The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1916-07-31

the Russian armies in Nolhynia ana
R,ssorabin. continued their often
siye in January with the occupation
Of Czartorysk. Itself unimportant,
the significance of this operation lay
in the revelation It furnished Of
refreshed and reinforced Russian
army provided with new cannon.
abundant supplies Of projectllcs and
sufficient power to pillow up German
field dcfenses,
The Fall Of Erzcrum.
OF far greater significance was the
advance in the Caucasus by Grand
Duke Nicholas, forcing the fall OF
Erzerum accomplishing the occupa-
ton of Kermanshah and, in the mil
itary view here, virtually eliminating
Turkey as n factor in the European
war besides rc-oRtablishing the
prestige OF the Allies in Persia. In
stead of a reservoir Of men upon
which they might draw to NIL the
void caused by eighteen months OF
heavy wastage, the Central powers
found mt Constantinople only an nd
dItional drain upon their resources.
The Russian advance not only meant
the recall of Turkish divisions that
were expected to help the Germans,
Austrians and Bulgarans against
the Allies at Salonik, but German
and Austrian troops were sent with
them to aid tho defeated Ottoman
forces in Armenia. Yet TrebizOnd
fell after Erzerum; Mush was occu-
pied, and the conquest OF Armenia
was nearly completed. The diversion
in the East had failed to break the
Gordon Of steel, and In February the
coalition Of the Central empires was
facing crisis Of greater gravity than
had threatened the Entente Allies.
The Bulgarian army was almost
barefoot, the Turks, excepting at
Kut-el-Amara, were everywhere de-
feated, and the wastage Of the long
and unsuccessful effort to take
Dvinsk had weakened Won linden
burg so that he was incapable Of UNI
dertaling a general offensive on the
Russian front. The Austrians, left
to themselves, had never succeeded
and the maintenance Of large force
before Salonih was required to hold
Serbia and prevent the invasion OF
Bulgaria. The interior situation Of
Germany was officially admitted to
be grave.
In this embarrassment, as the
French observers view it, the Central
powers, ardentIy desiring peace, and
urgently needing success to raise the
spirits OF the German people, de-
pressed as they were by long priya-
lions, looked to the French front and
decided upon the adventure of Yer
dun.
The German plan seems originally
to have been to concentrate artillery,
munitions and men in such force
over limited length of front that
the onrush would be irresistible.
They chose Verdun because the po-
sition Of the ancient fortress was
such that the defenders had their
backs to the river Meuse on two sides
and because success there would give
the greatest possible prestige with
neutral powers and the maximum
comfort TO their own people. It was
also possible they knew what subse-
Quent political events in France dis
closed-that the defenses Of Verdun
were not in view of the field tactics
Of this war, as strong as other parts
of the front. It is the belief OF mil
itary experts that the Germans hoped
to breal, through the front there and
destroy the French armies. 1t was
imperative that success be rapid, ac-
cording 10 this view, and when, after
three days. the advance was checked
In the region Of Douaumont the