The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-08-01

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and look Jack a year through the bat
tie smoke. 1t is the last day of peace
In Europe. The time limit Of the Ger
man ultimatum to Russia Is expiring.
Russia's answer to the ultimatum Is an
order of general mobilization. To-mor-
row Germany will declare war on Rus
STA. The four chief nations of the Con-
tinent will be arming for the conflict be-
fore them: Germany and Austria-Hun-
gary on the one side, Russia and her
ally, France. on the other.
There Is no secret about Teutonic pre-
raredness. On the part Of the Germans
and their tributaries intense preparation
has been under way since the end Of the
Balkan wars. A war tax of staggering
proportions has supplied Germany with
the sinews for the browning effort in
her ambition to dominate Europe.
France has made some effort to keep
pace with the German preparations,
though baked, 1t Is true, by politicians.
While France and Russia have both in
creased their standing armies, the adj
vantage in preparations rests all with
the Teutons. A second invasion Of
France, an effort to repeat the triumphs
OF 1870. is certain. Germany intends to
crush each Of her opponents in turn :
France In September, Russia In October.
Can she do it7
No one seeks to conjecture further
than that. The burning question is
whether France can withstand the first
fresh onslaught OF her ancient enemy.
IL Germany observes solemn pledges and
respects Belgium, then the Invasion must
run against the French forts on the
German border and the French chances
are good. IL Germany violates the sane
tity OF her own word n with 1t Bel
sian territory to sweep down OF the
lightly guarded French north, then
Paris is indeed in terrible danger.
Far of al this all seems from us to-
day. 1t pays to recall it. The memory
=, yields a realization OF how much en-.
~sanguined water has flowed Under the
bridge since then. Paris is safe. France
likewise. exc, pit for a small area seized
in the first German rush before the de-
cisive battle of the Marine. Warsaw. the
Russian lance point thrust toward Ber-
Hin. IL at last. but too late to avail. being
wrested from Russian hands. The Ger
mans have Belgium. and with II the ac-
tive hostility of Britain. which has cost
them the sea and tho greater part of
their colonies.
II the issue a year ago was the ex-
istence Of France and the continuance OF
Russia as a European Power. II is now
rather the life of the German empire. OF
tiNt tal liittldItny III vi
the alliance that for a generation has
made them one. The war is still a fight
for life. but the life at stake to-day is
that OF the aggressors OF a year ago
Europe, the Europe We know. that of
Roman traditions, the culture OF school.
man and Renaissance. the home of ma.
tionalism and the birthplace of modern
democracy. is saved. The winnings and
teachings of the militarist Frederick the
Eraat ara NJ inst In that turn af etaEa
The breeding place OF Nietzscheanism
and Kultur. the great conglomerate OF
Prussian leaders, German auxiliaries and
unwilling Slavic subjects Is fighting for
existence.
The boot is now definitely on the other
foot. The Teutons are no longer in a
position to menace the existence o. their
opponents, but are rather in the neces-
sity TO defesd their own. How this has
come about will readily appear from a
consideration of the years developments
Twelve months have seen in the Euro
pean theatre of war eighteen great mill
tary enterprises undertaken.
In August the French Invasion OF
Alsace-Lorraine. begun in the apparent
belief that the Germans could not OF
would not cross into France through
Belgium. resulted in failure. In th'
same month the German rush through
Belgium and over the Sambre yielded
complete success, thanks to the German,
having invented new cannon and a new
technique for the humiliation Of thu
Belgian and French fortresses. AS
I sequel the Germans easily gained tn,
5 only substantial advantage which the.
e still hold-possession of almost all Bel
g GUM and OF the French northern horde
with its half dozen industrial cities.
. The third prime military enterpris
> NJ tho war the RtIggiun invasion n
Y East Prussia, met with disaster In tn
defeat OF Allenstein or O~rtelsburg a
: the end OF August. The fourth. an Aus
trian invasion of southern Poland. wa
broken at the same moment at Tarnow
September saw the fifth great venture
and the greatest OF all. end in failur
when the supreme German advance o
. Paris and the French line east OF
was driven back along Its whole extern
2 In the same month the Russian attac
c in Galicls, the sixth enterprise of tn
war. made the Gear master of Lemberl
u October brought success to the Ger
mans in their attack upon Antwerp
seventh Of the great wal operation!
In the eighth, the attack on Warsa
via the Valley Of the Pil!ca. the Austrc
Germans failed. The ninth scene
I the military drama closed October wit
a German attempt TO break the allie
Ilues vi u NV ie"th hhc iistAs
Channel, which resulted in failur
With November came a second ar
l. separate German attempt to reach II
G Channel. this time via Ypres. This, II
tenth OF the great war operations. faile
like it's predecessor.
o The eleventh expedition, a German O
fensive against Warsaw via Lod
yielded the Germans a bare tactical vi
B. tory without military advantage.
,e was halted at he Bzura trenches. ar
X must count as a failure in its influen'
on the course of the war. Potiorek
l. Austrian invasion Of Serbia, the twelf'
N war enterprise. failed disastrously.
II The late winter saw the renewa
y military activity In February with
10 German attack on Warsaw from q
north. This, the thirteenth great pa
sage at arms. yielded the Germans not
a. ing. In March the fourteenth attemI
that of the British at Neuve Chapel
20 though undertaken on a major seal
:. failed Ia yield more han a slight loo
advantage n was strategicalfy a cor
q = plete defeat. The British naval attac
:. with the cooperation Of French warshir
y in the Dardanelles brought the fifteen
great war enterprise TO naught in q
same month. The sixteenth operatio
,s the Russian siege of Peremysl, scored
brief success. In May and June
Austro-German force, retaking Peremy
and Lemberg from the Russians, W
victory for the Teutons In the seve
teenth and eighteenth of the major ope
ations. An Austro-German envelopil
attack on Warsaw, nineteenth In I
series Of military events and NTH
the attempts on the Polish capital,
- lz., 20 1i,a tha Ta,,tppo a far6v mi