The Ozark spectator., 1917-01-06
Collapse of Roumania the Most Striking Event in the Awful
 Conflict.
BOTH SIDES LOSE HEAVILY
Hunger confronts the Entire World, Food Crops Being Partial Failure American Troops Enter Mexico, National Guard Being Sent
 to Border.

In estimating the year 1916 of the world war the collapse of Roumania takes first place. The conquest of the Balkan nation netted the Germans q vast expanse of territory, fertile lands, great oil wells and other resources, while it cost the Roumanians about 350,000 casualties.
 But Roumania is a small country compared with the needs of the leu tons. The new supplies will alleviate, but not relieve, the shortages of the central powers, which are apparent. The entente allies, too, can put on the credit side the undoubtedly large losses to the enemy which even successful campaign entailed. They are, in the latter respect, better off than if Rou- mania had not entered the war. The forces used against Roumania, too, were kept from entering the larger war theaterS.
 In these major war theaters the year is undoubtedly the entente'S round. In the West the great German effort at Verdun ended in failure and the loss of almost all the ground gained. The Somme offensive has proved the Ger man lines can be slowly beaten back.
 But the greatest military event of the year took place on the Russian front-the collapse of the AuStro-Hun- garian armies, their retirement from a great region of Volhyna, Galicia and PnI nd ho it1, nr Ing them in large measure with Turks and Germans.
 The Roumanian losses in killed, wounded and prisoners were much smaller than those of the Teutons be- fore finally bringing the Russian sum mer offensive to q standStill.
 The operations in Roumania, in men involved and the losses sustained, were also small compared with the campaign on the west front.
 In the land operations, on the whole, the entente has a shade the better of it.
 Situation on the Sea.
 On the sea the situation for Ger many is slightly better. Although the great battle of Jutland, the largest naval action In history, left the British still on blockade, the German subma- rine has proved increasingly effective and to a degree most alarming to Great Britain.
 A Liverpool financial and shipping authority recently stated that the vast age of British shipping has increased until the rate is now about three times that of year ago, while the produc- tiOn of merchant ships in Great Brit ain has been reduced two-thirds in a year.
 September, 1916, saw an increase in British losses of 120 per cent over the same month of the previous year, and October an increase of $50 per cent over the corresponding month. Figures of later months are not available. The rate of loss during October was eQuiv- alent to Is per cent year of the whole British mercantile marine, a very serious figure.
 AS to the losses in warshipS, the figures are in dispute, both as regards the total and the sinking of particular craft. The exact situation will not be known until after the war. The Ger man semi-oflicial agency stated this month that the naval losses of the entente had been 192 vessels since the beginning of the war, not including special auxiliaries, and that the total entente tonnage was 744,60O, of which 563, POO was British. Entente authori- ties, however, put the figures much lower.
 One German colony, the East Afr- can, continues to hold out bravely, but the entente forces seem to be about to give the death blow. The resistance of the colonials was prolonged by a daring feat of a swift German ship. which carried arms and ammunition from the Fatherland through the block ade to the little army and then escaped across the Indian ocean to a Dutch possession In the antipodes.
 The end of the year sees both sides with nearly their full strength in fighting men developed and now turn ing their attention to the organizat tion of the civilians, men and women. into an effective system of war service be- hind the fronts. Everyone must work.
 Slaughter and Hunger.
 War becomes more horrible as time goes on. The wastage of lives in- creases month by month. The year 1916 took a bloodier toll than any preceding twelve-month of human his tory. The noblest and the wisest, the