The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-05-10
WAR ECHOES

Montreal Gazette: The ninth month of
 the war has closed with conditions in the
 main fields of operations such as to fully 1 justify the grave words that have re- gently been spoken by the statesmen of Great Britain. More men. more munitions,
 more sacrifices will be required to insure 1 that at any early date the allies will be l in a position advantageously to discuss terms of peace. At the start it was clear that the struggle would be such as the ! world had not seen. The armies were vaster than had ever been gathered. and their equipment was efficient beyond what had been imagined. It was felt that the i fighting would be heavy and the losses great. It may be doubted if many fore saw what was actually to happen. The war has become a siege. The British Bel gian French, Servian and Russian allies are operating along lines some 1500 miles in extent, defended everywhere with works and batteries, behind which are the Aus tro- German armies, fighting to keep their territory intact as far as they may. In the western field. with minor dints and bulges here and there on 300 miles of front, there has been little change in months. The Germans pushed forward their line at Soissons and the French pushed back their enemy in the vicinity of Verdun. At Neuve Chapelle the British won and held territory from the Germans, and near Ypres the Germans drove back section of the British and French line. to be in turn driven back and deprived of part of what they had dearly bought. In the east
 ern field 1t looked up to last week as 1 if the huge armies ranged along the Car pathians. the vistula and the Niemen had
 fought each other to a standstill. The
 weather may have had much to do with the partial cessation of the more saw age fighting, however, and the renewal
 of Russian efforts to drive through the
 Uzsok pass into Hungary are reported, with apparent gains being made. On the
 other hand. the Germans are pushing
 new movement into the Baltic provinces of
 Russia, supported by naval force appa-
 rently with the object of compelling the Czars strategists to call men from the
 fighting lines in Poland and Austria Twice before German armies have attempted like
 opers tions, have won success, and, meet 1 ing the heavier forces of Russia in chosen
 and defended positions, have had to re- tire. The experience may well be repeated Meantime the movement prevents the ] Russians from doing all that they might 1 to carry the war into Germany and so help the allies in the west. Servia seems | to have been broken by war and disease,
 and is not now heard from. The renewed
 attack on the Dardanees has progressed
 so far well and is promising.
 1 St. Louis Post-Dispatch The excuses
 proffered by Kiyoshi K. Kawakami, who
 is Japan's paid press representative in
 America, in Thursdays Post-Dispatch. for his country's attempted encroachments on Chinas commercial and national integrity
 are not convincing to Americans.
 Without China's consent, Japan insists on that country employing Japanese ad- visors; on admitting Japanese police in
 Chinese territory; on controlling China s ammunition manufacture; on building a 5OO-mile railway and on other privileges that would amount to the creation of Jap anese spheres of influence in the celestial republic.
 Americans will judge this policy by the rule of reasonable comparison For ex- ample. if Japan were the weaker country and China made such demands, would not Japan indignantly refuse? Or, suppose that Japan should make similar demands on the United States, would any Japanese dare to say that they were justifiable?
 l The whole truth Is that Japan believes
 this is a favorable opportunity to do as
 she pleases with China, because Europe
 is too busy to interfere and because she
 thinks that neither China nor the United
 States is in a position to stop her.
 1 If Japan obtains her demands she will
 control the trade on the Pacific Under
 these circumstances the report from Tokio
 that Japan and the United States are
 in accord on this question is absurd. The statement given out by Secretary Bryan,
 published Friday shows that Washington
 Is absolutely neutral. The United States government is not in the habit of indors-
 ing the policy of aggression by strong na- tions against those that are helpless.