The Washington times., 1915-03-23
PRZEMYSL---VICkSBURC

OF the imagination to discover a
similarity between the present war
in Europe and the civil war in the
United States. Indeed, the aspects
in which the military dispositions
are more or less similar are so nu-
that it is rather a fascinat-
ing study to calculate the parallels
between the two great operations.
Of course, such a calculation must
recognize that there are many fea-
lures IN which the geographic dis
similarities are quite as striking as
the similarities; but yet the Ameri-
can who is reasonably familiar with
the grand strategy of our great war
will not only be interested to OBJ
serve the development of the fea-
lures of likeness and unlikeness, but
he will find the study will increase
his understanding of what is going
on in Europe.
At the beginning, Paris may be
compared to Washington, and Ber-
lin to Richmond. There was a Con-
federate rush toward Washington at
the very beginning, which endanger-
ed this Capital as Paris was menaced
by the Germans at the outset. After
that the war settled down, in the
East, to series of huge operations
whose object was to determine which
side should take the others capital.
The Eastern campaign of the civil
war may be compared roughly to the
western campaign of the European
struggle; the Western campaign of
the civil war had it's obvious points
of resemblance to the eastern cam
paign in Europe. The problem of
blockade and use of naval power
was much the same in both in
stances. The North had the prepon-
derating naval power, as the allies
have. 1t had the Atlantic coast to
blockade, as the allies have the Ger
man ocean to seal up. The North
had also to carry it's naval opera
tions into the Gulf of Mexico, as the
allies have the Mediterranean to de.
mand their attention. If the allies
have hard nut to crack at Con.
stantinople, the North had them il
New Orleans and Mobile. If the
Germans are making most trou
blesome demonstration of irregular
naval force by the use of their sub
marines, the South proved no les!
unmanageable by reason of the en-
terprise of it's erce-destroyinl
cruisers.
In the eastern campaign in Europe
the struggle is primarily for domina
tion of the great, rich valley of tn
; Vistula, just as in the civil war i
}. was for domination of the Missis
sippi system of rivers. The North
ern strategists proposed to split tn
Confederacy in two by driving
: force down the Mississippi; the Rus
slams are trying to force wedge i
: between the central empires b
smashing through on the line G
Lemberg, Przemysl, Cracow. Pre-
mysl has withstood magnificently
long and vigorous siege, just a
Vicksburg did. But Przemysl ha
4 fallen, as Vicksburg did. There wei
ebbings and fiowings of the tide O
the way to Vicksburg; there was
Shiloh, just as in the European we
there was Tannenberg.
More than it's rough military lik
ness may be found between the ia
= of Vicksburg and the capitulation
/ Przemysl. Before Vicksburg al
s Gettysburg, which, giving the Unit
o great victories East and West on Il
: same day, proved the turning poi
= in the war, there had been no tin
l. when the North was secure again
y the menace of some European cor
le plication that might have broug
ID intervention in behalf of the Sout
to Likewise, there are political cons
quences of not dissimilar charact
IN which may depend in no small mea
G. ure on the events at Przemysl. b.
of garia, Roumania, Greece, Italy, ha
ne stood at attention, ready to ia
en- part in the war if conditions Shot
H. demand it in protection of their
ed terests or if their sympathies a
he ambitions should feel the thrill
Xt an effective appeal. There was neN
on time after Vicksburg and Gett,
es burg when the danger of Europe
he interference with our great strug;
n was very serious; and even will
is the first hours after the fall of I
ed Galician fortress there come stor
lg. that it may have far-reaching
he litical effects. Perhaps it will Diet
he mine the course of some of the he
lily tant powers now hesitating on