GREAT POSSIBILITIES.

North Otago Times, Volume CIV, Issue 13660, 31 August 1916, Page 2

GREAT POSSIBILITIES.

Tliea-eported .of'General von 'Falk'eu'hjjj-nj- Chief .of ,j)ie .German General Staff, the flight of the Czar of the Bulgnrs to Vienna/ the" indisposition " 'of the King of -the Hellenes, the growth of the Russophile sentiment in Bulgaria, the renewal of pro-Ally demonstrations'' in Athens following with dramatic suddenness the declaration of war''by Italy and Rumania; are but straws which indicate the direction of the blasts of w«r.' It is clear (hat startling' developments are imminent, Bulgaria has not the remotest chance of averting the greatest disaster in her history, unless the Bulgars renounce their Teuton taskmasters. She is just about as helpless (tf the snake against a road roller. Tim military strength of Great Britain, Prance, Italy/ Russia, and Serbia faces Bulgaria from, the south, and Rumania a,nd Russia threatnn-her from the north The moment- the chaos in Greece is straightened out, General San-nil will move against' Bulgaria and probably by that .time the Rosso-Rumanian troops will be well across the Danube, Bulgaria's position is so helpless that the pro-German Premier, Dr. Radoslavofi", is hinting that he is favourably disposed towards the Allies, aiid would gladly become a Russophile' convert. There is also a report from Bucharest that a Russophile- Ministry for Bulgaria is not a remote-possibility and Prince Boris, who favours the Allies is suggested- as ruler in preference to Czar Ferdinand, Rumania's entry has solved several difficult problems, So long as the attitude of' Rumania remained uncertain, a Russian invasion of Hungary was dangerous and remote, because of Rumania's strategical position, With Rumania attacking the southern passes of the Carpathians, and the Austrian left wing "in the nil'" somewhere in the vicinity <rf the southern frontier of Bnkowina, the Russians will'rash the passes from the Clalician side and compel the sorely tried Austrians .to retire. 'For some time vague hints have been given to the outside world of Germany's intention to shorten her fronts. Retirement from Belgium has been mentioned, in the hope that her colossal losses might not place her at too great n disadvantage Tjiji intervention of Rumania might compel a withdrawal of the Germans to the Rhine fortresses with the hope of strengthening the steel barrier-that-Germany .opposes to Hie Allies in the' West and release men for | the struggle in the Balkans, The posi-

•Hon in tlie East will need-t-he-. military ?kill of all the Hindenburgs ami Maskensens Germany can produce. Tho' rapidly-thinning lines of Anstro-Hnii-garians must lie extended another four hundred miles against a new enemy and in the face of the assured position of Russia. The entry of Rumania will affect the whole of Ihe operations on the Eastern front, and possibly ineon> raiience Hie war the Turks are wag. ing in Asia Minor. If (he Austro-Hmi-garians can be pushed back well into their own territory, tho fate of Lem-lic-rg, Przeiiiysl and Cracow will be sealed by the retreat of the forces of the Dual Monarchy, and with their retreat must follow a withdrawal of thii entire Eastern front from Riga to the Pripet Marshes. There is also another development that would follow a strong Russo-Rumnnian offensive against Aus-tria-Hungary, for a reasonable measure of success could endanger the Austrian forces operating against Italy and facilitate more open warfare for the Italians. Rumania's intervention has settled the discussions and criticism associated with the much : debated landing at. Salonika, and also the irresponsible talk of the short-sighted people who howled so loudly.about the alleged failure of the British diplomacy in the Balkans. After all the st.reet : corner criticisms and wild assertions it. has not been shown that British statesmen are arrant fools, neither are the military chiefs of tho Allies the blundering idots some people, would have ns believe; and when the historian, taking n ong. view of the world war, deals with Hie Balkan tangle he will probably write it down as the graveyard of German hopes and*the triumph of Entente diplomacy and honest statesmanship.