Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1916-08-10
IS THERE ANY PLACE TO QUIT ?

The Italians have captured Gortz the Austrian strong
hold that guards the way into Austria from the west ana
are now in position to invade it, With its capture the
Austrans lose not only the Fortress but from $4,000 to
10000 of her best soldiers with the usual complement OF
heavy guns and munitions.
This victory shows the effect of the concerted attack
of the allies at all points at 1t evident the Aus
trians have had to draw heavily on their forces along @
the Izonzo 'front.' try to protect their lines in Gacla
thus weakening their defense.
Pressed hard by the Russians they unable to send
aid to their hard pressed armies along the Italian front
and so they lost What they do toward resisting the
advance of the Russians and Italians on TWO hefent
fronts remains to be seen but the indications are that
they will be unable to resist successfully on both fronts at
the same time 1t also apparent that the Germans are
unable to send them help at this time The fierce lighting
at Verdun and the continuous battle along the Western
front requires all her forces apparently to hold against
the assaults of the French and English.
In the beginning of the the Russians and Italians
were not prepared for determined resistance and the
result was that the Germans and Austrans were able to
move their troops from point to another facing tlfst
one enemy and then another This enabled Germany to
throw strong force against her enemies on all fronts
Under the present combined attack this cannot be done
She cannot take her troops from any point without weak
enng to such extent that it is in danger Germany
could spare troops help her ally when she attacked
on one front tme but with attacks being made at all
fronts simultaneously she can send no aid to AUSTRIA nor
can the latter draw on one army to help another.
While Germany is putting up desperate resistance
along the western 'front.' and will in all probability be able
to hold the allies from making any important gans she
will require all her troops to accomplish TINS ana her
drives into the territory of her enemies have probably
ended.
1t looks now as though both Germany and Austria
would be forced to make only defensive war; and that
they will eventually be driven back into their own terri
tory seems now the probable thing. When this happens
the allies will find with each mile advanced ever increas-
ing obstacles AS the German and Austrian lines are
drawn together their armies will become that much
stronger and the fighting for each foot OF ground that
much harder 1t does not possible the allies can ever
get far inside German territory and that situation will
soon arise where the allies will be in similar case to the
Germans at Verdun When this condition materallzes
what will the warning nations do? 1t will be useless to-
continue the war; but they stop Each wants conces
sions and neither can compel them Will they continue to
fight when this condition is before them? The answer
will be known only when the condition arises for to the
outsider the situation now appears to be that neither can
win decisive victory and that the final settlement will
be in the nature of a draw,