indicate that she will final
ly be compelled to 10 so. She car
put some two millions Of men or
the fighting line if necessary, though
it is unlikely she would attempt to
make such display unless her owr
soil were actually invaded, which is
Tot at all probable. The only power
that would invade her would ne Aus
tria, and Austria is amply occupied
with Servia in the south and Russia
in the east, while at the same time
trying to detach some forces to the
aid of Germany along the long lat
tie line in the west.
Germany has called out, accord.
ing to reports, the last line of her
army, and it is not impossible that
she has eight millions of men under
arms. Great Britain is probably al
ready shipping an additional eSpe'
dition to the front, and the people Of
the United Kingdom are calmly dis
cussing the probability that they vii
have to raise total of a million
They are by way Of having half
million at the front in a compare.
lively short time. The colonies arr
being called upon for, lcvics, and ir
a long war they would be able te
contribute materially.
The physical problem of handling
moving, feeding such a horde Of
fighters will to a considerable ex
tent limit the operations. SuDstan'
tally the whole railroad system Of
Europe has been pressed into mill
tary service. But the wastes Of thai
service are fearful. Locomotive:
and cars are destr Dyed in few min
utes; it takes weeks or months tc
replace them, even in time Of peace
AS the war goes or. and the destruc
ton increases, while the men of the
shors ard factories are more ant
incre drawn to the lighting line, i
will be Increasingly difficult to keel
the ccmmissariat, the transport ia
cilities, the supplies Of arms AID n.u
pitions, up to the demands.
Therefore it is already t. he fore
seen that exhaustion will begin tt
tell upon the economic res ,lrcea ,.
the countries before long. BIT tina
does not signify that they will fgh
any the less stublornly. The vas
variety Of fortunes along TIT
Franco-G German line thus far is proc
of the correctness of the forecas
made by the French war office las
week, when on the eve cf the grea
first battle it warned the people tha
there would he many waverings: tina
each side would gain its advantage
| and suffer it's reycrses; and tha
many days might be required II
bring a decisive result in the frs
battle.
The nrst battle will not decide th'
Wal. Nobody expects such a thint
now. Even if the Germans, wh'
have won some big successes, espe
ciaIly in the conquest of Namrr
could envelop and actually captur'
The line of armies opposing them
til;.t would not end the war. Franc
aid Britain are not exhausted; the.
ere Only beginning 10 fight. Th
crisis of war between Germany ant
France turns upon the fate Of Paris
1t is the most powerfully fo.tifie'
city in the world. The Germans nus
first get to Paris; then they must &C
tua!ly take it. To get to and inves
| it. but to fail of its capture. mean
that their bcsieyiny army will b.
worn down by the contest agains
great Notifications and the finest ar
tillery; and to retire without enter
ing the city is to take grave chanc
that they would ne.cr 80 out of tn
country.
Eut this is not all. There arc tw
frcnts to this war ot German
against the rest of Europe. In cast
ern Prussia the Russians are having
things pretty much their own way
They ere apparently progressing to