The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1915-09-01
THE WAR LAST Week
ENTENTE now FACES DARKEST
MILITARY SITUATION
RUSS RETREAT ALARMING
Evacuation of the Strongest Natural
Defences Proves Grave Shortage Of
AnLnuniticn-Dard Must be
Forced to Relieve Conditions
Italy Fights Turks

Forced to Relieve Conditions
Italy Fights Turks.
If we except possible results of the
diplomatic battle that is being waged
for the assistance of the Balkan
League-and these resudlts are very
uncertain-not since the early days
Of the war has the military situation
in Eudope presented such dark pic
Gure to the friends of the Quadruple
Entente.
The Balkan League may, in the
course of the next two weeks, COM
pletely change the aspect. Serbia, it
is reported, has delivered to Rome
her agreement to yield to Bulgaria
certain territory demanded by Bull
garia as te price of her assistance,
which, if true, will bring about a
speedy settlement of the multi-cor-
nered debate that has been going on
for months. In such contingency
Turkey is doomed to certain defeat,
the way to Constantinople is opened,
and Russia has an inlet for her am
munition and an outlet for her grain.
The Teutons' answer is reported to
be a threat against Bulgaria Of an
immediate invasion through Serbia,
the movement being based on Ordova,
where a heavy concentration of war
material has been going on for some
weeks. But such rumors have been
plentiful for weeks, first one side,
then the other claiming a complete
diplomatic triumph. The concentra-
ton at Ordova, however, shows at
least that the Teutons are fearful OF
the outcome of the negotiations OF
the statesmen, and, with character
istic foresight, are preparing for the
worst that can happen.
They can have no object in an IN
vasion of Serbia unless it be to effect
either through the moral force OF
their proximity or through actual
force of arms Serbia's wavering Sis
ters of the Balkan League. SCerbia
alone is no menace to Teuton arms
even though, since her recovery from
the ravages OF disease that for
months incapacitated the entire ma
ton, she has been again bringing her
army up to it's usual state of prepar-
edneSS.
But the Teutons can not risk add
ING to the numbers already arrayed
against them fresh force of over a
| million Roumanians and Bulgars
| with a reserve of another million be-
hind them, without first putting
themselves in position to strike
first and crush one or the other be-
force an opportunity is presented OF
either becoming dangerous. The en-
trance of Roumania and the throwing
of a half million men into Bukowlna
against the Teuton flank, which is
| wrapped tightly around the Dniestel
and extends along the Zlota Llpa
| would, by threatening the Teuton
communications in Galicia, play
! havoc with the advance into Russia
The entrance of Bulgaria on the
! Allies side would mean, as stated
! the cracking of the nut of the Oar
danelles. Both sides are eNertins
every nerve to sway the balance IN
their favor. The weakness Of the
| Allies cause is the fact that the only
| substantial inducement they have tc
ctfer is territory that belongs to some
cne else. Yet the proposition of the
Allies, if accepted, would create nat
ural boundaries based on racial sim
ilarity, not on political eXpediency
! The fueture of the Balkans would
thus be greatly stabilized and the
probability of lasting peace much In
| creased.
The Teutons labor under the mem
ory of Belgium and the rule of mill,
tary eXpediency as against treaty
rights and, to go back further, under
the memory of the war Of 1866
when Prussia offered to France a:
the price of neutrality Luxembourg, q
| prich which, when she was success
full, Prussia promptly refused to pay
And so the battle is being waged.
If, however, the Balkan States
propose to enter the war at all on the
side of the Quadruple Entente, now is
the time to do it, for at no other
stage of the war SO far reached coulc
| such an action on their part be sc
| fruitful of results. Had Italy taken
the step while the Carpathian battle
| was in progress, Russia would still
in all probability, he now west OF
Parsaw, still occupying Galiacia.
The chances of victory would be
greater by that measure than they
are now. If the Balkan States go in
now the entire war in the east will
almost Immediately acquire an en-
tirely new aspect The Balkan States
must back the winner or remain neu-
tral. Their territorial, if not their
actual political, integrity demands it.
Aside from the hoped-for assist
ance from the Balkans, however, the
friends of the Allies can regard the
present situation neither with COM
placency nor satisfaction. The
French, British and Belgians are held
in the west, Italy is held in the south,
the Turkish position in the Darda-
nelles is still intact, Russia is still 60
ing back and further back, as one
stronghold after another falls into
the Teutons' hands. The only limit
of the Russian retreat seems to be
the physical endurance of the Ger
man soldier who is being driven for
ward. This as factor unknown and
hence not to be reckoned with.
The week opened with declara-
ton of war by Italy on Turkey. How
ever important this may seem, 1t
does not seem to have been anything
but formality Italy could not very
we'll continue to war on Turkeys ally
and at the same time remain Tur-
keys friend. 1t was formality,
nevertheless, that had to be gone
through with before Italy could par
ticipate in the movement-if such
stationary operations can be called a
movement-against Constantinople.
1t is quite coincidental that this
Italian declaration cf war came at a
time when the Russian situation alb
scluteIy demanded more extensive ef-
farts in Gallipoli and when the Brit
ish were landing ney forces for an
Increased offensive. In fact, the coin
cidence is too strong to create the
belief that the cause was either Tur-
keys aid to the Libyans or the de-
+oo+iop of I+oIion citiynnS in Turk iSh