New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-09-08

man offensive in France exceedingly I'M
likely. At the moment the Rumanlan ad-
vance into Hungary is going forward
rapidly, the Russian advance IN Gallcla mas
been resumed with considerable success
and the Allied threat at Bulgaria through
Macedonia is unmstakable. Finally, the
Somme operation is not only continuing,
but palpably getting new force.
Conceivably the Germans have the men
to hold on everywhere until the end of the
season 1t is unlikely, but it is just pos
sible. Then they are bound to make new
bid for peace. which will fill the world
and have very interesting echoes here in
the United States, where the machinery IS
being organized at this very moment. Such
a peace will not be based on the war map
of Europe, but on the peace map of July,
1914. We have covered a good deal Of
ground since last May.
But if Germany cannot hold on until fall
on all fronts, then she must shorten her
western front, because it is the front from
which she can most easily draw men and
it is the only front on which she is entirely
upon enemy territory. 1t is small comfort
for the Hungarians, for example, when
Transylvanian cities are falling rapidly,
that Germans still hold Lille and st. QUEEN
tin. II is little solace TO the Austrlans
that. when the Italians have got Gorizia
and arc nearing Trieste, when Lemberg is
again in peril, that Antwerp and Brussels
are under German rule. And the Bulga-
rians. whose loyalty is vital to Central
Power purposes, will hardly be prepared to
give up their own territory and Mace
DOMAIN villages while Germany is using
twice as many men to defend the western
front as would be required if she would
shorten the line.
Finally, it is a secret nowhere that
Hindenburg has always looked upon the
East as the decisive field, that he regarded
with extreme disfavor the use Of all avail
able German reserves in the campaign IN
Belgium and toward Calais in October and
November, 1914, and the equally costly
operation before Verdun this year. One or
two of the corps that were sacrificed at
Ypres would have enabled him to take
Warsaw in October, 1914; Russian sue
cesses in Volhynia and Galicia would not
have come this year if the troops sacrificed
at Verdun had been available.
We have manifestly come about to the
time uhen Germany must shorten her
lines. To retire from the Dwina and the
Beresina to the Niemen and the Vistula
would release some troops, but it might in
volve the abandonment of much of Galicia
and it would not set free anything like the
meR that would be available if the western
lines were shortened. Hence the growing
that we may see at any time
now the first great change in the western
lines since the original German purpose
was totally defeated at the Marine and the
effort to resume campaign in France
checked from the Disc to the North Sea-
Actually, on the second anniversary of the
Battle of the Marine, its real meaning is
at last becoming clear and the magnitude
Of German defeat in that conflict is being
disclosed.
Nor is it outside the bounds of ordinary
hazard to risk the guess that before snow
flies the German lines will have been con-
tracted in Northern France and all but
thin pairing of French territory west of
the Meuse will have been redeemed"