The Alaska daily empire., 1916-09-19
London Has Report that TeutonS VIII Shorten
 Their Lines in
 West Soon.
WOULD RELEASE TROOPS
Hundreds of Thousands of Men May Be Sent to Other Fronts It
 Is RumOred.

LONDON. Sept. 19.-Enquiries in financial and other quarters in close touch with Holland have elicited the fact that the belief prevails in we'll informed circles there that Germany probably will shorten her line in the west before long.
 There are two possible lines to which she might retire. one as far back as Maastricht. ton the Holland frontier, north of Liege), but the be- lief is that if the pressure in the east becomes a serious menace Field Marshal von Hindenberg will recom- mend a withdrawal to the line of Antwerp. Nancy. Namur. and Meg ieres that is, surrendering about half Belgium and nearly all of Northern France, and standing on the line of the Mouse. on which she has been very busy in the last four months especially about Namur and Antwerp whose Notifications have been great lystrengthened in every direction.
 Big Crisis Reached
 With von Hindenbcrg's prestige with the German people. it is argued he could safely recommend such a withdrawal, especially accompanied by a declaration, as it certainly would be. that Germany would ney- CT retire from Antwerp.
 By such withdrawal military critics here say Germany could pos sibly release 750OOO men for the east but the Allies front in the west would be shortened to the same extent and more effective com centration of the great forces at their disposal could be made in further pushes. so the German strategic situation would be hardly improved.
 There is no doubt a big crisis in the war has been reached although it is not believed here it can possi- bly, be finished. so far as Germany lis concerned. until another summer campaign.
 Austria Hard Pressed
 II. Warner Allen, special represen- tative of the British press with the French army. says in a cablegram:
 "The Austrian armies have just passed through period of three months defeats in which they lost SOO.OOO men. Their strategic resery- es are completely exhausted, but de spite the continual efforts of the Italians and Russians on their from tiers. the Austrians were able to scrape together eight divisions to send to the Pennsylvania region in readiness for the rupture of Ru- mania
 These divisions are badly needed elsewhere and it seems scarcely pos sible. despite the difficulties of the country. that they will be able to hold the long line of the Rumanian frontier.
 Where to Get Men
 "The question arises. where is the dual monarchy to find more sol diers. It can not accuse Germany of having failed to succor the brilliant second. The Germans lost half a million men at Verlul before the Somme offensive began Since July 1 they have been losing heavily both on the Somme and at Verdun- How heavy the German casualty list has been can be deduced from the fact that since July the Allies have ta- ken 10000 prisoners at these two points on the front
 Notwithstanding these losses and the ever-increasing pressure of the French and British on the Somme, the Germans sent some divisions to help the Austrians. Nine of these were withdrawn from the western front and the most surprising point is that four of them have been withdrawn since July 1, when the Somme offensive began. It is ob- vious that the German high com mand would not withdraw if it could possibly help it a single man from the front which is being subjected to an offensive described in the German press as a gigantic opera tion. The German press declared the Germans were greatly outnum- bered on the Somme. and yet so great is the crisis that the enemy had actually weakened his western front during the height of the of. fensive."
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