Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1917-01-05
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 Roum1nia
takes first place. The conquest of the
Balkan nation netted the Germans
vast expanse Of territory, fertile lands,
great oil wells and other resources,
while 1t cost the Roumanians about
100000 casualties.
But Roumania is a small country
compared with the needs of the Teu
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 a 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 beatenlback.
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 n
great region of Volhynia, GalicIa and
Bukowina, and the necessity of replac-
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 a 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 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
oNAAA Oh DAOOhhuC4 Tic
rine has proved increasingly effective
and to 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-
fion of maRchonf cbIpS An HpaoE n,.,%
ain has been reduced two-thirds In a
year.
September, 1916, saw an increase in
British losses of 100 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 TO per cent a 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 1872 vessels since thu
beginning of the war, not Including
special auxiliaries. and that the tota
entente tonnage was 744,600, of which
$685. 200 was British. Entente authori
ties, however. put the figures mucl
| lower.
One German colony, the East Afrl
can, continues to hold out bravely, blu
the entente forces seem to be about t,
give the death blow. The resistanc
of the colonials was prolonged by
daring feat of swift German shiI
which carried arms and ammunition
from the Fatherland through the BLOCK
AIDE to the little army and then escape
across the Indian ocean to a Dutc
possession In the antIpodes.
The end of the year sees both side
with nearly their full strength 1
fighting men developed and now turf
ing their attention to the organizatio
of the civilians, men and women, int
an effective system of war service b,
hind the fronts. Everyone must worl
Slaughter and Hunger.
War becomes more horrible as tin
goes on, The wastage OF lives II
creases month by month. The yes
1916 took bloodier toll than an
preceding twelve-mOnth OF human hi
tory. The noblest and the wisest, ii