The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1916-01-03
'WINIEH III BRIHG
.LULL IN EUROPE s
WAR OPERATIONS
LsliD WEATHER On ALL
BATTLE FRONTS LIKELY
I'D >iOp FIGHTING.


that the winter weather Is likely 70
prove the most severe obstacle to war
operations on the principal fronts dur.
.ng The next few weeks.
The most dreaded period OF winter
IS from the end OF December to the
end OF January. was General frcnch's
reply a year ago TO the demands for
a great offensive.
Reuters correspondent at western
headquarters. after rcmarking that
the British staff is confident that the
allies are now so strong in men and
munitions that they can break
through the German lines whenever
the right time comes. declares the
weather Is the chief reason for post.
poning the big movement. and adds:
Such movement needs careful
planning and extreme caution. Roll.
lngup tactics always involve the pos.
sihility of counter attacks. which may
end In rolling up the aggressor. With
the face OF the country IN a porous
and mushy condition il Is impossible
to effect the essential quick move
ments OF artillery without which any
big oifense is ioredoomed to fail.
"The allied troops would probably
have little trouble In occupying any
part of the German front trenches
forthwith because the enemy hold
these lightly. But then with the
ranges registered to nicely from
thousands of pieces of artillery and
machine guns such step would be
sheer suicide until the opportunity is
ripe"
A Russian correspondent writes.
"The most severe part OF winter /
has begun In the Russian theater.
All reports agree that the weather
this year Is hrader than usual. 1t is
increasingly doubtful il any serious
events will occur until the end of
January"
Despite the weather the duel in the
Vosges mountains In the wesirn zone
continues and eventually may prove
10 be one Of the big operations of the .
war. The gains in either direction
nus FAR have been small but the .
french claim progress in their effort
o establish themselves on the crest
If the foothills which here dominate
he plain.
BY all accounts Salonk is now
afc. Certainly the central powers !.
how no haste TO attack the allies
osition. Seyenty-liye thousand Serb
ans have reformed at Scutari and
'lbasan in Albania and the Montene.
rim army, which heretofore has been
ebarred geographically from taking !,
ny large part in the war is now
hrowing Itself energentically into the !.
ontest against the Austrians.
Reports that the Austrians are at
acking Scutari are authoritatively de
led. According to the latest advices
he Austrians were at Bjelop0lje,
here they were repulsed by the :
iontenegrins and can not reach Sou
ari without crossing the Albanian :
lips and the flooded river Drin.
No official announcement is yet
vailabie in London as to the decision :,
the acblnet in favor OF compulsion.
ut the political atmosphere has been !"
onsiderably cleared by the admission :
lat the principle of compulsion is ac. =
opted by a majority of the members -
the cabinet. Public opinion has =
,t yet crystalized but there is wide.
read approval of Premier Asquith's
neral attitude and there is feeling -
at the public is quite ready to be Il,
nvinced. -
The difficulties within the cabinet
ay be expected to diminish as the
estion shapes itself in practical
I'M. A joint meeting of the repre-
natives OF the labor party and the
leration of trade unions has been -.
ter