New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-08-13
Decision Of the
Whole War May
Come from Vic
tory in the
Balkans.
Copyright I9I6-The Tribune Assn.


future will depend on the progress or lack
Of progress that has been made in the
Eastern and Western and Italian fields.
But the longer the attack is delayed, while
the other offensives are calling back the
German and Austrian troops in the Bal
kans, tho surer the Allies will be Of sue
cess and the less will be the Bulgarian en-
thusiasm for remaining with her present
partners.
What the Allies Can Offer.
Remember always, too, that the Allies
can offer Bulgaria the Thracian districts,
including Adrianople and the country
north Of the Enos- Midia line, which were
lost to Turkey in the Second Balkan War,
after they had been acquired in the first
They can also, with the consent of Serbia,
leave Bulgaria that portion Of Macedonia
east of the Vardar, which Serbia was will
Serbian consent could this be done, and
there is very great reluctance now to ask
Serbia to make any further sacrifice since
the mistakes of Allied diplomacy brought
about her present agony.
Allied delay may also be conditioned on
the fact that Greek election is at hand.
and a victory by Venizelos would put
Greece In the hands of the friends of the
Allies and insure real neutrality, if not
an active support, from the Hellenic gov
eminent Already the Greek army has
been demobilized and the old dangers from
German intrigue in Athens and ascendancy
in the mind of King Constantine are at an
end. 1t is by no means certain that the
election will not be followed by revolu-
ton whether Venizelos wins or is de-
feated by German influence and royal in
reference, and the Allies would be in a
better posture to deal with the Greek
problem if they were not already COM
mitted to a Macedonian campaign.
Sooner or later, by early autumn at
the latest, however, this Balkan push is to
come. 1t may easily turn out the most
important of the various Allied operations.
It's relation to all the others is perfectly
clear, and the fact that it is contemplated
indicates the manner in which Allied mill
+, tary direction has now been coordinated
) and the movements on all fronts harmo-
nized.
The Road to Nsh.
/ But it is essential to emphasize the diff
iculties of the Balkan campaign. The
= vardar Valley is in many places little
: more than a canyon, the Germans have
t had many months to construct defensive
4 positions for their allies and the country
4 is so restricted that the advantage of num-
e bers, which the opponents of Bulgaria
plainly possess, will be considerably if not
= decisively offset. Again the real test will
come in the matter Of artillery.
, The road to Skoplie and Nish is, then,
long and hard. Until the Allies reach
o Nish their campaign will have no decisive
o value, although successful election of
the Bulgars from Macedonia may, by de-
prving them of their profit in the German
8 alliance, cool their loyalty to their partners
and open the way for a change Of align
ment. All in all, the Balkan campaign
may prove the most interesting and the
most important Of the present summer
and autumn. 1t is worth close watching,
and it reveals the rapidly mounting curve
9 of Allied resources and the patent weak
ening of the strength Of the Central Pow
: ers, since they have been compelled so
greatly to reduce their electives on this
highly important front.
Allied victory here will have a tremen-
dous effect in Bucharest and in CONSTANT
: nople, but these are things that may well
e wait upon the progress of the campaign
!. itse''. What should be realized is that the
: British and French drive at the Somme.
even the Russian offensive in Galicia and
Volhynia, are only component parts Of one
comprehensive scheme, which also includes
I an Italian attack on the Isonzo and thrust
J. up from Salonica. This combined and
r concentric attack on several fronts stimuli
taneously is nothing more nor less than
Grants strategy of 1864, and once more
: there is great light TO be found by a study
of the Civil War campaigns of the closing
year.