The Robesonian. [volume] (Lumberton, N.C.) 1870-current, 1918-02-14
RUSSIA QUITS THE WAR.

RUSSIA QOlIS LIE wan
AS a matter Of fact, Russia has been
out of the war as an effective fighting
force for nearly year, and now at
last she has said that she will fight
no more and has ordered the men
from the front Blasting of the hope
against hope that Russia might come
back and give some aid to the Allies
and contemplation of supposedly vast
stores of food for Germany opene'i
up by Russia's laying down and re-
lease of more than million prisoners,
is calculated to give any one bad
quarter of an hour, so it is comfort
ing to read in a Washington dispatch
that American officials are unable to
see anything discouraging in Russia
quitting the war.
AS matter of fact, this dispatch
states, the million and half prison
ers of war who will be released by
Russia will not strengthen the Ger
man line on the western front as has
been supposed. The great majority of
the soldiers captured by the Russians
are Austrians, not available for west
ern front operations by present cal
culations. Most of the others are
civilians or camp followers, and any
men from the prison camps are re-
garded as of doubtful military value
for some time to come as the Rus
slams, unable to feed their own sol
diers, hardly have improved the health
Of captives.
In like manner the fear that vast
stores of food would be made avail,
able for Germany in Russia and the
new Ukraine republic vanishes large
ly upon close examination.
Generalization of the Russian ar
my will not mean, it is said, that the
Austro-G erman-Bulgar forces on the
frontiers can be wholly withdrawn
There will be constant threat of re.
newed hostilities and the Teutons
must see to it that ample force is al
ways at hand. In fact, close observers
say that Germany is confronted with
the most difficult and unprecedented
problem she has met during the pres
ent war as result of the declaration
that Russia has abandoned hostil-
tiles without signing a peace treaty.
The one clear thing in the whole sit
uation from a military point Of view
states the dispatch quoted above, is
that the struggle has narrowed down
to- the western front, of which the
Italian theatre has been officially rec
ognized as portion by the allied
chiefs. The final test of arms is to
come on that front.
Charles Edward Russell, well-knowr
socialist and member of the Ameri-
can mission to Russia, let out des-
pairing and pessimistic yell in a
speech at Knoxville, Tenn, Monday
night as soon as Russia's latest &C.
ton became known He painted g
gloomy picture in. which a million
and half men eager for battle, re-
leased from Russian prison camps and
ready to go to the western front, and
unlimited stores of food unlocked fol-
Germany, were played up prominent.
ly. Germany, he said, might defeat
the Italians, break through the French
lines and go on to Paris, and maybe
defeat American forces as fast al
they were landed. His idea seems tt
be to paint the picture as black as
possible in order to get folks to he
up and doing before it is too late. He
is an extremist and pessimist.
A saner, more cheerful and hopeful
view is given in the dispatch quoted
above. There is no use getting blue
about the Russian situation. The
United States and the Allies are coins
to win the war, no matter what tht
Russian situation may be.