The De Soto County news. [volume] (Arcadia, Fla.) 1898-1924, 1916-01-06
I'm Bessarabia Continues TO BE the
Most Visible War Activity at Pres
ent.
ALLIES TO MEET
IN THE BALKANS
And Gain Complete Mastery of That
Peninsula, Seems to Be the Present
Plans.
Plans.

London, Jan. 3.-Russia's campaign
In Bessarabia continues to be the most
visible war activity. From the Pripet
, to the Roumanian frontier, over a
front Of at least 800 miles, huge
Russian force with a great appearance
Of confidence, is hurting sledge ham
mer blows at the opposing force,
which, according to all accounts, totals
at least million and half men.
Petrograd still claims considerable
success in the early stages Of the cam
paign, and dispatches emphasize the
excellent equipment, supplies and am
munition that Russia has laid up for
this purpose during a period Of COM
parative passivity.
Some London observers, specializing
on the meaning Of the Bessarabian
move, have it as one Of the most am.
bilious strategic plans since the be-
ginning of hOstlities, and predict that
1t will prove a colossal attempt to
break the backbone of the Germanic
allies whole line across the Balkans.
Thus one critic says:
Will Meet i'm Balkans.
1.-THE plan is that Russia and the
other allies, moving from different
sides, shall meet in the Balkans and
gain complete mastery Of that PENN
sula. If they succeed Turkey will be
subdued and the vital life Of Austria
Hungary menaced.
So long as Russia keeps up her ac-
tivitics just north of the Roumanian
border, the attitude of Roumania will
continue to grow in Importance. There
have been many assertions in the en-
tente capitals that Roumania was
of the entente allies, but nothing to
support this has been heard from
creditable Roumanian sources"
In the meantime in the south OF the
Balkan peninsula, the entente allies
continue their eXpectant attitude to-
ward the treatment of an attack. al
though Greece seems occupied mainly
in making various diplomatic protests,
having followed up her polite protest
to the entente powers against the ar
rest Of consuls. with one to the central
powers against their aeroplane flying
across Greek territory in a raid, which
killed a Greek shepherd and a few
sheep.
Up to Americans Again.
The sinking Of the steamer Persia.
with the death of an American con-
sular officer. brings up in the Euro
pean capitals the familiar query as to
what the United States win do now.
Dispatches from English correspond
ents picture the sinking of the Persia
as a particularly aggravater case, ow-
ing to the fact that the shin was hit
without warning or opportunity for
the passengers to escape, but was also
hit in most vital part, so that 4 =
sank Immediately, the whole t.1c
from the launching Of the torpedo to
the disappearance of the liner being
only five minutes.
In connection with the submarine
activity in the Mediterranean, It is in
teresting to note that report shows
only twenty British steamships sunk
by submarines during the month of
December, with the loss Of sixty-seven
lives, while eight or more were sunk
by mines, with the loss Of thirteen
lives.
For the English cabinet, Wednesday
VIII be n red-letter day, for on that day
Premier Asquith will introduce COM
pulsion, and the premier probably has
never had a more difficult task than
he viii have in engineering this meas
ure and his speech presenting II in the
house is expected to be one of the
finest efforts Of his career.