Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1915-11-12
MEANING OF
BALKAN DRIVE.

BALAAf Uhli LIE
when the German drive IN 1ie
Balkans tcgan there was much tau,
- ;ts nranG;cse objects. 1t was moi
to stop at Constantinople. Inc suez
C,n,1 was to be taken and Egypt
invaded. India was one OF its goa.s.
The British Empire was to be strucf-
in vital spot. And SO on.
M,ch of the inflated talk, as sug-
pcsted by the Baltimore Sum- mas al, !.
ready been puncturec by the steel Oh
COW, oon scnse. People have begun 70
look at their maps and to estimate
+bo obstacles in the German path,
H,,s,rg out a passage to Cons*antln-
onle a!,ne, c, er mountainous cotln-
try with a stubborn, if not an OUT
classed, army opposing, with con-
stant;y enlarg'ng rear to be guarded
IS not ar altogether simple task 1@r
an army of 100000 men. And when
the Bospholus is reached there Is sti'i
thousand miles Of territory to De
crossed b.fere Suez is gained. IL $
donb;e that distance to the border
line OF India, Nothing is Impossible
q, course, ard the war may yet be
extended into Egypt, but OF all the
wild sneculafions which have grown
ont Of the great conflict, none is IN
berertly more improbable than this.
What, then, is Germany's object
IN the Balkans campaign? One OF
course. is the relief of its ally at the
Da~lanelles. That was possible and
i v..ss1,fsctically accomplished with
IL of Nish. But the larger
1r;s, u the New York Evening
Fsr,t. .,,.eut. in AN ,acute article,
,ss a psychological one.
me war in France and in Russia had
,eached state of deadlock. Despite
Germany's victories in both areas 1t
could go no further. But it was ao-
solutely necessary THAI it should go
further, first to keep up the war spirit
at home and secondly to diminish the
;nAuence Of the Allies abroad. 1t
was the Eaiser's victories IN Rus
s;a that led Bulgaria to throw her
fortunes iii with the Central Powers.
II is those victories which have KEPT
Greece hesitating and have led Italy
to avoid a declaration of war against
Germany. The appearance OF success
must be maintained in order that the
diplomatic problems of the Allies
shall be increased.
Another thought may have been IN
TIE German mind. Since the war be-
gan the oge.ts of the Kaiser have
shrewdly hecn cndeavoring to stir up
trouble in the British colonies, IN
South Africa and Egypt and India.
They have not been wholly unsuc-
cessfcl. as the uprising in South AT
RIGA and the late news from India IN
dictate. In the latter country, especial
w. conditions were ripe for revo-
luticn. We have only to recall the
situation there Immediately proceed
ing the war, the revolts, the innum-
cradle trials Cor sedition, the trouble
about the Indians in South Africa,
the forcible election of the Sinks from
Canada, to realize this. The strict
censorship ever the news from India
during the last fifteen months ma;
prevented IS from knowing what has
occurred. there, but despite the facT
that England has handled the situa--
tior with her customary astuteness IT
colonial affairs, that she shipped ou-
of the country and SET fighting for
herself elsewhere native troops that
might have proved dangerous, that
she pacifed many of the Influential!
natives with yelled promises OF an
preaching autonomy, it may be tax
en- for granted that she has had her
troubles III India. 1t is not impossible
that Germ:.::" may have counted upon
the effect CT successful Balkan drive
to intensity The unrest and revolu-
tionsry spirit ri the natives in India
ard Egypt.
If the war is to become nnc of ex-
haustion, the Allies must win. Ger
mary's hooe, as the Post suggests,
may be 20 offset physical attrition
with moral attrition. And that may be
the chief explanation of The movement
in the Balkans.