Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-07-30

the Germans and Austrians, under
Field Marshal Won Mackenscn already
had taken Belgrade. Though they
fought hcroically. the Serbians wcre
overwhelmed by attacks from two
sides and driven into Albania. whilo
the armies OF the Central Powers form
cd junction with the BuiEarians and
opened the route to Constantinoplc.
MORE DIFFICULTIES
CONTINUE TO DEVELOP
New difficulties continued to develop
for the allies, however. In MeSopo-
tamia the Turi>S stopped the advance OF
General Townshcads forces within
twenty miles of Bagdad and drove him
back TO kut-el-Amara. bcsicGin,; him
there. In Persia the Ecndarmerc re-
VOTED against the government. Great
ing fresh embarrassmentS ~or the RUS
slams. In the Balkans. after the com :
pletc conQueS. OF Serbia and the oc-
cuDation of Il considerable portion Of
Albania. the AustrianS invaded Monte
negro, and before the end of January
all the Balkan peninsula. with the
exception of Greece. Roumania and a
little corner Of Albania was in the
hands of the group of Central Empires
That marked the limit OF their sue
reSSes The advantage that time had
gained for the allies began to toll
General 1vanof. commanding the Rus
sian armies in Nolhynia and Rcssara-
bia. continued their offensive in Jam
uary with the occupation OF CZurtorysll.
Itself unimportant. tho Significance Of
this operation lay in the revelation i;
furnished Of a refreshed and re-en-
forced Russian army provided with
new cannon. abundant supplies OF pro-
jectiles and sufficient power to plow
,ip German field dcfcnscs.
or far greater significance was tho
advance in the Caucasus by Grand Dut a
Nicholas. forcing the fall Of Erzerur,.
accomplishing tn" occupation of Kcr-
nanshah aud. in the military view
here, virtually eliminating Turkey as
a factor in the European war. besides
rc-cSta hliShlNE IN" prestige uf the ri
lies in Persia Instead of reservoir
Of mon upon which they might dra ".
to fill the void caused by eighteen
months Of heavy waStage. the central
powers found a. Constantinoplc ONLY
an additional drain upon their re-
sources. The Russian advance not ONLY
meant tho recall OF Turkish divisions
that were expected to help the Ger
mans. Austrians and EulEarians against
tho allies at Salouki. hut German and
Austrian troops were sent with them
30 aid the defeated ottoman forces in
Armenia Yct Trehizond fell after
F:rzcrum; MuSh was occupied. and tn.
conquest Of Armenia was nearly com
plcic The diversion in the east had
failed to break tho Gordon OF steel and
IN February tho coalition of the central
empires was facing n crisis OF greater
gravity than any that had threatcncd
tho entente allies. The Bulga ran
army was almost barefoot the Turks
excepting at -elAmara. were
everywhere defeated. and thc wast3Ec
Of the lons and unsuccessful effort to
tako Dvinsk had weakened Won Hin
dcnhurr so that he was incapable OF
undertaking 4 general offensive on the
Russian front The Austrians. left To
themselves. had never succeeded. and
the ma intcnancc Of large force be-
fore Saloniki was required TO hold
Serbia and prevent the inva sion OF
Bulgaria. The interior situation OF
Germany was officially admitted TO be
grave.
In this emharra ssincnt. as the French
Observers view it, the central powers
ardcntly desiring peace, and urgently
needing success TO raise tho spirits OF