Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-08-23
TIE MDLTKE.

! brought 30 a successful end: but it is
| most unreasonable to talk Of Il '."feat
of the Germans or Of a victory for the
triple entente on the Marine. in the
sense that the operations in that region
! have accomplished results which can
h" regarded as i'll any way decisive.
, The Germans fell back on the line of
! the Aisne, where they had prepared
, forndabl intrenchnients. Notwith-
| standing the frequent assaults carried
on with great violence by the Anglo
Franco Belgian armies. the Germans
have never budGed from the positions
, which they had so wisely chosen. The
I result of the military operations in
western Europe can be defined as a
German victor!s which has YET to be
completed. A brief glance at the ac-
tuaf situation in the west will furnish
ample proof Of this estimate of values
Importance of Captured Ports.
No one conversant with tile facts
can deny the military Importance of
Antwerp and of the ports on the chan
mel. such as Zeebrugge and Ostend.
held by the Germans. The commercial
and Industrial significance of the ter
ritorE taken from the enemy is no
less impressive. Belgium and the
wealthiest part of northern France
are occupied by the Germans. In Bel
GUM the coal mines, the renowned
arms factories of Liegc. the smelter
works Of La Nielle Montague. the steel
works OF John Cockeriii in Seraing.
the F'abriGue Rationale d Armes in
, He-stal. with the affiliated Industries.
are operated by and for the Germans.
In the same manner the northern de-
ps rtments of France, which are the
chief centers of the French iron and
textile industry. have been made avail
able to German productive enterprise.
The shortage of amnlr.,ition and other
war materials from Witch the triple
entente allies are admittedly suffering
is the result to a great extent of Ger
rlany'S conCuestS in the west. The
tremendous stocks or raw material of
every description which We're stored in
EeigiU,n and northern France have
augmented tle economic power of Ger
many and correspondingiy weakened
that of the allies. 1t is estimated that
the wool and raw materials seized by
Germany in this region are likely to
keep German factories busy for long
! time. Similar results. II may be said
! incidentally. have been achieved by
! the dual allies to some extent in Rus
! sian Poland. where coal and other
! mines are held by them The cotton
stored in Lodz ard other Polish textile
centers has been removed partly to
! Germany and partly to Austria Hun
gary for use in the mills of those
countries.
! In the eastern theater OF operations
the dual allies have practically cleaned
! out the Russian armies. The tempo
ray occupation Of Galicia by the Rus
{ slams failed to prevent the successful
pursuance of the plans to reduce the
! Russian armies by process of attri-
| ton. The outcome Of this militar!
: policy is to be seen not only in the
capture OF more than million and a
! half Of Russian prisoners-a mum Der
/ hitherto unneard Of in War-but also
: in tine seizure of tremendous booty in
( Russian cannon. machine guns. rifles
! ammunition and war materials of every
/ description. Hindenburg's two great
/ initial victories in the Mazurian region
| constitute n splendid illustration OF
! the triumph of strategy over mere
/ numbers. However numerous the Rus
I sian soldiers may be, the Russian mill
! tary organism is sure 10 feel the de-
| yifalizing effects Of such a series OF
+! bleedines The Russian offensive has
| been converted into retreat which
! has been continuous since the dual al
| lies be gan their drive in the east, in
/ augurated at Gerlice Nay 4. The un
! broken line of the Teutonic advance
from the Baltic sea. with Libau ant
i Riga down to the eastern frontier o
| BukoWina shows the constant retrea
! of the Russians before the onslaught
of the Austro-German forces. The fal
Of warsaw stands out as the salien
ing, of the entire line of powerful
| fortresses which have cost the Rus
sian taxpayers unlimited sums o
money. '''
Successful Retreat Questionable.
whether the bulk of the Russian