New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-12-19

now has remains in doubt. Probably the
total force does not exceed 100000, GER
tainly it is not above 100000. This is in
ferior to the strength of the Bulgarians
alone and the Central Powers can call up
Turkish troops and make use of Austrian
and German forces. Every consideration
which can count urges the Central Powers
to expel the Anglo-French forces from the
Balkans altogether and thus complete their
great campaign.
Divided Councils.
To add TO the difficulties of the Allied
situation il is known that there are divided
councils as to the course to be followed.
The British have urged the withdrawal Of
the whole expeditionary army since their
mission has ended with the failure TO re-
lieve the Serbs. British apprehensions for
the safety of Egypt, coupled with the real
ization that Britain must supply the ma
iority of the troops for this campaign, If
it is to be continued, explain this desire.
But the French and Russians have OBJ
jected and apparently carried the day.
They recognize that if the Allies leave the
Balkans, Greece will probably join the
Central Powers, when her ports have been
fortified, and Rumania will hardly hold out
long against combined pressure and per-
suasion, based upon Allied prospects in the
Near East. This would mean that not less
than 100000 fresh troops would be added
to the battle lire of the Central Powers
and Salonca and other Greek ports would
become the bases Of German submarine
operations.
Allied prestige in the Near East has
gone. Tn failure in the Balkans has fol-
lowed the utter defeat at Gallipoli PENN
sula and preceded only by few days the
crushing reverse before Bagdad. Nothing
could be more complete than this triple
failure, which will have an enormous effect,
not merely in the Balkans, but in Egypt
and even in India.
To hold Salonica is TO hold base COM
parable to the Lisbon base of Wellington,
which may be used hereafter; il is TO keep
the Bulgarian armies in the field, putting
the Germans to very heavy expense; it is to
maintain threat, slight perhaps, but real,
Of new Allied operation hereafter, and
it is to preserve the impression, in part at
least, that the British and the French
have not abandoned their Serbian ally,
whose ruin is now complete, whose saliva
ton can only come through foreign help,
D.I-: n,olv nil
Allied victory. If Galipoli is to be evacu-
ated presently as seems very likely, Sa-
lonica will be all that there is left to rep
resent Allied power in the Near East.
The Prize Of tho War.
There Is little profit now in apportion-
: ing the blame for the Balkan and Cali.
poll fiascoes. The failure Of the feet was
perhaps failure in a justifiable gamble.
The prize of the play, as Winston Church
i'll pointed out, was so great that try
was perhaps defensible. But when the
fleet had tried and failed, thus warning the
Turks Of the danger and giving them time
to prepare, the sending Of the armies
!: seems a hopeless blunder.
4 The sending of one army, which failed,
:. led to the dispatch of second, which was
flung back from Saribahr, as the first had
been halted before Achi Baba. Turkey,
victorious, but lacking in munitions, ap-
pealed to Germany for aid, and the Balkan
campaign followed. This campaign gave
Germany and her allies the real prize Of
the war. To-day thanks to her Balkan
victories, Germany is in better position
to make terms with her enemies than
ever before.
She can now give over all claims TO
French or Belgian territory. She can even
consent TO complete return to the boun-
daries of 1914 all over Europe, save only
in the Balkans; in fact, save in the case
of Serbia. Peace on these terms would
still give her the open road to CONSTANT
nople, to Asia Minor, the chance to organ
ize the Turkish Empire and to prepare
for new thrust-this time directed at
the British in Egypt and even in India.
The successful Balkan campaign has
changed the whole face of the war; it has
provided Germany with basis for claims,
not unreasonable in view Of her success.
and commensurate with her ambitions,
which do not threaten the integrity of
France or Belgium and only cross the am
billions of Russia, and in the future, the
safety of the British Empire.
British failure, then, has brought its
own bitter fruit. The war has become In
many respects a duel between Britain and
Germany. II Germany can last, can stand
the economic pressure, while holding back
the attacks of her foes until all are ex-
hausted, she will have made good her
place in the sun" and laid the founda-
j tons Of great empire in the futurA