The Thames Star MONDAY, OCTOBER 7, 1918 PROGRESS OF THE WAR

Thames Star, Volume LII, Issue 13818, 7 October 1918, Page 2

The Thames Star

MONDAY, OCTOBER 7, 1918 PROGRESS OF THE WAR

"With malice toward* aontj with i cfttaritj for all; with flntmoM la th«, right, v Qod gives ua to ac« tk« right »'—l^ihcojcn. ( ,

The sudden collapse of. Bulgaria con-. -tihiiieiij to be chief point of intereist, thougth. tho rapid advance of the Allied .troops vn. the West Trout also holds attention. The 'Bulgaria debacle opens up t'<i& prospocit of great Allied advances in the East; which may easily renuit in an early Austro-German surrender, axd the continued persistanit pressure on the West front tends io hasten that desirable end. The next great offensiva is to be directed at Comtanti-' nople, a disaster io the Turks that can only be averted by Turkey following Bulgai'^a's lead, and surrendering uricoiidit'ojially. Already it is reported that Turkey is putting; forth feelers to that end. If she sur-rtnderShT-and ©vei'y&hii/g points that' way— ifos Dai'daniillesi and the Sosplioatis will be open, to the Allies, and their fleets can then n^uetratta the Black Sea, and assist Roumsuuat to shake oiff tho German yoke, beaides aiding 1 "in the e.nano;pa,tion oi" llussiia. And fchere are other comaidea^aitioiKs. Tiio way to lUingWiry lies thrcyuigh Bulgiiiaii and Rouinaiiia,, and it as not to be supposed that the Allies will neglect the obvious advanwige wlnioh . thi* giives Ilieni-. To invade the Coivtral Powers ivov\ tha East, AVhile inaint:un!'ng oontinued pressure in fclio West,. would place 'Axiist.i'oi-Geirniany littir'ally ' beitween gigantio pincers, the closing of v.'hicih would' result en jrie'liievaiblo ;niin. And dcsj)ite their blustea- j and bounce, the Germans have ' sufficiicnt wisdom, toi so© tho neces- j sity of escaping while they <*a,n from disaster. Tlie hurried ret«'e:iit from NorthenTi' Franco a-'ad Bolgium now begun is a sure sign of recognition, by Germany that hca- redgn of ■te.n tor. in tho«o regji'Ons is drawing to an end. liiey are getting away as fast as is humanly possible, find 'sacrificing liu-g© sitoires of munitions' to tho victorious pursuers. Are we io suppose that, all this hurried retreat is for the purpose- of c'hongling the base of 'Operations to iho Enst, and tnakvimt n, stand them against Allied in-va-.ion'? This is scarcely likely, for any effective defence lequires strong a,rni:e« on both fromts, a,nd the Ccntiral Powers do not ]M>.ssess them. Slie can only now make a show of holding 1 RooimaiTiia and helping Tiu--koy, by removing, admittedly inferioT troops from Russia, and if she docs that she loses ail' fimits> -of iien* onetifiide-d trenty with th>et BoMieviks. Evcuytihing points to a. recognition \w Geirinany of the imesistible logiio oif facts. Evan the reconstruction 1, of the Governinentti, " with a Cliance-110r I—whom1 —whom we are assured by Mn' Gea"ard can behave like a human being—and containing a Socialist

leudeF, sbotws that i-Jmna.ny is get-* ling- ready fpa* peace offers cn\pii!laifeid to be of a more acceptable character to; tihej Allies than amy yet prescnteid.' ' But the same iule will doubtless apply: to ;Germany-,; as£ x Jo. ' Bt^g^ri;l*''■:^4:'Tua'key—-Absolut© &ur- '.. . .' ■