Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-06-25

in shape to make a further resistance
Looking Westward.
Since it is essential to view the war
as whole. let us now look westward
for moment. We know that the
British are ready to strike. or will he
ready by next month We know that
they have had until quite recently to
face concentration of German troops
which was so great TO hold out lit
tie promise of success for drive. Some,
of these troops have now been drawn
down to Nerdun.
II Germany is presently compelled to
draw upon her troops in the west TO
meet the peril in the east. then We
shall soon see a further reduction OF
troops before the British COM
plete cessation of the Nerdun opera
, ton, or both. because the Nerdun opera
tion has never called for great num-
hers at any considerable moment, it's
cost having come from the necessity to
renew very frequently the relatively,
small army making the great attack. =,
1t is a perfectly safe conjecture thaE
any reduction of the German electives
before the British below the safety
point Will be followed by the same
sort of attack that struck the Aus
TRANS in Galicia and Nolhynia, when
they had sent their reserves TO Italy
and the Germans had drawn out their
"stiffening corps for use in the west
conceivably. Germany has free re-
serves sufficient to meet the eastern
situation without making any consid-
cradle draft upon her western armies.
This is unlikely, but it is entirely pos
sible In that case the British are un-
| likely 10 move until a more favora bla
moment comes. Otherwise we may Be
on III" eve of decisive events in the
west
Meantime the Austrians have moved
troops away from the Trentino front
and the Italians are again on the Of
| fensiVe and have regained a little OF
their lost territory. Further reduc-
tons of Austrian armies on this front
viii certainly lead to more aggressiy~S
! action on the part of the Italians along
the lsonzo. for If the war ia entering
into a decisive stage Italy has still TO
demonstrate her claim to what she ex-
poets to get If the allies win. Nothing
is less likely than that Russia, France
or Britain viii refuse to make a peace
otherwise satisfactory II Italy has still
failed to get Trieste or Dalmatia-
Finally, there is patent stir in th4-
Balkans If the Germans and Austrians
are compelled to draw their troops out
of Bulgaria IT is certain that there will
be a thrust from Saloniki in over
whelming numbers which may put Bull
garia out Of the war in a brief cam
paign and cut the life line that binds
! Turkey to the central powers. The
value of Saloniki is now becoming pat
ent and the real extent of the menacsr
of the allied army here is unmistakable.
Ambitions of Rumania.
As to Rumania. she wants Bukovina
! and Russia is again getting it. She
also wants Pennsylvania, and Russia
can again offer it to her as the price
( of coming in and conquering II. If the
war is entering a decisive stage. Ru-
mania is likely to come in, because all
/ her profit lies in making an alliancer
with the allies before the war is over
and thus establishing a claim to her
( lost provinces" Nowhere will the.
events of the next few days be watch -
! ed more closely than in Bucharest.
! save. perhaps, in Athens.
The entrance of Rumania would not
be as important from the military side
! as from the moral. although 1t would
! have real military value. This is be-
| cause the world has decided that Ru-
mania does not mean to come in until
| the outcome of the war is assured and
! then to rush to the succor of the VIC
| tor" Were Rumania to come in, Eu-'
| rope would say: 1T must be about
over, because the RumanianS have de-
| cided to enlist"
1t is very easy to sit down with a.
/ man and the early reports of success.
in the field and build up a whole edi-i
! fee of success consequent upon these
/ first successes. But it is equally dan
gerous. l do not mean to be un-
derstood forecasting that any of
the things that l have discussed.
will happen. But am anxious
to make clear that any one or
several of them may happen, that the
| Germans may be able to put the Aus
| trians on their feet in the next few
days and build up new dixie against
| Russian inundation or that the mum
dation may sweep on for few days
| more and compel general retirement
| of the central powers from the Gulf of
! Riga to the Carpathians. r.
| Not since last summer has there
! opened any such wide horizon of pos
| sibility: not since the Lemberg days
| have the allied prospects been ma
terially frightened: not since the bat
| tie of the carpathans has the general
| allied situation been SO favorable. To
| say more is idle.