Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1915-12-28
GERMANY NOW Holds ITS
COVETED PLACE IN THE sun.

German statesmen to become the
Berlin of the Middle East and the
center of Germany's place in the
sun. The years events having open
ed for Germany the rear entrance
into Bagdad, the Kaiser must con-
tinue to fight to the point OF exhans-
ton for permanent possession Of this
precious right of way. The British
fleet can prevent Germany from ex-
banding overseas, but it cannot
block the road to the new empire in
the east. This is the dominant rea-
son for Germany's interest in Bag.
dad. Ea.
An Anglo-Indian expedition, after
twelve months toll northward
through Mesopotamia from the Per-
sian Gulf, is now trying to enter
Bagdad by the front door. But the
Turks under German leadership
have thrust the invaders ninety
miles to the south Of Bagdad, and
the city at the close of the year re-
mains safe for the Teutons, Never
theless, during the years fighting,
the British have captured the Car
den of Eden and other territory be-
tween the Tigris and Euphrates riv-
ers greatly desired by Germany. II
the German dream OF Teutonic
Empire in the Middle East is to come
true, the district between Bagdad
and the Garden of Eden, $50 miles
to the south, must either be won by
new military offensive, or purchas-
ed in the peace conference after the
war.
The military developments of the
year make it certain that the Rus
sian bear will not be able to takeNhis
drink of warm water at the Persian
Gulf: and little less than miracle
must now happen to give the Car
Constantinople for an outlet to the
unfrozen seas. The British effort to
enter Constantinop1e by way of the
Gallipoli Peninsula has failed during
the year, and Great Britain is now
reluctant to undertake second cost
" experiment in southeastern Eur
one for Russia's sake. The ease
with which the Teutons and Bulgar-
ians have been able to overrun Ser
bia apparently has been due to
Great Britain's disinclination to
risk wasting her strength in a ma
jor Balkan offensive. The odds all
favor the Teutonic allies in the Bali
kans because of their unimpeded
lines Of communication.
British interest in the Balkan
campaign is primarily due to Its
bearing on the security Of Egypt.
Lord Kitchener's visit to the Leyant
during the latter part of the year
and his quick return, seem to have
created o belief in London that
Egypt is not in any immediate jeop-
ardy. The British now apparently
have concluded that Egypt can be
better defended along the Suez Cam
al than in the Balkans. The adj
vantage Of communications, which
the Germans possess in the Balkans.
would pass to the British If the Teu-
tons and Turks were to attempt an
offensive by crossing the desert to
the east Of Suez. N1
The Russians, however, are urg-
entity pressing Great Britain5t 70 pur-
sue the Balkan campaign. Otherwise,
the Car will probably be the wars
principal loser. His own troops,
waiting, as the year ends, to invade
Bulgaria by way of Rumahis, can
hardly prove equal to the task, un-
assisted. The Teutons, Bulgarians
and Turks have certainly 100000
men available for Balkan operations
and this force might possibly be in
creased to million. ,Unquestion-
ably differences of opinion have aris-
en- among the allies during the year
because of divergent Balkan milf
tary policies. The conflicting inter-
ests have not been reconciled In de-
tail as the year ends.
Russia's defeat on her own SOIL
by the combined Austro-Hungarian
and German offensives this summer
was not sufficiently decisive to
cause the Gear to sue for a separate
peace. The Grand Duke Nicholas
saved the greater part OF his arm
lies. and although he was removed
from his command because OF the
loss Of Galicia and the Vistula de-
fences, he prevented the Kaiser from
compelling the Gar to surrender.
The Russian military failure was
followed by suppression of the Du-
ma, the popular legislative body,
and the Council of the Empire, the
bureaucratic legislative house. The
Gar is now governing by fat as
comnlete autocrat, relying neither