Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1916-03-13

fronts OF the European war--has more
than Il million men This is enough.
welded, to knock Turkey QUIT
OF the war Then and only then fun
concentration of the allies could take
place ON the European theater ana for
final purposes, Rumania would be de- |
eided The Balkans Would he mas
tered. The vitals Of Austria Hungary
would be threatened Meme. Meme, |
Tckcl. rpharsin' The doom of Ger
many would be written on the wall
For the allies the triumphant end
would be in sight
The Passing OF Confusion.
Now It has hecn useless hitherto tol
complain Of dispersion There had to
be operations In Mcsopotamia, and
though more force ought 10 have been
employed it does not follow that the
plan ought to have been more timidly
limited. Egypt had to he made im-
pregnablc by works ana numbers Sa-
lonca and Nalona had to he held un-
less the Serb race was To be driven To
compound With Austria and al hone
abandoned either of gaining Rumnnia.
or averting far worse things IN Greece.
or preventing more serious dangers 10
the main Russian position and So to
the whole allied cause The present
extent of dispersion WAS the result %
relieving the Turks from the menace
to the heart of their empire and al
lowing them to regain the initiative ut
the perimeter SO as to threaten Egypt
or Lower Mcsopotamia at Will.
The British methods hitherto pur-
sued We're such rs 60 open up no pros
lpect OF military progress. When the
Turks rercated they were not effect
lively pursued They were left 90 come
on again We did not seek strongly a
real decision in any of the outlying
arenas In the east. Perhaps We had
not until now sufficient force where
with to seek q decision or lacked the
proper combination of naval and mill
tary plans
Now the uncertainty and confusion
which arose out of last years tempo
lrary circumstances are passing away
Mr.. Asuuith and Lord Kitchener lead
us respectively to assume that General
Townsend is safe at Kut, that the
raising of the siege is assured. that
further rcinforccmonts may enable
General Lake ana General Aylmor e
strike hard, 1t is very possible that
the Russians will soon he within SOM
hundred and fifty miles of the Tur-
lksh communications along the I'M
accumulated Of DnnIu1 yuti.
way far to the northwest of that city
This may well offer chance for the
junction OF the allies in the mddl,
least and for the total clearance of Me
isopotamia. Again. owing to the late
ness of the season and the effect O
the Russian stroke at Erzerum, Egyp
> in a few weeks ought to he finally Sc
cured. A large part of the fine arm,
assembled near the canal may be lib
Grated for more active operations.
, Is il too much to hope that the side
shows will be resolutcly wound up on
by one as the result of the coordinate,
, employment of the million troops AM
more which the grand alliance mus
have in the near east and the middl
ftdNA iHdl MOUlt lltuIi H. HttiuA Nh
vance by progressive stages towards
fun and final concentration on the Flu
ropean affair. Asia and Egypt are in
deed eccentric theatcrs. The Balkan
and Rumania are in Europe itself
V They touch the frontiers of the centra
empires. Operations in the Balkan
ara as much part Of the allies con
centric designs as are the Italian op
erations on the Isonzo. This is the dif
ference between the near cast and tn
, more distant campaigns. This pro
grcssive concentration by the flna
winding up Of the Egyptian and Asiat
ic sde-shoWs including that very larg
one which has kept fine Russian fight
inr forces locked up in Armenia, cai
undoubtedly be accomplished.
We feel sure that It will be done
> Upon how IT may be done we shall no
speculate. ] was urged very powerful
~ some months ago that to land b
the Gulf Of Alexandretta would be tn
most brilliant way of bringing sea
power TO bear upon the land opera
tons and would be the surest mean
of cutting the Turkish communication
= just where they branch westwards to
wards the Euphrates, the Tigris an
Bagdad, southwards, through Syrif
towards Egypt. Offensive strokes G
that kind, promising double victory a
: a distance and at the same tim
" threatening the existence of large enc
my forces, are, Of course, preforahl
= to operations that either Keep 20
" waiting usclcssly for a foe who ma
not choose to como or leave the Turk
q in any case a safe line of retreat an
! fun means Of renewing the struggle
9 Yet though Alcxandrctta might hay
u been the very best OF side-shows. a
: the most certain aids towards a clea
. decision beyond the Bospnorus and Il
= innate concentration in Europe. W
!. could not take up that or any otho
u new adventure while we were so In
: conclusively engaged on several front
{ elsewhere
: We heartily hope that as rcsu
). of Russian and British action follow
ing the fan Of Er2crum there will Il
- a resolute liquidation Of the mo-
" distant side-shows, so as to secur
before the end of this year what "
all hold to be the grand desideratuI
the full and final concentration {
the allies upon the main Europea
Il business. Otherwise the Turks wi
: continue in one way or another I
tie up in the Caucasus. in Mesopf
tamia and in Egypt far more tina