Evening capital and Maryland gazette., 1915-08-12
STRATEGICS AND
CRAFTSMANSHIP
In the Great World War Now
Flagrsnt in Europe.
COULD HAVE ENDED IN LAST DEC.
Viewpoint Of One Who is Familiar
With Situation Saw Service in
Civil War.

great world war from a point OF STRAIT
egics and statesmanship. an old sub
scriber to this paper. Col William
| Hoynes. Dean Of the Law Department
OF Notre Dame University saw ac-
tive service in the Civil War. writes as
follows:
"The great world war now fragrant
in Europe could have been ended IN
less than five months, or before Christ
mas. last year. had there been a con
currence of perspicaciOps statesman
ship and grand tactics or strategics Of
high order in It's inception and pros
ecution
The great achievements OF Napol-
con leading to the mastery Of Eu-
rope, was due 10 such combina-
tion. although terminated with the un-
imely invasion Of Russia. Had he
bound Alexander to him by an al
lance contemplating COO p erat o n
IN opening for Russia free way
TO the Mediterranean, he would have
remained undisputed master Of the sit
uation His overthrow resulted from
this diplomatic blunder and the un-
timely invasion Of the bleak region ,un-
sparingly denuded OF all means Of sub
sistence and shelter, with no assured
Ease Of supplies or dependable line Of
retreat The magic Of his name and
the glamour Of his victories perished
there with his army in the trackless
snow and icy blasts OF the desolate
steppes. and never afterward was ne
the same ia mental power and re
sourcefulness.
Pardon the DEPRESSION, although IL
Is due TO desire to lead up less alb
ruptly 10 my subject. This war has
been brooding since the termination Of
the Franco-German war Of 1901 and
preparation for It has been quietly.
though unremittingly under way, the
nations concerned vying with one an
I-other in the increase Of naval arm
ament military equipment and the
martial training Of their citizens. The
torch which finally ignited the cOnfia-
grafton appeared To be in the special
keeping Of Russia and its little ward,
scrvia. The latter, backed by Russia.
sought for several years a. stir up rev.
olutlOn IN Austria-llungary. II aimed
thus 70 acquire Bosnia and Herze-
gOmia, with the littoral control cor
rcspondingly OF the Adriatic.
by like means Russia aimed al ac-
quiring a portion Of the Austrian terri
tory between It's own dominiOns and
Servia. thus securing, like its ward
| free access 10 the Adratic and the Med
iterranean. which Il had yainly sought
because Of the objections Of other pow
ers through the BOsporus, Sea Of Mar
mora and the Dardanelles. This agita-
ton. through the agency o. pamphlets,
| circulars. newspapers, emissaries and
/ itincrant preachers of the Orthodox
or Russian church. was perslstently
kept up under the general name Of
Pan-Slavism. II lasted for several
years and finally reached the climax
Of open defiance, the contention being
that Austria could no longer hold To-
| gather rs discordant elementsand that
the clock Of time had finally sounded
the hour Of rs dicintegration and doom
Impressed BY such teachings and en-
tertaining such views, certain conspi-
ratOrs from servia nendlghly assass-
mated the Austrian Archduke, success
sor 70 the throne, and his wife. the
murderOus attack being made IN the
chief street Of SerelOva, capital of
Bosnia. The dignity and aelf-respect,
y not the very existence Of Austria de-
manded that this atrociouD crime
should be publicly resented and con.
dignly pnished An ultimatum 10 Ser.
via followed. demanding such action
and insisting upon a guaranty Of the
Of the cessation Of such agitation ln
the future.
Confident that Russia would coun.
tenance It's ward in declining TO ac.
cede to the more drastic demands Oi
Austria, the little Kingdom refused
to accede 10 them, with the Czar'i
openly declared approval This atti
tude not only invited. but seemed u
lead inevitably 70 war. and both Russls
and Servia had modified armies an,
were ready for II. Their comon pur
pose evidently was 10 swoOp dOwr
upon the supposedly weak. discOrdau
and disintegrating double monarcht
4 ~s-+ " - 4 AtiH h1ttN EUNAu 90. IL NJ
Kaiser, acting for Germany. knew tina
they could. But this would leave Ger
many isolated and alone, surrounde,
Iby bitter and INSCRIPTIONS enemies
So the Kaiser decided that II was III,
part not only Of wisdom. but Of honor
% stand faithfully BY his only depend
able ally and meet the eventualities o
war IN cordial 'comradeship with Aus
tria- Hungary.
$50 the die was cast. The brazen toe
sin Of war rang out its harsh notes
What was next 70 be done? Thisl 81
agreement Of Franz Joseph and th,
Kaiser the German army should mo
bilize at once and advance prompts
into Russian Poland and Russia prop
er, and pay no attention to Belgium
France and England, not sending ever
single soldier into or against them
simultaneously the Austrian Hunga.
rian army should have passed rapfdIy