The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1914-08-18
FHE WAR SITUATION
FROM DAY TO DAY
(By Herman Ridder \

Il
| {By Herman Ridder.)
| The actual conditions In the mill
,aFy zones are favorable TO the Ger
mans and Austrians. Russia has moi
lot been able TO complete the reor.
Isanization Of lis army, which was Ia
have ben effected by the use Of
French capital. To what extent the
Decentralization OF the Russian ! ARM M,
l;ass exposed by the Japanese war has
been fsnnedied remains ID be seen.
apparently Germany has cofcentfat!
ed het magnificent and young troops
On hef west, leaving Six army corps
TO hold Russia In check. sFor the
Russian army tosbe effective It must
;begin an offensive movement into
either Austrian or German territory.
AS a matter Of fact no Russian army.
has ever waged a successful offensive
war against first class power. Nnm-
pers alone mean nothing. The Rus.
sian government; has yet to show II.
self capable Of Organizing an army 81
million men sufficiently equipped
with artillery to storm fortresses i'm
measurably superior to the little Bel
gian town OF Liege.
With a German army landed in
Finland, with the control Of the Bar
tic and with a splendid frontier dse
tense. Germany and Austria SHOULD
be able TO keep Russia at bay for
many months. II has been frcquent-
ly stated that France was forced 10
restore the system of three years;
military service through the strength
ening Of the German army by reason
OF the new law relating to tho ms
l3ional defense. This does not coin!
eide with the facts of the case. Long
before the adoption Of the German
law the then French Minister of For
eign Affairs and now President of the
Republic. NJ. Poincare, visited sti
Petersburg, where 1t was agreed I'd
strengthen the French and the Rus!
Sian national F1efenses. Tie German
appropriation was aimed ut this
agreement. The millions which
France only recently loaned to Rus.
Sin were expressly to be used for the
extension and completion OF the rail-
ways and Notifications against Ger
many. Every single measure adopt
Fed by Russia or France during recent
fyears has been aimed solely at Ger:
many. ~ /
/ In Belgium tho situation appears
fentirely favorable to the German Of
ffcnsivcs movement. 1t really makes
little difference where the decisive
battles are fought as far as Germany
Is concerned, so long as these battles
are fought soon. TheIfront extends
over 200 miles; outpost skirmishes
take place continuously, and each
hour the armies draw nearer to each.
other. Apparently the Germans are
continuing their advance. I read
many expert; military criticisms
Which make much OF, the change of
the German plans caused by the un.
Expected resistance Of Liege. No
Igeneral stan expects to carry out n
comprehensive plan without chang
Ing 1t to meet the uncertain condi+
tions of actual warfare. Liege offers
fine tribute to the bravery Of the
Belgian defenders as we'll as the
courage of the attacking Germans.
The order Of the Kaiser to cease try
ling to win the position by tsorm,
sthereby saving needless Slaughter
merits the notice of some Of my anti
German friends. The German army
has done all in fourteen days that
Eeould reasonably, have been expected
pf 1t. OF mobilize million men on
the eBlgian frontier and advance
Twenty miles of hostile territory
speaks volumes for the efficiency OF
the German organization. 80
Under the heading ,"The Holy
War" the New York Times INDUCES
in an editorial comedy which at
ltempts to reconcile the attitude Of
the Times in its firm opposition to
Russia over period OF many years
with its present Russian PARTISAN
Ship. Tho Times maintains that tho
l'best solution Of the present position
is to crush Germany and Austria,
Thereby forcing an alliance after the
twar between Russia, Germany AMI
Austria! q! What rot! Finally
the Times combines the Romanoff,'
:hc Hapsburg and the Hohenzolle-n,
Edynasties and throws them all oyer2
beard together. Does the Times want
Ito still further restrict the territory
IN Europe open to a number of our
alien citizens? have seen in the
course Of my journalistic experiences
fmany newspaper changes in front,
but Il have never expected to live to
see the day when the Times under
n