The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1916-01-05


bear let out soon reached Japan,
England and America, and for the
last three months rifles, shells and
cannon have been pouring into the
Pacific and Arctic ports. Canadian
|ice-breakers will keep Archangel open
all winter for munition-laden ships
from America. Heavily loaded trains
are crawling across the Siberian
plains in almost endless procession.
stopping here and there to deposit
rifles and cartridges for the men who
have been training with sticks and
only lacked the arms wherewith to,
join the armies now preparing for
Russians future campaign.
Has 100000 Troops.
With the beginning of the New
Year various estimates place the
number of RESTRAINED Russian troops
at five million. At least two laillion
more are being armed at the rate of
over half million a Month. AL ad-
ditional million Of twcnty-year-otd
youths were called upon December
4. These will take their places in
the ranks early in the year.
Russia's veterans already holding
the battle-line from Riga to the Black
sea and operating in the Caucasus
are estimated to total at least A.
100000, all hardy fighters, making
the total of Russian military strength
in sight approximately twelve mil
lion men.
To Enter Balkans.
Like England, France and Italy,
Russia is preparing to fight in the
Balkans. This campaign, which is
already under way, is under the lead
ership of General Dimitrieff, ex-com-
mander 1.-THE Ninth Bulgarian army
| who renounced Gear Ferdinand and
! Bulgaria and sent back the military
decorations rendered him by his for
mer sovereign. Dimitrieff's first OBJ
jective is Bulgaria, anticipation of
which early in December sent Aus
tro-Germana and Bulgarian regiments
hastily to Rustchuk, the nearest Bull
garian city to the Russian border. :
Expect Desertions.
| 1t was Russia that delivered Bull
garia from the Turkish yoke. When
faced by the Russians as a foe, led
by a former popular general of the
Bulgarian army, wholesale deser-
tions from the Bulgar forces are con-
sidered potent possibility.
Russian forces, too, have been sent
in ample numbers to the Caucasus in
order, if necessary, to lend aid to the
British in the event the Suez canal
should be seriously threatened by the
reinforced German-led Turks.
Losses Enormous.
Though Russia has lost an esti-
mated million and half prisoners
to Germany and Austria, nearly a
million men of the double enemy
have been captured and sent to ST.
| IBERIA where they are in no danger
of liberation, as are the Russian pris-
oners in Germany and Austria. The
Austro- German losses during the last
three months, on the Russian front,
have been enormous. Russia's own
losses have not been light, but they
undoubtedly are far under those Of
the enemy, most of whose fighting
has been offensive. The activities
of General Ivanoff in eastern Galicia
during September, October and No.
vember are credited with putting
100000 of the enemy out of the
fight.
People Optimistic.
Optimism has now taken the place
of the pessimism that prevailed in
Russia during the dark days of the
summer. The man on the street in
Petrograd knows as we'll as the high
est official that Russia plans an Of
fensive against Germany and Aus
tria in the spring of 1916 the like
of which the world has never expert
elced. Perhaps it will come sooner.
Whether the expenditure of vast
quantities Of ammunition on the
front, starting in November and con-
tinuing through December, is pre-
paration for an advance earlier than
March, or just measure to keep the
Germans from digging in and pro-
tecting themselves against the in
tense cold Of Russian winter is not
quite clear. H. .s..s 4. Il
Russia generally is watchfully.
waiting, but it takes no clairvoyant
to forecast that the animal that con-
fronts the Germans before many
weeks will not be the same sore
nosed beast of the summer and aut-