New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-10-17
Grave of German Ambi-
tions or of EnglandS
Hopes Opens.
VICTORY IN SERBIA
PRIME ESSENTIAL
No Drastic Settlement or In
during Peace Possible
Without This.

equally well that the balkans III NV
infinitely fateful weeks before us, VIII
either be the grave Of German ampi-
tior, or the grave of British hopes.
II we fail in the Near East, there can
he no thorough victory over the central
ernnires. We may and we shall hght
,bem TO n standstill, but we shall not
achieve the total overthrow essentiai
20 a drastic settlement, an enduring
peece and our own future satety.
"Conditions are such that If only we
ore strong and prompt enough we can
,vrest good out Of evil and turn the
Balkan struggle entirely and fatally
20 German disadvantage. The enemy u
at present blocked in France, blocked
on the Italian frontier and blocked IN
Russia. In all three directions the
Germans have reached their limit. II
they are blocked in the Balkans during
the next few weeks and brought VlVldly
10 their limit in that direction Glso' 'he
Central Empires, with their known ana
limited numbers, and coming as they
are TO their last reserves, VIII nave
stretched out their fighting line TO It's
longest and thnnest.
Combined Offensive Needed.
"Tf they are but held on that line
TO begin with il can more certainly be
ruptured at its weakest point. Ihey
will then be crushed in on all fronts
in due course by the accumulatng
strength Of the Allies forces. en-
Moved with increasing superiority OF
numbers on a combined offensive WORK
ing from west, east and south.
"The enemy in the Balkans is play
ing his lst ca !. The ALI IN France
and Belgium can in any case keep
their front impregnable under the new
conditions. They can postpone their
Western offensive if they choose, so as
10 make il more crushing at a later
stage. II suits General Joffre that the
Germans in pursuit of their Balkan
adventure should either be compe! led
positively TO reduce their strength be-
tween the North Sea and the Nosges
or should have the utmost difficulty IN
supplvi. q the rei.forcements required
to keep up q safe level Of strength
against the Franco British armies:
These are Just the conditions required
10 accelerate the coming Of the tnal
situation when General JOffre VIII have
il in his grasp to win the cfownlng
victory of the European war.
Russias Role Important.
con the east Russia IS already re-
Neved TO a remarkable degree by the
transfer to the Balkan frontier Of the
armies under Mackensen, Gallwitz and
Fichhorn. Our Russian allies have
breathing space. The Cars armies IN
the next stage a few months hence
could swing their offensive with greater
effect against an enemy weakened on
the eastern front by the diversion Of
troops, guns and munitions toward the
Danube.
THE first thing is TO save Serbia,
stop the German advance and deprive
the Bulgarians of their hopes IN Mace
donia. Great Britain and France, but
Great Britain above all, must throw
RAPIDLY into the Balkans enough troops
TO neutralize the Bulgarian attack.
This means at least quarter OF
million men. That is the preliminary
step. The further steps will mean the
real test of british capacity and
craftsmanship.
1--WE must act at Bucharest and at
Athens. seeing that we failed 20 act at
Sofia. We must guarantee 10 kumahla
and Greece that with the Allies they
will be on the winning side, and 10
make that guarantee fully effective we
must pledge ourselves to raise British
and French forces in the Balkans Wlth.
il. a stipulated time to the strength OF
half "a million men and more II need be.
Rumanias Force 100000.
"Rumania can put 100000 men in the
field. but her geographical position for
bids her to leave anything TO chance
She must be thoroughly satisfied as TO
military prospects in the Balkans. She
must have full inducements.
There must be no more blindness
i'm that respect, no more peddllng
diplomacy on the part OF the Alhes.
The adhesion Of Rumania would mean
not only a splendid accession to the
Allies numbers and efficiency; II would
mean that Russian forces would be
directly linked up through Rumanian
RAILWAYS with the heart of the Balkans.
II would mean that Russian troops can
pass into Bulgaria.
"Tbat would bring about a complete
political revolution in Bulgaria, the
sweeping away of King Ferdinand and
his dynasty and the return Of the Bull
garian army TO the Slay cause. That Is
as certain a possibility as anything IN
political calculation can be. The Allies
can secure the adhesion OF Rumania,
the reversal of Bulgarian policy, the
saving of Serbia and the mastery Of
Turkey if their military policy IN the
Balkans is decisive enough and their
Diplomatic action at Bucharest IS bold
and generous.
Greece in Tight Place.
"Of Greece, perhaps the less said
at present the better. 1t is essential
that there should be perfect clearness
about the situation, and that the Allies
should be sure of their ground IN
every respect. NJ. Venizelos and the
majority of the Greek people are IN
painful conflict with King Constantine.
the Kaiser's sister and the court. The
new Cabinet under VI. Zaimis has taken
the very grave step of repudiatng its
treaty obligations TO Serbia. We doubt
whether the consequences OF that pol
icy. II adhered 20, have been fully
understood in Athens. II would mean,
IN effect, a Reputation on the part
OF King Constantine and his govern
ment Of the treaty OF Bucharest under
which Greece received all her additions
Of territory. It il quite impossible for
Greece TO have all the profit arising
out Of the treaties of 1918 with none
OF the responsibility for maintaining
these treaties as a whole.
in all circumstances the Allies must
make certain of their base at Salonica.
and this they can DO. but the first point
10 make plain at Athens is that modern
Greece Is the creation OF France, Great
Britain and Russia. and that the wei
fare and prosperity OF the kingdom OF
the Hellenes are as inseparable from
sea power as were the fortunes Of an
cient Athens.
The next point 10 make plain is that
a country which repudiates any treaty