The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-01-01
VARS WAsTAet THIS
YEAR HAS BEEN MUCH
GREATER THAN. BEFORE
Year 1915 Took Bloodier Toll than
any Other in All the Annals
of History.
YEARS GREAT FEATURE
AUSTRO-HUNGARY'S COLLAPSE
Brunsiiofrs Great Campaign Has Not
been Counterbalanced by Won
Machenscn's Great Success In Ruma-
MIA.

In estimating the year 1915 of the
Worid war the collapse of Rumania
Is apt TO overshadow consideration
oa other important events. The con-
quest or the Balkan nation netted the
/ Germans vast expanse of territory.
Ierlie lands. great oil wells and other
resources, while 1t cost the Ruman-
ians about $4,000 Casualties.
| But Rumania is a small country
compared with the needs Of the Teu-
tons The new supplies will allevi-
ate, but not relieve, the shortages Of
the central powers which are appar-
emf. Inc entente allies. too, can put
on the credit side the undoubtedly
large losses to their enemy which
even successful campaign entailed
they are In the latter respect, better
| on than IL Rumania had not entered
the war. The forces used against
Rumania. too. were kept from enter
Ing the larger war theaters.
In these major war theaters the
year Is undoubtedly the entente's
round. In the west the great German
| enort at Nerdun ended in failure and
the loss of almost all the ground
gained. The, somme offensive has
proved the German lines can be slow
| ly beaten back.
Austro- Hung arian Collapse
But the greatest military event of
the year took place on the Russian
front-the collapse of the Austro-
Hungarian armies. their retirement
from great region Of Volhynia, Ca
Hcia and Bukowtna and the necessity
or replacing them in large measure
with Turks and Germans
The Rumanian losses in killed
wounded and prisoners were much
smaller than the Teutons before final
ly bringing the Russian summer Of
fensive to standstill.
The operations in Rumania, In men
involved and the lesses sustained, were
also small compared with the cam
paign on the west front although
here II is not clear which side came
off the worse.
In the land operations, on the
whole. the entente had n shade the
better of it,
On the sea the situation for Ger
many is slightly better Although the
great battla~ OF Jutland, the largest
naval action in history, left the Brit
ish still on blackade, the German SUBJ
marine campaign has proved increas-
ingly effective and to a degree most
alarming to Great Britain.
A Liverpool financial and shipping
authority recently stated that the
wastage Of British shipping has In
creased until the rate Is now about
three times that OF a year ago. while
the production OF merchant ships In
Great Britain has been reduced two
thirds In year.
Increased Losses
September. 1915. saw an increase in
British losses OF go per cent over the
same month of tho previous year, and
october an increase of $50 per cent
over the corresponding month. Fig
ures of later months are not available
The rate of loss during October was
equivalent to l6 per cent year of the
whole British mercantile marine.
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 agency stated this
month that the naval losses OF the
entente had been 1872 vessels since
the beginning OF the war, not includ-
ing special auxlliaries. and that the
total entente tonnage was 744.60o, OF
which $4,000 was British. Entente
authorities, however. put the figures
much lower.
One German colony, the East Afri-
can, continues to hold out bravely.
but the entente forces seem to be
about to give the death blow. The re-
sistance of the colonials was prolong -,
ed by a daring feat OF swift Ger
man ship. which carried arms and
ammunition from the Fatherland
through the blockade TO the little
army and then escaped across the In
dian Ocean to Dutch possession in
the Antipodes.
The end of the year sees both sides
with nearly their full strength in
fighting men developed and now
turning their attention to the organ
women, into an effective system of
war service behind the fronts. Every
one must work.
Wastage Greater.
War become more horrible as time
goes on. The wastage of lives in
creases month by month. The year
1915 took a bloodier toll than any
preceding twelve of human
history. The noblest and tho wisest,
cut down. But insurance statisti-
clans say the total population Of the
earth continues to increase in spite
Of the havoc. The worlds normal In
crease in population Is 10000 day,
or about 100000 a year.
Tho whole world faces hunger. The
principal food crops were partial
failure almost ovoryWnor0 last sum-
mer and experts say that by the end
Of next spring the surplus will be
almost down to zero. a most danger
Gus condition. for supplies are never
well distributed enough to allow a
wide margin without causing famine
somewhere. The warning nations feel
the pinch the most. but prices are
distressingly high for necessaries Of
life In almost every corner OF the
globe.
The year sees two new combatants
plunged In the maelstrom of war
Portugal and Rumania. The twelve
month began with the conquest of
tiny montenegro and end with the
Teuton sweep over about two-thirds /,
OF Rumania.
On the last New Years Day Henry
Ford was returning from his peace
argosy nasco. On this New Years Of |
fcial proposals for peace pariey by
the Germanic powers have been re- |
ceived and refused by tho entente
leaders.
Nineteen hundred and sixteen has
brought compulsory military service !
and later compulsory civilian service
to Great Britain. the nation which had !
boAsted Of the greatest personal lib /