South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1917-01-02
THIRD YEAR GIVES
ENTENTE A SHADE
Teaton Victory in Roumania
at Big COSt-LOst on West
and East Front.

In estimating the year 1916 Of the
world war the collapse OF ROumania
must be considered in its relation to.
other important events. The con-
quest OF the Balkan nation netted
the Germans a vast expanse OF ter
ritory. fertile lands. great oil wells
and other resources. while IL cost
the Rolmanians about $4,000 cas-
ualties.
But Roumania rs a small country
compared with the needs OF the
TeutOns. The new supplies will al
leyiate. but not relieve. the short
ages Of the central powers which
are apparent. The entente allies,
TOO. can put on the credit side the
undoubtedly large losses 10 their
-nemy which even "a successful cam
paign 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 Ger
man effort at Verdan ended in fail
ure and the loss Of almost all the
ground gained The Somme often
sive has proved the German lines
can be slowly beaten back.
Austrians 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 a great region Of NOlhynia.
Galicia and Bukowina and the nee
essity of replacing them in large
measure with Turks and Germans.
The Roumanian losses in killed,
wounded and prisoners were much
smaller than the TeutOns before fl
nally bringing the Russian summer
offensive TO "a standstill
The operations in Roumania. in
men involved and the losses sus-
tanned. we're also small compared
with the campaign on the west front
although here il is not clear which
side came of the worse.
In the land operations, on the
whole. the entente had a shade the
better OF it.
On the sea the situation for Ger
many is slightly better. Although
the great battle of Jutland. the
largest naval action i'm history. left
the British still on blockade. the
German submarine campaign has
proved increasingly 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 uf a year ago. while
the production Of merchant ships i'm
sreat Britain has been reduced two
thirds in a year.
Increase i'm Losses.
September. 1916. saw an increase
in British losses Of 30 percent over
the same month of the previous
year. and October an increase of
$50 percent over the corresponding
month. Figures of later months are
not available The rate of loss dur
ing October was equivalent to 16
percent a year OF the whole British
mercantile marine. "A very serious
figure.
As TO the losses in warships. the
figures are i'm dispute. both as re-
CARDS the total and the sinking of
particular craft The exact situa-
ten viii not be known until after
the war. The German semi-official
agency stated this month that the
naval losses of the entente had been
d 1872 vessels since the beginning of
the war. not including special ton
mage was 744,6OO. Of which 563.2 200
was British. Entente authorities.
however. put the figures much low
er.
one Colony Holds out.
One German colony the East
African. continues to hold out brave