Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1917-12-27
Many CHANGES
INWAR0UTLO0k.
DUR|NCThEYEAR
Collapse Of Russia and
Entry Of United States the
Two Outstanding Fea-
lures Of Conflict.
Most Spectacular Military
Event Was the Drive Of
Austro German Forces
Into Italy Striking Brit
ish Victory in Palestine.
BY LOWELL MELLETT.

BY LOWELL MELLETT.
London, Dec. 1.-(By mail )-This
has been the great year of the great
war. The year of Russias revolution
and Americas entry. Which of the
two events will loom largest when the
whole story Of the war comes to be
written cannot be told now.
First inclination Of students Of his
tory is to give the Russian revolution
first place; but If present tendencies
continue 1t may happen that Americas
Intervention, in addition to all else 1t
means, has served to save the Russian
revolution itself. This, If it results. Will
be due to the fact that the wonderful
significance of the revolution never
was lost in America, while Russia's
older allies fighting almost with their
backs to the wall have been inclined to
forget the benefit of the revolution to
the world and see only the increased
danger to themselves.
Russians will tell you Americas pa
thence and sympathy have meant more
TO Russia than any other factors; more
even than the railroad reorganization
and supplies of locomotives which are
expected to restore Russia's transpor-
tation system by next spring and more
than the millions of money furnished
without stint.
WILSON'S ANSWER TO POPE.
Other things which the American
entry have meant are:
Unity of allied war direction. the for
nation of the supreme war council.
A real blockade of Germany by sea.
A ringing declaration by the world S
democracies against discussing peace
with governments not responsible to
their peoples the American president
being chosen to answer the Pope's APP
peal.
An end of the possibility that the
submarine might be the deciding fac
tor of the war
So much for Americas entry and ita
Significance. Meanwhile the original
belligerents have continued the des-
perate struggle on the battlefield, with
little to choose between their respec-
tive successors. Hasty consideration
would make 1t seem that the Teutonic
powers have won victories out Of pro-
portion to their defeats. Their armies
will spend their fourth trench Christ
much farther inside the Russian bor-
der.
The drive into Italy by Mackensen's
Austro- Germans has been the most
spectacular military tot the year
The conquest of Riga had the out
ward appearance of a big military VIC
tory.
But neither event has achieved it,
purpose. Aside from the fact that In
each case the result has been to unite
the invaded countries against the in
vaders, the German government must
reckon with a determination through
out the world not to recognize the
right of territorial conquest. This de-
termination has become a definite
tangible quantity In every allied
country. There must he other grounds
for possession If Germany is to keeI
Riga or Austria to keep Venetia. Lack
ing such grounds these military sue
cesses lose their Importance.
STRIKING VICTORY.
It is different with the most strk
ing allied victory OF the year, the pene.
tration of Allenbys army into tbs
heart of the Holy Land. Most of tn,
world will endorse the British purpose
to restore this country to it's ancien
people, the Jews. Even in Germany
this purpose will find favor among
large proportion of the population, de
spite the tremendously damaging effec
It will have on their Turkish allies
Allenby in Palestine and Maude in tn
country about Bagdad have made thu
Turks hold on his Asia Minor vassal