Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-03-17
CENTRAL POWERS PREPARING
FOR OFFENSIVE THIS SPRING
Every Ounce of Energy Being Reserved for
the Great Battles Drawing Near.
Ammunition Believed Plentiful.

trail powers intended an offensive
against Italy early in the spring. Such
maneuver is not wholly out OF the
question. Nevertheless, it may be said
so far as the Austro- Hungarians are
concerned, Italy seems to be welcome
to attack the positions along the Ison-
20 and the Tyrolean border.
Could Not influence Situation.
An offensive on the part of the Ital-
ians could not influence the military
situation of the central powers greatly.
it is felt here. 1t could bring relief to
neither the Russians nor French and
British troops. since for the defense
of these Austro- Hungarian lines but
Few troops are needed. Hun
gary would be able, therefore, in the
opinion of military men here. to de-
vote her energy to the Russian thea
ter Of war, and do this more completely
than was the case last summer. when
men instead of trenches and other mill
1tary means had to hold back the Ital-
ians
At the same time these authorities
hold that offensive operations by the
entente from the Saloniki base cannot
influence the situation in Russia and
France. In the first place. such opera
tions would be local and left largely
considered probable that the entente
troops there will never undertake any
thing serious. if. indeed, they are not
withdrawn before long.
Offensive by French Expected.
One of the things counted upon here
as reasonable certain is a new often
sive by the French troops. Some hold
the view that this will synchronize
with renewed activity by the Russians.
Each side has the choice of what sort
of operations it will adopt, but the en-
tente has the opportunity of starting
offensives on colossal scale east and
west This means that in one of these
theaters of war the central powers
probably will be obliged to play a
waiting game.
Several factors argue for a move on
the French front. In the east the CEN
trail powers hold all the territory
needed as peace pawn, while the ten
depa rtments of France occupied by the
Germans have so far not produced the
desired effect upon the republics popu-
lation. Other gains might do SO, how
ever. it is argued here. In addition it
is thought desirable to change the
general situation on the western thea
ter of war before the new British
armies become a fact there. though it
is felt that this will not occur before
next AUTUMN.
Place Faith in Artillery.
In this connection it is of interest to
note how a German offensive against
the French is pictured here. Artillery
! more artillery, and again artillery
artillery in such superiority that
nothing can live under it's whitening
breath.
That the entente will do it's utmost
in the spring and summer to end the
war has become almost certain. espe-
cially in view of the gradual realiza :
ton that the hopes of reducing the
central powers through lack of ma l.
terials needed for the continuation of
the war have proved fallacious.
| The partial abstinence practiced
, everywhere in the central empires has
had but one result: it has made the
war a personal matter. Nowhere is
this truer. perhaps, than in Austria :
Hungary, where the want of this and
that has gradually fostered a bitter
ness against Great Britain and France
which did not exist a year ago. 1t may
well be said that the return to black
bread has in the Danube monarchy
caused no fear that the armies and