Semi-weekly herald. [volume] (Durango, Colo.) 1907-1917, 1915-12-30

llt CzaT Will pEopdDiy Dc inc WEI
principal loser. His own troops wait
ing, as the year ends, to invade Bull
| garia by way of Rumania, can hard
! ly prove equal to the task unassist
ed. The Teutons. Bulgarixns an,
Turks certainly have 100000 me,
available for Balkan operations ant
this force might possibly be increas
ed to million. Unquestionably diff
ferences of opinion have arisen among
the allies during the year because Of
divergent Balkan military policies
The conflicting interests have not beer
reconciled in detail at the end of this
year.
Russia's defeat on her own soil by
the combined Austro-H Hungarian anc
German offensives this summer was
not sufficiently decisive to cause the
czar to sue for a separate peace. The
Grand Duke Nicholas saved the great
er part of his armies, and altho he
was removed from his command be-
cause of the loss of Galicia and the
Nistula defenses, he prevented the
kaiser from compelling the car to
surrender. The Russian military fail
ure was followed by the suppression
Of the duma, the popular legislative
body, and the council of the empire,
the bureaucratic legislative house.
The czar is now governing by fiat
as a complete autocrat, relying Meth
er on the people themselves. nor the
bureaucracy.
The year has seen no change of i'm
portance along the western battle
front. The French in Champagne,
and the French and British in Artois
attempted to develop simultaneous
major offensive during the last week
| in September, but without success.
The Germans lost few miles of
trenches, but they were able to check
| The enemy before the drives threat
ented to compel general retirement
coward the German frontier. The
result of the costly experiment show
| ed that the Teutonic trenches are not
lmpregnable, but. also revealed the
fact that the AngloF French general
statfs have not solved the problem
of following up one successful at
tack after another in the face of the
German artillery.
ltalys entrance into the war this
year has had disappointing results
ior Great Britain, Russia and France.
The Italians, after seven months of
fighting have not gained as much
territory as Austria offered to cede
last spring III exchange for Italy's
benevolent neutrality. The principal
factor working against the Italian
success has been the superiority which
trench warfare gives the army on the
defensive. The Roman government
IS now facing serious tho subdusd
criticism at home. AS the year ends,
there are reports that pressure is be-
ing exerted in favor of the return
20 power Of the veteran pro-German
ex-premier, Giolitti. Italy has signed
an agreement with the other men,
bers Of the quadruple entente not
TO make separate peace, but if
Signor Giolitti were to be made prime
minister, he would undoubtedly use
his influence for peace at the earl
TEST moment.
The financial situation among all
the belligerents has steadily grown
more and more serious as the expens-
es of the conflict during the year have
ceaslessly mounted. The total daily
cost Of the war is now about $685.
100000, two-thirds of which is be-
ing paid by the quadruple entente.
and one-third by Germany and her
allies. The British, who have been
most lavish in their payments, have
also been the most sincere in facing
the critical monetary problems Of the
war. Great Britain alone among the
belligerents has begun to shoulder
the financial burden of the conflict
by accepting large war taxes. Every
where the war is prolonged almost
exclusively on borrowed money. II
is probable that the exhaustion of
the golden bullets, and the accom-
panying danger of economic disaster
will be the principal determining fac
tor in bringing the war to an end.
The food situation in Germany and
Austria Hungary has become more
| serious this year than last, but has
not grown sufficiently hazardous to
compel the Teutons to accept peace.
1t is contributing cause, neverthe-
less to the persistent desire for peace
which is more apparent in Germany
as the year closes than anywhere
| else. A nation which will consent to
live on half rations indefinitely il it
| is fighting a defensive war. NAV re-