The Green Forest tribune., 1917-01-05
OF GREAT
 WAR DURING 1916
Collapse of Roumania the MoSi 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 Roumania takes first place. The conquest of the Balkan nation netted the Germans a vast expanse of territory, fertile lands, great oil wells and other resources, 350,000 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 Somne offensive has proved the Ger man lines can Sc. slowly beaten back. /
 But the greatest "i2ilitary event z the year took place or the sRs2ssian front-the collaps of the Austfo-Hun- garian armies f 4ir retirement from a great region of olhyria, GaIicia 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 standstill.
 The operations In Roumnnia, 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 still on blockade, the German subma- 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- tion of merchant ships in Great Brit ain has been reduced two-thirds in a year.
 September, 1916, saw an increase in British losses of 120 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 16 per cent a year of the 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 seiNi official agency stated this moK.h that the naval losses of the entSte lad been 192 vessels since the beginsing of the war, not including special auxlliaries, and that the total entente tonnage was 744,600, of which 3,200 wa British. Entente authori- ties, howe put the figures much
 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 resistance 1f the colonials was prolonged by a daring feat of a swift German ship, which carried arms and ammunition from the Fatherland through the block ade to the little army and then escaped across the Indian ocean to a Dutch possession in the antipodes.
 The end of the year sees both sides with nearly their full strength in fighting men developed and now turn ing their attention to the organization spf the civilians, men and women, into n effective system of war service be- lind the fronts. Everyone must work. 3 Slaughter and Hunger.
 War becomes more horrible as time gpes on. The wastage of lives in- Ceases month by month. The year Isl6 took a bloodier toll than any Bleeding twelve-month of human his
 r. The noblest and the wisest, the
 MTS OF 1916 OUTSIDE
 TILE MAD kNn MENINN