The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-12-27
"KAISER'S LAST THROW"
Emperor seeks Favorable Peace
Terms, Says Correspondent.

LONDON, Dec. 27.-The Observers
Pstrograd correspondent, telegraphing I'M
der yesterdays date says:
Germany has reversed all her plans
and 1t is doubtful whether military or
political considerations have dictated the
change.
Having failed to crush France, which
was the one hope Germany ever had of
winning In this war. II now has become
necessary to crush Russia and Germany
has set about It, There was always a
good sporting chance OF succeeding In
France, especially II Belgium and Eng
land had played the German game In
stead OF their own. There never was the
n hottest chance OF crushing Russia, who
Is much too big for any such operation
II ts probable that they are not military
calculations which have brought the Kali
ser main armies from the western to
the Russian front.
Whatever happens in Russia, the issue
OF the war IL now assured. BY abandon
ing her original plans and concentrat'n g
her attention on Russia Germany has
thrown away her game. II is political
considerations which brought the Kaiser's
armies across from France to Russia
The stonewall tactics of the Anglo French
armies promised an interminable war.
Russia was fighting In the open and pos
sibly some success might be scored
against the Russian troops which would
reinvigorate the German nation, already
feeling rather stale and disappointed. At
any rate, Germany rackons that If she
can defeat the Russian armies Russia
will be true TO her nature and will pro-
vide softer cushion to land on than
the other Allies when the final downfall
comes
Thinks Russia Soft Hearted.
cit Is an admirable calculation, but
nj hA nGfa N .,V,f..
Even so. the Russian is as past history
abundantly shows. likely to prove less
hard hearted to the yanquihed than
either of the other Allies
Therefore. the Kaisgr's last throw In
this terrible game is to make Russia feel
the weight OF the mailed fist. not In the
hope OF winning the war but to gain
better terms AT the council table. For
this end the War Lord had stlffened up
the remnants OF thrice beaten Austrian
armies with large bodies OF his best
troops. sprinkled freey throughout their
mass, and brought over from the French
frontier about twenty Hrnv COPS
"Other corps were withdrawn from the
East Prussian front. which Is now like
the French front left to rely upon its
fortified positions and a large number
of new forI atoms OF old men and your z
/ boys. These make very formidable
force. Indeed, II is believed that the
Gernanic combined armies brought up
AGAINST Russia now amount to 100000
men.
Russia had no sooner satisfied her
self OF the magnitude OF the prepa ra-
tons against her thar she took the only
military measure possible to meet them
For eight days and nights the Gcr1 an
attacks have never ceased At the point.
where the Rivers Bzura, Rayka and
li,za must be crossed before the Ger
man armies can advance upon their OBJ
jective. Warsaw and the middle Vistula.
THE slaughter of these interminable
attacks has been fearful At one point
alone the Germans left 1000 dead in a
single night They eventually got across
at two different points on Two occasions,
only to be annihilated.
Such losses in the preliminary opera
tons of crossing the rivers which cover
the Russian front, though they prove the
determination OF the Germans, leave little
ground 10 hope even for the most opti-
mistic OF the Kaiser's Generals that final
/ success can be attained.
The Germanic armies occupy 500
mile front, their wings resting on the
lower Nistula and the Carpathians. The
Russian armies are within this curve.
Fighting is IN progress along the whole
front. but for whole week the Ger
mamie forces have not succeeded in max
ing an advance across the line OF the
Russian defence"