The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1915-10-29
x X X X X X X X X X X x x 4 y
X DAILY WAR ANALYSIS
x by J. W. T. Mason)
x United Press Staff
x nnrrn Sy,oS, s1x,n< Tsty..i :
COrTeSpOndeMt

TX United Press Staff \
TX Correspondent. f>: \
X + + r <"< <s& = = + ,
New York, Oct. 29.-The sudden
cabinet crisis in France may be the
beginning Of the end Of the war. It
is an acknowledgement of Frances
dissatisfaction with the progress of
events and is final effort to put
things to rights before the end is
reached. If new ministry cannot
bring about radical improvements in
the military and diplomatic situa-
ttions, France must then begin to
| consider terms of peace.
The immediate cause of the min
istry's loss of prestige is the defeat
of the Allies diplomats. in the Balk-
ans. But, deeper than this, is the
! growing dependency over the in
ability Of the army either to drive
the Germans out of France or to press
| forward in Alsace and Lorraine. With
the war in so unsatisfactory state
at home, French public opinion does
| not approve of the dispatch of an
] expeditionary force to the Balkans
The Viviani cabinet has laid it.
self open to serious criticism because
of the Balkan expedition.
The French people unquestionably
believe Great Britain ought to take
over the responsibility of checking
the Germans in the near east, and
there is, too, an undoubted feeling
that M. Viviani has not got as much
effective assistance from the British
as he ought. Criticism of Great
Britain has lately become but thinly
yelled in France. French statesmen
are now intimating that the British
are guilty of hesitation and incom-
petence. The period of recrimina-
ton among members any kind of
coalition which is almost inevitable
after persistent defeats has not be-
gun openly in Europe; but France
! is not concealing it's disappointment
at the character of the assistance it
has received from its allies.
The Viviani ministry, by Offering
it's resignation, has brought Frances
relations with it's allies to a plane
where there must be very plain speak
ing. France cannot afford hereafter
to occupy second place in interchan-
ges of opinions among members Of
the quadruple entente. The war is
entering upon phase of dangerous
exhaustion for all the belligerents,
and the French people must be in an
improved position, automatically, If
they are to obtain the maximum re-
suits in the peace congress after the
war. BY changing its ministry,
France will be in position to ask
for a new basis of understanding
among the Allies. This new basis,
! indeed, in it's first meaning, must re-
late to the kind Of peace acceptable
to all the Allies. That being 50,
the Balkan situation may, in time,
work out favorably to France The
German threat against Egypt and
other British eastern possessions
makes the British empire for the first,
time really dependent on the assist
ance of the Allies.
France, therefore,, can now talk
more convincingly to the British
government, than at any other time
since the beginning of the war.
Serbia's plight is a matter of only
secondary interest to the British gov
eminent and the Serbians either
have been abandoned to their fate or
may be in the immediate future.
This is professionally the inner
meaning of the Marquis of Lans-
dowhe's explanation in the house Of
lords of the governments attitude
toward the Balkan situation.
] The noble lord, in fact, almost OPP
enly pronounced a funeral oration
over the remains of the Serbian ma
tion. Serbia, apparently suspecting
she is to be left to work out her des-
tiny for herself, is making frantic
appeals to the British people through
London newspapers and through IN
official Britishers who have special
reasons for sympathizing with the
Serbs. But the British government
is giving no promises to the authori-
ties at Nish and is not going to al
low itself to be guided IN strategy BY
Isentimentalism. 81.
A month has gone by since it be-
came known with certainty that the
war was to be carried into the Balk-
ans. Yet Lord Lansdowne is now
compelled to announce that only 49,
| 900 British troops are as yet available
FLOR Balkan operations and they ap-
parently are being held at Saloniki.
A large force Is enroute to the near
east, but what It's disposition will be,
ksays Lord Lansdowne, has not been
Needed. In other words, mo- plans
have been accepted which call for
the salvation Of Serbia.
II 1t proves to be better strategy