Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1917-06-01

this would make such a heavy demand
upon transports.
Aim to Hold Teuton Troops.
So far as n car Judge now. allied
Macedonia has for" it's object primarily
the retaining of German and Austrian
troops in this region in order to pre-
vent the transference of German divi-
sions from Macedonia to the western
front, wher the drain upon German
man power is very great. Further than
this, there is unquestionably AN allied
desire to maintain pressure upon Bull
garia. where there is a party distinctly
hostile to the Turco-Teutonic alliance.
The war Is growing unpopular in Bull
garia. Bulgaria has little to gain by a
continuation of the war, il she "a keep
what she now possesses. The war is IL
means the ultimate exhaustion of the
manpoW OF a country which before
her entrance into the present war lost
terribly in two dreadful Balkan wars.
There has been a general realization
IN allied quarters that the as
ar aus Bulgaria is concerned was SIM
pie. Bulgaria was bought by money
when she entered the war, but the poll
icy of her ruler was supported by the
sentiment Of the country because the
two Balkan wars had deprived Bulgaria
of considerable territory inhabited by
Bulsars and conquered by Bulgarian
armies.
When Ferdinand of Bulgaria made
his alliance with the central powers he
practically turned his country over to
the Germans, and German officers now
dominate the Bulgarian military estab-
lishment and exercise a great influence.
upon Bulgarian policies. Granted~that
the Germans were compelled by the
pressure upon the other fronts to with
draw the Austro-G German troops from
Macedonia, the allies believe that Bull
garia would very quickly tire of fight
ing the Saloniki army single handed;
but unless the German and Austrian di-
visions have been withdrawn now it is
quite unlikely that the present cam
paisn means anything but an incidental
pressure Upon another front.
Italy Cannot Stir.
We are seeing day by day the onsid-
cradle cost to the allies of Russia's col
lapse. A year ago the allied operations
against the central powers were opened
in June by. Brusiloff's great offensive
in Galicia, continued in July by the
Anglo-French attack at the Somme. Ok
tended in August by the Italian attack
upon Gorilla, nj finally reached their
climax hen Rumania entered the war
n Sarrail started Ills offensive north
ward and O Monastir. Germany and
her allies did succeed in stopping this
juoin offensive, but only at terrific cost.
and there is every aso to believe that
II similar attack now would be beyond
the of the central powers to
stem. But Russia is out of the war for
the time. and no man can say whether
1t will be for the whole war or only for
the campaign of 1917. Italy has not
stirred and is unlikely to STIR, because
the elimination OF Russia makes it en-
tirely probable that the central powers
will presently use the troops from the
eastern front for a new drive upon the
Trentino. The loss of Venetia is an in
evitable consequence of a successful
Teutonic drive southwark out of tho
4 Trcntino, n against such a possibility
Italy must always stand on guard.
In the same way Sarrail, in Macedo-
mia, always has to face the possibility of
the transference Of considerable masses
OF German and Austrian troops from
the eastern front and a converging at
tack southwark from the country north
of Monastir, from Vardar valley, from
the StrurAa valley and westward along
the railroad which runs from Adrian
ople to Salpnik1.
Last Summer Germany faced a o
centric attack which almost put Austria
out of the war. This yea the elimina.
ton of Russia has not only given Ger
many security on her eastern front and
givenAustlia new confidence by Danish
ing the fear of another Brusiloff drive;
bit 1t has also reduced very greatly the
possibilities of any Macedonia often
sive whatever.
A Polygiot Army.
How large an army Sarrail has is Il
matter of c%onjucture, bu | am satisfied
that the figures published a year age
We're very much exaggerated. and ]
think his army is nearer $780, 900 than
5O0 5000. 1t is composed of all sorts OF
troops, some very good and some very
poor. The best troops are the Serbs
Il French mt British There has been q
considerable enlistment of Greeks be,
longing to the Yenizelos faction, but
how good they nay prove is entirely
puoblematicai. There are also some
Italian and Russian troops, but thei,
numbers are probably not large.
Roughly speaking, this army stands In
la wide semicircle from ValOna to the
gulf OF Orfano. into which the Struma
In Albania, is Italian and has it's base
at NalOna. The rest of the army hat
its base at Saloniki. The Monastii
wing is supplied by~the Saloniki- Mon.
astir railroad. Tie portion due nortt
Of Saloniki is supplied by the railroad
going north up the Var1ar from Salon
Xxi to Nish and Belgrade, while the bal
ance OF the army is mainly supplied by
the SalOnikA-CQnstantin0ple railroad
which goes north as-faf as Lake Doirar
and then turns due east M crosses: the
Struma river cot far from Sores. Fol
more than two years the allies have
been experimenting these railroads
with highways. n that portion OF the
occupied territory near Saloniki prob.
ably constitutes o. Of the stroriges,
positions in Europe. But owing to the
Ll naturan OF the country which IL yorx