The Washington times., 1916-08-15
TfiH ALLIES Bio STRATEGY

Tho news dispatches bearing on
the four major campaigns in Europe.
II read with map Of E6fApe spread
before the reader, give ~ pretty
accurate impression Of the sfsAt
strategy Of the entente powers. First
Of all, IL Is apparent that italy and
Russia are concentrating their power.
to break down Austria. A separate
peace with the Hapsburgs may as
naturally be The first phase Of the
allies program, just as a separate
peace with Russia was the original
purpose Of the central empires. =.
Italy is determined to gain the
Adriatic provinces; France, to. re-
cover Alsacs-Lorraine. II Italy
should succeed in its purpose Of TAX
ing Trieste, Austria would be prac-
tically cut of from the sea. She
would be ready to make peace on al
most any terms that would restore
her outlet to the blue waters.
Germany has both her greatest
strength and her greatest weakness
In the west. Her natural western
frontier is the Rhine. But she held
considerable area to the west of
the great river, even before the pres
ent war began. The most effective
way to restore a balance of power in
Europe would be to drive Germany
back to the Rhine, and to divide the
conquered territory between France
and Belgium. That would give Bel
GUM its indemnity in the only form
in which Germany will be able to
pay it. It would give Alsace-Lor-
raine back to France. The looping
of Of this territory and population
from Germany would restore some
thing like an equilibrium between It
and France. ,.. ........'.
Such a drastic partition Of Ger
man territory, however, would
weaken France as much as it would
injure Germany. The Rhenish prov
inces-broadly, that part Of Ger
many west Of the Rhine with the
exception Of Alsace-Lorraine-are
thoroughly German. They would re-
sent being turned over to France,
and would give France a problem of
assimilation quite as difficult as that
which Germany has had on its
hands, in Alsacsl Lorraine, since the
Franco Prussian war. France would
be wise not to ask more than Alsace-
Lorraine. Probably she does not &C.
tually hope or desire more..,
But the allies strategy will never
theless be to conquer all German ter
ritory west Of the Rhine. That bat
tie cry is already heard. That much
accomplished, it will be possible to
force terms Upon Germany that will
reasonably insure the peace OF
Europe in future. ........ So.
The big strategy Of the allies
then, would seem to be the conques,
of this cis-Rhenish territory from
Germany, and the crushing of Aus
tria. Austria will probably collapse
long before Germany. Assuming that
the western powers and Russia car
continue their present gain, Austris
cannot last much longer. The
Balkan situation of today strongl,
suggests q peace with Bulgaria II
the not distant future. That in turn
means the early ruin of Turkish
power in Europe, and the restoration
Of Serbia. Austria would have los
all hope Of realizing her dreams O.
a seat at Constantinople. She woul,
be ready to decker for the restora
ton Of an outlet to a real seapor
on the Adriatic; even to break ava,
from Germany, it may be assumed
in order to get 1t.
This accomplished, the entent
could concentrate all forces agains
Germany, clean up the Rhine lands
and force a peace upon Germany o.
terms that would not only restore
better balance between France an
Germany, but would make 1t pos
sible to widen the extent of bufYe
: territory between France and &c,
many. Britain would be more tina
D ever the deciding weight in futur
' alignments Of continental forces, an
S that is the position for which it ma
> confidently be assumed BIRTHS
craftsmanship will play.
: Russia, in such a determination
would require compensation; and sh
( would probably get it in the Nes
= East. Ancient Poland would be n
n stored, with Russia and German
f both contributing to its area, an
possibly with part Of Galicia take
Il away from Austria. II is widel
o doubted, however, whether a refe
n endum in Galicia would determine
n favor Of withdrawal from Austr
n and restoration to Old Poland; Z,
: Galicia has thrived under Austris
5, rule as It almost never did befor