The Mena weekly star., 1916-08-10
SAYS WAR TIDE IS
 TURNED ID ALLIES
co.eral JofHre Declares Victory No,v Is Only a Matter of Time ' Germany, Has Lost Initiative
 Allies Are Now Prepared.

P censHaI Headquarters of , the vas.sS,,s afif,y sAfie!s5. Victory for .sa@sllies. is now teertain, as Ger Snsas sl's fighting witR her Back to the -all, begins t6hfeveal weaknesses, general 16Ire. French commanders 3sin-chief, told a sfoup of American correspendents he had received on sba occasion of the second anni- versary of the war.
 The French commander would mi venture an opinion as to when Ina war would end. There is no eSIdenee of any imminent German eoiIanse on the western front, he ssmnbasized, but the tide of war has @ turned for the Allies with the snccessful stand made by the French at Verdun. The Allies, he nointed out, are gaining strength m every front even in the Balkans, wnere the newly equipped Serbian army is ready to take the offensive.
 Feels Closer to America
 The correspondents were escort ed to General Joffre's headquarters bv Deputy Franklin Bouillon, pres dent of the Allied Inter Parlia- mentary Union.
 sTt is a great pleasure for me to meet representative of American nublic opinion" said General Joffre, abecause it provides an occasion for me to express my appreciation of what Americans have done for France in the present crisis. France will issue from the conflict with her traditional friendship greatly strengthened because she is not only fighting for an ideal equal ly dear to both Americans and French. but fighting in a manner worthy of our ancestors who fought with your ancestors in America for the attainment of this ideal
 Altho our enemies today ere fight ing more bitterly than ever, yet with the present unity of action of the Allies, the entire sees and un- derstands clearly that destiny IS shaping the final victory for us A characteristic feature of the present campaign is the unity of action on all fronts which is bring ever in ereasing pressure on the enemy on all sides
 All Allies Now Prepared.
 While it was French sacrifices early in the war which enabled the Allies to prepare for this unity of action. l am pT9a5 now to pay pub lie homage to the manner in which our allies today are discharging their obligations. Russia. profiting by the time we were able to give thru our being the first prepared, has made an ever increasing effort, drawing ever more continually upon her inexhaustable supply of men and material until she was able to pour the armed masses upon the eastern front that have attained the recent glorious achievements.
 At the same. time England was enabled to demonstrate the full powers of mobilization and the ae- tual fighting value she is now fully displaying on the Somme The Ital- ians had a more difficult problem and a more limited sphere of action, but their splendid accomplishments are well Known. The Serbian army, in the past week, already has dis played unbroken fighting. with which fl is ready to resume the campaign
 Germany's Reserves Used Up.
 Altho our enemies are stili fight ing desperately, yet weaknesses .al- ready have appeared. They are now drawing on their last reserves. This information we have from all points. Equally important is the fact that the former Germat. plan Of quickly transferring reserves tQI the various fronts is no longer pos slble because of the steady united action of the Allies on all portions Of the German front. Victory is now certain. If is not for me to say how long the struggle VIII last before the final break in the ememy's strength comes, but it IS absolutely certain that it is com ing
 The turning point in the war al- ready mas been reached It was the IlNe months of French resistance at Yerdun which shattered the Ger man plans and turned the scale de- nnltely. Still. one must not ima- glne that there is any distinct weakening of the force still oppos- ing us. We have two- thirds of the sshllre German army, f22 divisions, ieclng us, while the remaining 50I uYlslons. coupled with the Austrian army, opposing the Russian front,