Evening star., 1916-09-20

| There is good reason to believe that
the drive at Verdun was not inspired
solely by the desire to take the
strong place in the east" even adorned
| by its iron-bearing hills. nor to thwart
the English preparations for a great
offensive. The German plan was not
| merely to attempt to extort sep
arate peace from France. but to SO
| frighten the smaller states then neu-
trail that they would decline to go
further into the allied negotiations.
The Austrian drives in Italy and Rus
sia were similarly motived.
The Germans failed everywhere. The
French held out at Nerdun until the
British were fit to launch an offensive
"a big offensive. If not The Big Of
fensive. The combined Anglo British
blow on the Somme SO weakened the
German forces that they have prac-
| tically given up the assault on YER
dun. They have been .conclusively de-
feated there. There is still activity.
but for the most part it is French ac-
tivity. Little by little. foot by foot.
defeats of the central powers in Italy
and Russia unquestionably persuaded
Rumania to come in. She has been
promised that Transylvania country
she has so long desired. bulgaria
came to her senses.
Bulgaria has made overtures for
peace" l have been told. England
has been willing. but Russia refused.
Bulgaria in Sofia"
The Balkan Situation.
To make plain why England would
assent to Bulgarian peace and why
Russia refused would entail history
of Balkan politics 1t is easier to say
that England thinks it wiser to elm
mate one very sturdy foe from the enc
my ranks, while Russia remembers that
Bulgaria owes it's existence in great
part to her support, and proposes to
punish what she considers Bulgarian
treachery. There are also certain con-
flicting interests in the matter OF Con-
stantinople to be considered. The whip
ping of Bulgaria may prolong the war
somewhat, but when the whipping has
been accomplished some little peace
may be found in the Balkans.
Greece had been assigned her place
in the big drive. Not much was asked
of her in military way-she was only
called on for 10000 men-and 1t is per-
fectly known that Great Britain offered
Cyprus as a reward for her complais-
ance. But King Constantine and the
military hierarchy were pro-German.
The people were mildly pro-French, but
not much so that they wanted to go
to war. The Venizelos faction was pro-
ally. The country swarmed with Ger
man spies and the plans of the allies
were constantly being interfered with.
When one is fighting for life the milder
restraints of courtesy disappear.
You will take orders from us or
else Prince George will be put on the
throne, is the way the privately COM
municated uitimatum was placed be-
fore the king.
German Spies on the Run.
At the moment of writing King Con-
stantine seems not to have made up
his mind. The allies have frightened
their grip upon Grecian affairs, how
ever. and the pro-German element in
the army is being eliminated. German
spies are represented as diving out of
Greece and into the Mediterranean
like bullfrogs off bank. So far as
the immediate present Is concerned, 1t
makes no difference, except to those
personally concerned. whether Con-
stantine loses his job or whether
George gets it, or whether Venizelos
becomes president of new Grecian
republic. AS for the future. Greece
will take her part in the big drive.
She may get a slice of Asia Minor for
her complaisance. Her markets will
be taken in good part by the allies.
The merchants of the central powers
will be booted out. Already Gen. Sar-
rail, commanding the French forces at
Saloniki, has taken the initiative.
Here is population OF almost
100000" he has stated in a circular
addressed to French exporters. They
have been largely supplied in the past
by Austrian goods. Send to the ad-
dresses below the goods you can send.
when you can ship them, and details
of prices, quality" etc.
British Must Do the Work.
To return to the purely military as
poets of the big drive. The weight
of it is to be borne by the British in
the west. although they are to be sup
ported by the French to the generous
limit of their power. More British
regiments are crossing the channel
constantly. More big guns are being
hauled up. more miles of railroad built,
more shells banked in the revictualling
stations. more telephone lines strung
and more Perfect organization created.
The little drive has been of inestima-
BILE value to the British forces.
I'VE have learned the game" as one
candid officer said recently. we didn't
know 1t when the drive started"
Gaining ground in the future should
be easier than in the past, for a very
obvious reason. When the French
and British first struck the German
lines on the Somme they encountered
the stiffest field defenses any army
has ever met. That first line was
armor-plated and concrete-backed and
tunnel-bottomed. The Germans had
every reason for confidence in them.
The French and British smashed
them. The moment an army leaves