The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1918-03-14
The Week Of War.
from Phlla. Press, March 10.

|
week. Not only Russia but Fin
land and Rumania accepted the
terms of the vanquished.
With Ukrainia already gobbled
up, Germany has everything her
own way on the Eastern front.
There are still difficulties in the
path of complete domination of
Russia, but it must be admitted
that they are not very serious
ones. First, Sweden is alarmed
over the German inroads upon
Finland and talked of sending an
army of occupation there on her
own account; but Sweden can
easily be bullied into a proper
mood of humility. Secondly,
there is Japan, eager to occupy
the Siberian coast and ready to
do so when the allies give the
word. The need for such step
is not clear though Lord Robert
Cecil is authority for the state
ment that German prisoners in
Siberia are being organized and
that a Prussian general has been
sent to take charge of them"-
as it could do Germany little mil
itary harm and might result in
inca!cuIable political mischief to
the allied cause. Thirdly, there
. undisguised intention Of the
k sian people to fight, as soon
as tsistance can be organized.
to ore ain the land and liberties
that Ave been wrested from
them.
This contingency, too, is re-
mote. Though the rumored res
ignation of Trotzky may be a
prelude to the fall of the Bolshe-
vik Government and the success
sion Of a fighting Government, it
is difficult to see how Russia,
with her roads and railways
blocked with demobilizing, food,
discipline and everything that
goes to make up military fac
tor for years to come. Guerilla
warfare may be, probably will be
conducted, but it is inconceivable
that hostilities can be kept up on
a scale large enough to give the
Germans great concern.
Mr.. Asquith has analyzed the
situation succinctly when he said
that the East is outside the allied
calculations today. What remain
are the war at sea and on the
western front. In both the as
tendency is still on the allied side.
The disasters in the East cannot
affect that.
At sea there have been notable
increases in the destruction of
submarines, the British Admir-
atty now stating with great con-
fidence that U-boats are being
destroyed faster than they can be
built. The decrease in merchant
ship losses is likewise pronounced
to be progressing. The complet-
ion of the American shipbuild-
ing program is certain to turn
the scale overwhelmingly in favor
of the allies.
On the western front there was
the familiar record of artillery
exchanges growing in intensity
as the week ended, and frequent
raiding on the part o f both sides
with the allies more conspicuously
successful. American n troops
again played a prominent part in
these raids, defending their own
sector near st. Mihiel with splen-
did efficiency and aiding t he
French on the Aisne and else
where in Lorraine.
The weather has kept unusu-
ally fine and the terrain is re-
ported to be drying rapidly. Each
weeks bring the time for a grand
offensive nearer, but there are no
signs as yet of German prepara-
tions for the big attack they ad-
vertised. The complete absence
of talk from the French and Brit
ish stats on the subject of an
offensive suggests rather than
precludes the possibility that
they may be organizing great
offensive of their own.
The Scotland Industrial School