The Washington times., 1915-03-01
THE WAR IN THE EAST

through Poland has been halted and
rolled back in anything like the
fashion that Petrograd reports and
Berlin fails convincingly to deny, il
must be taken as highly significant
development in the war. The Rus
sian reports insist that inexperi-
enced officers and unseasoned re-
cruits, now being relied upon to a far
greater extent than ever before, con-
stitute the reason for the German
weakness.
If this be the fact, it is the first
sign of German failing; and it tells
of failing supplies of men even be-
fore economic strain has become
serious. 1t tells further of the diff
ference between the huge resources
IF Russia in manhood, compared to
the necessarily limited ones of Ger
many. There can be no doubt that a
week ago everything indicated a
great achievement for Hindenburg
in his most recent dash eastward.
But the advantages that were gained
are not being held; the attack on
Warsaw that does not end in taking
Warsaw is after all merely tenn
porary accomplishment, staving off
for few weeks the advance of the
Russians, but giving no assurance of
strengthening the German position
at the east. Russia's economic weak
ness was presumed, at the beginning
of the war. to be the greatest dan
ger to the allied cause. Russia, cut
off by way of the Baltic and the
Dardanelles from easy touch with
the western allies, meant a Russia
bottled up, unable to get arms and
munitions. Not the least wonderful
thing the war in the east has
shown, is the independent capacity
of the Russians to take care of them
selves. Who would have dreamed, a
year ago, that their army was SO
efficient as it has proved? Or that
it could go on burning powder and
wasting material of all kinds for
seven months at the prodigal rate
that has been observed, and yet at
this time be capable Of the exertions
it is still putting forth?
The magnificent assault on the OAR
danelles, planned, organized, and car
ried into effect at the very time
when the western naval area is de-
manding so much attention, is the
most telling proof that could have
been given of the vast superiority of
the allies seapower and of their
complete confidence in it. 1t is the
easier to understand the failure of
the British fleet to 60 in and "dig
'em out like rats in hole" now that
we know that it had it's eye on an.
other hole, and see it going in and
doing the digging in right telling
way. The North Sea hole is being
watched very satisfactorily, and the
Dardanelles hole is being scooped out
by the sea terriers with a speed that
insures early capture of the rodents.
The naval power of the allies, in
short, is playing a different game
than the world supposed. The world
is rather an expansive place; Con.
stantinople looks bigger in the
world-vision of the British admiralty
than does Wilhelmshaven or Ham.
burg; the Dardanelles is more tempt,
ing than the Kiel canal; and so it is
to the Dardanelles that the might.
lest attacking fleet in all history has
been sent.
The influence of this on the war in
Poland is plain enough. Russia
opened, supplies which Russia must
begin sorely to need, can reach her
at the same time her stores of petro
and grain can move outward to feeC
the western armies and peoples
while the effect on any doubling an,
hesitant states in Bahama must b,
decisive.