NOTES OH THE CABLES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16543, 17 November 1915, Page 6

NOTES OH THE CABLES.

Bv Shrapnel. GENERAL RI.'SZKY'S OBJIX'TIVE. General lluszky is doing admirable service on ill" Riga-Dvinsk a<-ever. By the eipturf! of fvi'iiMiiiTii and Sriilock ho lilts menaced the German coiinoi (ion br.'twten Windaii and Mifcau. IJis intention is to tuke 'J'liUum, and, if possible, Isolate Hie German forces at Windun by on advance towards Libau. This post was of grout, use to Che Germans before the, naval battle in the Gulf of Riga and the appearance of British and Russian submarines in the Baltic. Now, both Winduu and Libau are useless to the Germans, as they are a!ra:d to communicate with thorn either with war vessels or with merchant ships. Jt may be expected to be part of General Ruszky's strategy to clear Courland of the Germans and recapture Libau, which is ice free in winter. The Germans are said to be removing their stores of ammunition- from Mitau, which Marshal von Hindonburg was using as a. base for his attacks upon Riga. The railway from Mitau to Muriavevo, on the Libaii-Vilna railway is being harassed. by the long-range guns of the Russians, and the Germans are experiencing, some difficulty in removing their stores. Tho abandonment; of Mitau indicates that since reinforcements cannot be spared to von Hindentmrg, he is going to retire to the Libau-Kovno or Libau-Vilna lateral railway. It has been reported that Gtrmans have for some time been fortifying Kovno; but if the Russians ;ire sufficiently reinforced and are able to retake Libau, the enemy will not make a stand at Kovno. They will be driven back into East Prussia. Tho recapture of Libau will doubtless bo attempted with all possible despatch while, the Germans are weak, and while they are rushing reinforcements to France and using their reserves in Serbia. With Libau in Russian hands, the British submarines would have a base suitable for carrying on their operations against the German navy and German commerce during winter. This is General Ruszky's most obvious task, and one that should render inestimable service to Russia and Britain.

GENERAL RUSZKY'S "SIMPLE" EPISODE. General Ituszky is an able and brilliant officer, and on equal terms in regard to men and munitions, should be able to hol'.l hie own with Marshal von Hindepburg. When, however, he expresses the opinion that the Austro-Gernian advaficc towards Constantinople is only an episode, he teems to be wide of. the mark. His knowledge of tactics and fctrutegy in the regions immediately utiuer, his military command may he all that is desired in a good fighting and hard hitting general, but when he statPf that the German advance upon Constantinople m;iy be treated as s.mply a divergent and theatrical display of Potsdaro strategy, he shows a lack of v.'sion respecting,circumstances that may greatly alter the whole phase of the i war and prolong the troubles of Russia and Great Britain indefi nitcly.

Two great protagonists in this world-war know better. General JofFre and Lord Kitchener are men wlio are of one mint? with regard \to tha situation which hae developed in thn Balkans. France can ill spare inert and money for divergent operations. Yet. France had more men ready to land at Salonika than Britain had. General Joffre's visit to London was soon followed by Lord Kitchener's departure fer the East Mr Winston Churchill, with all his faults and impetuosity, will yet be proved- to be right. It is at Constantinople that the master key to victory lies. The duration of the war will be prolonged if the Germane are not prevented from establishing themselves at that junction between thn East and the West. CONSTANTINOPLE A NEW BASAL CENTRE OF WAR. • The establishment of a German base at Constantinople would offer the Central Powers almost unlimited possibilities for creating trouble for Russia, Britain, France, and Italy. The danger to Germany would bo removed far from home, arid the troubles of Russia and Britain would be vastly, in creased. Germany, by establishing a military headquarters at Constantonople, would be able to harass Russia in the Black Sea and in the Caucasus, and would hold every one of the Balkan States in» the grip of the "mailed fist," and would apply the Prussian jackboot wherever necepsary. The prest : go of Germany would be immensely increased in the East, and German mendacity and German money, lavishly spent, would do the rest. Two million Turks could be armed, and the forces of Bulgaria would bo added. All the resources of Bulgaria, Austria, and Germany would bo thrown into the gamble, and Greece and , Rumania m'ght be compelled by the force of circumstances to become enemies of the Entente Powers. Already, German and Turk'sh agonts are busy throughout Asia Minor. Persia, Arabia, and Northern Africa eprcading the information that the German Emperor is the new Mahd', the promised deliverer of Iskm from the power and control of the hated Giaours and Unbelievers.

TURKISH MULLAHS TO AID BERLIN. Turkieh priests aro now finding texts in the Koran to show that the Kaiser is the promised deliverer of Islam, nnd German professors will go out in Dervish dresses, by imperial orders, and apply all their perverted intellects to the «\vork of convincing the ignorant tribes of Asia and Africa that the one and only prophet of' Allah has been reincarnated in the evil genius of -this European war. General Riiezky may live long enough to learn that all that a great general may know about fighting does not enable him to generalise on international situations, especially in respect of those situations -where religious fanaticism may '>o brought into play, and where the emotions may be raised to a white heat amongf-t brave and fatalistic peoples. THE TASK OF EUROPE. i It is absolutely necoreury that France, Britain, Russia, and Italy, snd, if necessary, Japan should concentrate the whole of their power, wealth, and energy to crush this Napoleonic movement in its infancy. America and Britain will have to see to it that the. Russian millions are able to take the field with ample ammunition, and Bulgaria and Greece' (if she fails us) should , bo reduced to everlasting impotence. The navy of Great Britain, with that of France, together with the millions of Russia, will in the end conquer; but why should the war be allowed to spread, and Germany be allowed to increase its duration to the limits of financial strain by being able to obtain the control of vast resources of inexpensive soldiery, who, in their blind faith, will fight for a pittance and for what plunder they are allowed to take from their victims ? RUSSIA MUST HASTEN. The sooner vast numbers of Ruseians are rolled into Bulgaria the better will it be for the world. A check to Germany in Bulgaria will soon bring about the end of the war; for if the Allies crush the Bulgarians and take Constantinople the road to the capital of Austria-Hungary is open through Serbia and Rumania, and the Central Powers will go to pieces. Mr Winston Churchill never said anything with a clearer vision tha.n when he said the destinies of Europe arc bound up in the operations against Turkey. The same expression was long ago used by the writer of these notes, and it now has a greater significance than it ever had, else why the anxiety of General Joffre and Lord Kitchener and the Chancelleries of Britain and France? The existence of France and Britain is threatened at Constantinople, and every man who can be spared in Australia, New Zealand, and India will have to be sent to the new sphere of war. Germany can be made or broken in Bulgaria. She will be broken ultimately, but 'the pos&eeeion of Constantinople would

S'ive her a long breathing spell, if she can furnish arms to the Turks and some of the fanatical Arab tribes of Syria and Arabia. THE CONQUEST OF TURKEY NOT A DIVERGENCE. Tho conquest ot Turkey is no longer a divergent operation. it is ono ol the greatest necessities of the war, and the of the Dardanelles has become one ol the most important projects in all the whole thelites ot the great war. With Constantinople in German hands, the Suez Canal bo attacked, and all the work so ably uone in the- i'ersian Gulf toward Bagdad rnitfht go lor nothing, and the war might spread to Afghanistan and even India.*, SERBIA The French and British are pushing ahead, but their numbers are not auuioicntly great to control the situat.on. 'J. hey are attvancing on both sides ol tho Vardar towards L'iliub, and threaten to cut oft' tho Bulgarians, who are against General Yursitz at Monastic The Bulgarians must bo in considerable strength there, and are very probably receiving assistance from the Albanians, as General Varsitz and his Serbians seem to be in danger. The Montenegrins near Viscgrad are holding up the Austrians, but the numbers and tho artillery are too much for them. The French are pushing down the Czcrna Valley to the assistance of the Serbians near Veles. The British are deploying along the Strumnitza to prevent the Bulgarians from executing a flank attack on the French and Serbian communications. If Russia can quickly land forces on the north of Bulgaria, or on the cast, she will relieve the. Allies and Serbs from considerable pressure; but five transport, cannot carry sufficient numbers to achieve much good unless they are being sent in conjunction with land forces marching on Varna from Silistria