Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1916-10-08

troops from ono frno to the other
either for attack or defense. The al
lied strategy at present, eXcmplified
10y the great operations simultaneous
ly carried out in Picardy and GaliCia,
successfully prevents the transfer Of
troops in this way, and one OF the
most brilliant triumphs of German
preparedness and organization can no
longer be repeated.
The present German lines on
neither front were chosen for the
purpose OF prolonged defensive, but
are tho result OF unsuccessful at
tcmpts to win decisive victories. Es
pecially is this true in the east. The
tar-flung Teutonic hosts in Russia are
standing whore they are because they
can go neither forward nor backward
and reached their present positions
during an almost successful attempt
TO round up and destroy the Russian
field armies last autumn.
The entry of Rumania into the war
came at "a time when the tension
caused by tou-widely extended lines
must already have been severely felt.
Whether the strength of the German
army has already commenced to de-
cline in actual numbers is perhaps not
absolutely certain, although nearly
every military authority ON the allied
side believes that ii has. But that the
German strength IN man power and
munitiun supply has been rapidly de-
cHuing all this year on both fronts.
relatively to the strength of the al
lies, admits OF no doubt And with
the trench lines already SO thinly
manned that Russia was able to make
a great dent In the southeastern sec
tor. incidentally adding sixty miles to
. - 1.f ], r.
denly threw 100000 fresh troops into
the scale and opened operations on a
3OO-milo line.
The addition of a big army to the
ranks Of her foes was indeed serious
for Germany, but not SO menaCing as
the extension Of the front caused by
Rumanias entry into the war. Six
hundred thousand troops on the old
fronts of the allies would be well
come reinforcement but Colonel Rep
ington, the British expert, believes the
now mileage added to the Austro-
German lines by humtnias position
makes her declaration Of war at least
twice as valuable as would have been
the case had she only been able to
send her army TO France.
That this diagnosis is correct was
shown by the tactics adopted imme-
diately after Rumania came in. Re
gardlcss of the effect upon public
opinion in Hungary, the fairest lands
OF Pennsylvania were abandoned
without a. blow by the Austrian
armies. which retreated to the limo OF
the Maros river in order to flatten
out the Transylvania salient and les
sen 10y l50 miles the new front they
are compelled TO defend, Such
move would never have been made "A
year ago, nor would 1t be made now
unless the problem OF finding men to
man the fronts had become most
serious.
Lines Grow Longer.
The second reason why retire
mcnt must be made somewhere ~
found in .he nature OF the present al
liod otfensiVcs east and west. II has
been proved that elaborately con-
structod trench linea miles in depth.
fortified by all the barbed wire that
can be tangled over the ground and
fifty machine guns to battalion.
cannot prevent the allied artillery
from blasting way through for their
infantry. AS these attacks have