The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1915-08-26
is THE TIDE OF WAR TURNING?

Last week the news was rather dis
couraging to the friends of the Allies.
Berlin announced the capture of the fort
ress of Novogeorgievsk, with many pris-
oners, 700 guns and large quantity of
war material;and the evacuation of Pet
rograd and the defeat of the Russian
army seemed imminent. In.48 hours, four
teen steamers with total gross tonnage
of 47,698>h been sunk by German sub
marines, and ten persons killed and thirty
six injured in Zeppelin raid on the east
coast of England. No progress reported
by the Allies at the Dardanelles. and the
Russian fleet had been forced to retire
before superior German fleet in the
Gulf of Riga.
Later news has put different face on
the situation. Italy has declared war on
Turkey and Indications are growing that
the Balkan States will join forces with
the Allies. Bulgaria has concentrated
150,U00 troops on the Turkish frontier,
and Italy is about to send troops and
ships to reinforce the Allies at the Dard-
anelles. In the Gulf of Riga the Rus
SLAMS have won great naval victory,
destroying the German battle cruiser
Moltke, three cruisers and seven torpedo
boats and repulsing the soldiers in four
barges and capturing the barges. The only
Russian loss in the report from Petro-
grad was that of the gunboat Sivutch,
sunk after an unequal fight with the Ger
man cruiser and torpedo craft, after ac
counting for two German torpedo boats.
Paris has reported the sinking of Ger
man torpedo boat destroyer off Ostend
by two French torpedo boats, which es-
capped uninjured. The Russian war office
declares that troops of the Grand Duke
Nicholas are making successful stand
against the Germans northwest of the
fortress of Brest-Litovsk.
Plans for joint military action by Italy,
England, France and Russia against
Turkey were arranged in July and can
Immediately be put into execution, ad-
vices from Italy assert, and if they are
carried out must result in the end of
Turkey.
But more important, perhaps, than
the news from the battleields is the re-
port of secret conference of cabinet
ministers, political leaders and influen-
tial writer's, called by the German imper-
ial chancellor before the reassembling
of the Reichstag last Thursday to discuss
the political situation. At this confer
ence, Karl Helfferich, secretary of the
treasury, explained that the new German
war loan would completely exhaust the
empires financial resources and that the
increase in exchequer bonds would cause
bankruptcy Therefore, DR.. Helfferich
urged, it was needful to prepare for an
honorable peace. The Chancellor urged
the softening down of belligerent inclina-
tons and expansion policy in the Reich
stag and the country and the carefully
preparing of peace proposals that would
be acceptable to the four members of the
Entente Gen. Won Moltke, former chief
of general staff, declared that he fully
agreed with the chancellor, and added
that only those OF fully informed on the
the situation could hope for the possibil-
ity of complete Russian defeat. DR..
Bernhard Dernberg reported the failure
of his mission in the United States and
other neutral countries. Despite these de-
clarations the meeting refused to adopt a
resolution advocating moderation in the
Reichstag, whereupon the chancellor de-
clared that if a majority in theReichstag
should show an irreconciiable chauvinis-
tic attitude he would be obliged to resign,
as he could not accept responsibility for
Germany's disaster.
For some time past there have been
intimations from various sources that
Germany would welcome overtures for
peace and these have strengthened the
belief that, as reported some time ago,
she had enieavored to make peace with
Rnssia No doubt she would be ready to
make peace today upon her own terms.
But that should be out Of the question.
She must be made to give up to France
the territory wrested from her, to with
draw from Belgium and Poland and to
pay indemnities.