The Washington times., 1915-08-22
MASON SAYS POLAND
|SL0ST TO RUSSIANS
Thinks Car Can't Regain Land
If German Diplomacy Can
Support Victories.
BY J. w. T. MASON.

NEW YORK, Aug. 2s.-Poland has
been permanently lost to Russia this
week. If German diplomacy is able to
support the victories OF the Teutonic
armies in the eastern war area.
The Slavs have shown no offensive
spirit anywhere. and there is no pres
ent possibility that they can recover
by force of arms what the Austro-Ger-
mans have wrested from them The
German chancellor. DR.. Won Bethmann-
Hollweg, at the opening OF the reichs-
tag. on Thursday, indicated that Ger
man craftsmanship had already con-
sdered the case OF Poland. He de-
clared the Poles would be freed from
the Slav yoke after the war. and in
directly suggested they would be able
to work out their future under their
own guidance.
1t is proper to assume from the chan
cellor's statement that to whichever
empire Poland may be annexed after
the war-the Hohenzollern or the Haps.
burg-thc Poles will be given iull
autonomy. 1t has. in fact. been sug-
gester In Berlin during the week mat
Poland may be united to Galicia. as a
semi-independent kingdom. on a par
with the Kingdoms Of Austria and
Hnder this S''n the % dua
monarchy would become triple
monarchy, and the Hapsburgs would
be more than compensated for mod
crate grant Of territory to Italy at the
close OF the war.
Victory Unimportant.
The fall of Novo Georgievsk was the
most spectacular military event of the
week. but the least important. The
fortress, isolated amid the advancing
Germans, served no good purpose for
the Russians, and its retention was as
much an error AS would have been an
effort to Withstand siege at Przemysl
or Ivangorod. The German offensive
was not delayed by the Novo Georg!evsk
obstacle; and 1t is probable the Slavs
defended the position only because the
garrison delayed just too long before
joining the Warsaw retreat and was
trapped.
Far more valuable to the Germans
was the capture of Kovno, which fell
during the week to Won Hindenburg s
army. kovnos capture forces back the
Russian right wing from the new defen-
sive line based on Brest Litovsk. and
gives the Teutons an open field to
Dvinsk and the Dvina river. These po-
sitions are 100 miles to the northeast.
and form the extreme outer defenses Of
, PetroGrad. 800 miles beyond.
ZIG iDIll!Sl IC-ehloIStu tnSit SasIiPoi
army during the week. and made slight
advances inland from Suvla bay. 1t Is
apparent that the old defensive along
the Gallipolis from the south Is not to
form the exclusive effort of the English
hereafter.
Preparing For Drive.
The landing at Suvla bay undoubtedly
is preparatory to a drive across the
peninsula from the northwest. The two
movements are expected to be CO.
ordnated. and to form the sec>nd
phase In the campaign against Con-
stantinople.
The effort to pull the neutral Bal
kan states into the war was continued
this week at Nish. The ministers of
the quadruple entente exerted further
pressure upon the Serbian government
to secure the cess,on OF Macedonia to
Bulgaria. Reports from Rome indi-
cate that Serbia has yielded. and that
bulgaria Is massing troops along the
Turkish frontier. Rome, however. Ia
| Europe's chief center OF unconirmed
rumors. Berlin Is almost Jubiiantly
confident that the allies will be unable
to purchase Bulgnria's assistance.