The Hattiesburg news., 1916-07-29

and an unopposed junction or the arm
les of the Teutonic powers with those
of the Bulgarian-Turkish coalition, or
the additional burden of a campaign
in the Balkans. The Dardanel1es expe-
dition had accomplished no appreciable
result and the need Of saving Serbia
was more urgent than the opening OF
the Straits.
unanlmity Lacking.
There still appeared to be a certain
lack of unanimity among the allies
ais to the Gallipoli Peninsula and Sa
loniki. The landing, at Saloniki was
decided upon, however, and, consented
to by the Greek government before the
resignation of Premier Venizelos, It
began in early October. But it was too
late to save Serbia, attacked by the
lBulgarians on October Z when the Ger
mans and Austrians under Field Mar
shal Won Mackensen already had taken
Belgrade. Though they fought hero
ically, the Serbians were overwhelmed
by attacks from two sides and driven
into Albania, while the armies of the
Central Powers formed junction with
the Bulgarians and opened the route
to Constantinople.
New difficulties continued to devel-
op for the Allies, however. In Meso-
potamia the Turks stopped the ad-
vance of General Townshend's forces
within twenty miles of Bagdad and
drove him back to Kut-el-Amara, be-
sieging him there. In Persia the gen
darmeries reyolted against the govern
lment, creating fresh embarrassments
Ifor the Russians. In the Balkans, af-
ter the complete conquest of Ser.
'bia and the occupation of consider.
fable portion of Albania, the Austrians
invaded Montenegro, and before the
lend of January all the Balkan PENN.
isula with the exception of Greece. Ru-
mania and little corner of Albania
was in the hands of the group of Cen
tral Empires.
! That marked the limit of their sue
cesses. The advantage that time had
gained for the Allies began to tell.
General Ivanoff, commanding the Rus
sian armies in Volhynia and Bessar-
labia, continued their offensive in Jan.
fuary with the occupation of Czartorysk
fltself unimportant, the significance OF
this operation lay in the revelation ii
furnished of refreshed and reinforced
Russian army provided with new can
non, abundant supplies of proiecetiles
Pand sufficient power to plow up Ger
man field defenses.
OF far greater significance was the
advance IN the Caucasus by Crane
X Duke Nicholas, forcing the fall of Er
zerum accomplishing the occupation O
lNermanshah and, in the military view
here, virtually eliminating Turkey a.
factor in the European war, beside
re-establishing the prestige of the al
lies in Persia. Instead of reservoir
of men upon which they might draw
to fill the void caused by eighteei
months of heavy wastage, the Centra
!, Powers found at Constantinople onl,
/ an additional drain upon their re
Sources. The Russian advance not on
! ly meant the recall of Turkish di
visions that were expected to help tn
Germans, Austrians and Bulgarian
, against the Allies at Saloniki, but Gel
man and Austrian tloops were sen
with them to aid the defeated OttomaI
: forces in Armenia. Yet Trebizond fel
!. after Erzerum; Mush was occupied an
), the conquest OF Armenia was nearl
complete. The diversion in the Eas
, had failed to break the Gordon o
. steel, and in February the coalition
of the Central Empires was facing
crisis of greater gravity than any tina
had threatened the Entente Allies. Th
Bulgarian army was almost barefoot
Fhe Turks, excepting at Kut-el-Amara
were everywhere defeated, and tn,
wastage of the long and unsuccessful
Peffort to take Dvinsk had weakenet
Won Hindenburg so that he was incap
able of undertaking general offensiv'
on the Russian front. The Austrians
fleft to themselves. had never succeed
ed and the maintenance of larg,
force before Saloniki was required t,
hold Serbia and prevent the invasion o
Bulgaria. The interior situation o
Germany was officially admitted to b
grave.
Every yard of ground gained b
the Germans before Verdun since Feb
ruary "a has been at an extremel.
heavy sanguinary cost. The continu
ing of so expensive and fruitless al
Operation has puzzled the critics. I
has been advanced that the German
persisted with the object Of exhaust
ling the French forces and preventinl
an offensive by the Allies elsewhere
tIf that end was in view, the successes