Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-11-09
RUSSIAN VICTORY MENACE
TO ALLIES, DECLARES EXPERT
Purpose to Move on Constantinople Will Release Huge
German Force French and British in
West; Says Analyst.
By ]. w. t. MASON


NEW YORK, Nov. 9.-The cryptic an.
nouncement Of the Grand Duke Nicholas
at the end of last week that Russia
had won "the most important victory
Of the war" in Galicla and Poland is
now followed by the appearance Of a
further extract from His Highness' state
ment which must excite uneasiness among
the western Allies.
The Grand Duke declares that this most
important victory of the campaign per
mits our troops to turn to other tasks,
the inception Of which opens a new
period of war"
These "other tasks" must mean some
thing else than the Russian march on
Berlin, which was the original task set
tho Russian armies In the allied plan
of operations. Turkeys entrance into
the war would provide Russia with a
new task IL II desired TO accept It, while
the easier road to Vienna than to Berlin
makes still another task possible, il
Russia decides the time has come for
placing her own exclusive interests
above the common interests of all the
Allies.
The Czar is understood to have arrived
at the field headquarters of the Grand
Duke Nicholas and he doubtless Is ac-
statement OF the Grand Duke about
''other tasks" is not military announce
ment at all, but is q declaration OF state
policy. What It means cannot at present
be Interpreted with certainty, but the
probable inference makes uncomfortable
reading for Russia's western supporters.
1t seems II the Gear and his advisers
have agreed that the temptation to march
on ConBtantinople must not be resisted,
and new tasks" in Asia Minor must
receive the chief attention OF the Rus
sian General Stan. This Is a more prob
able assumption than that a march on
Vienna Is being planned as a new task
Russia seems to be saying TO its Allies
that having just won the most important
victory Of the war It has done the chief
of the work assigned to 1t, and hereafter
the western Allies must look more to
their own might for victory.
Such a declaration by Russia would
mean that the Slav march on Berlin has
been abandoned for the march on Con-
stantin0ple. 1t does not follow from
this that Russia intends to abandon
the campaign along the German frontier.
To do so would permit the Germans to
overrun Poland. But there seems little
doubt that Russia is arranging to divide
its offensive strength and to use part of
Ii for the Asia Minor campaign. Such a
change in Russian strategy will allow
Germany to use most OF its men against
the AnglO-French and the Belgian armies
while at the same time preventing a
Russian invasion from penetrating far
into the Eastern Prussian provinces.
The Allies undoubtedly are exerting
pressure on the Czar to induce him to
follow out the original plan OF cam
paign. II is necessary, however, that
much dellcacy be used, for the Allies
cannot, at any cost, afford TO see the
Kaisers former hypnotic influence over
the Gear return.
The situation is a grave one from the
Allies standpoint. II the Gar insists
on going ahead with the other tasks"
Germany's objective in persuading Tur-
key to enter the war will be realized.