The Star. MONDAY, DECEMBER 7, 1914. EDITORIAL NOTES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 11254, 7 December 1914, Page 4

The Star. MONDAY, DECEMBER 7, 1914. EDITORIAL NOTES.

Mr Sidney Coryn, writing in the San Francises "Argonaut," points out that it it the Russian menace that explains the feverish industry of the Germans in Belgium and France. This indusis peculiarly noticeable since the Russian success outside Warsaw. If the German armies in the east cannot stem the Russian advance—and so far it'seems that they cannot—there is only one possible course open to the Kaiser. He must withdraw his forces from the west; he must leave behind him sufficient to garrison the Rhine* and with the whole of the remainder he must hurry, across Europe to concentrate Against the Russians. His real peril is hero, and not in France or Belgium. Germany's western frontier is almost impregnable. A relatively small force cHV'j ''guard it against invaders, who mmi cross the Rhine and face the great ebaxii of fortresses of Strassburg, May©nce. Cologne and Mete. The Allies would think long and earnestly before attempting the colossal feat of invading. GwxUany, while the German force in tiie east, thus i-einforeed. with anotfci* million and a half men. would lie 1 like a dam across the Russian flood.

. It is easy to be wise after the event, butwe can hardly doubt that the Kaiser would give half bis kingdom to be able now to revise his early plan of campaign and to do this very thing. If bo bad threaded a comparatively small army through the line of his western fortresses he could have lain 6ecure against the attacks of France. Belgium would have been neutral. England would have been practically neutral. And Germany could then have sent some four million men against Russia, and could have invaded her in • overwhelming force and perhaps have beaten her to her knees. Then she could have turned round and invaded France at her leisure and without that ' supreme "necessity for speed that has wrecked her plan of campaign on the rock of Belgian resistance. It was the Belgians who formed the famous Praetorian Guard of ancient Rome. It was the Belgians who wero described by Julius Caesar as the most stubborn people against whom he had ever fought. Evidently they are at it still Ifc is too soon to say much of the y?a.r with Turkey. Nominally and politically Turkey is in empire to the far east of Europe. Actually Turkey represents j the Mohammedan population of the World. If Turkey should attack Egypt we may be quite sure that Italy 'would consider this to be an attack also upon , Tripoli and would act accordingly. Greece would be nearly sure to enter the fray, and the Balkan States could hardly keep themselves outside of the bloody ring. Turkey would almost certainly bring her enemies with her, and to that extent she would be negligible. But what influence might she not exercise upon the Mohammedan world in general? The Sultan of Turkey is the head of the Mohammedan faith, and is therefore in a position to declare a holy war. But to declare a holy war and to produce one are two different things. We can call spirits from the vasty deep, but will they come? Turkey declared a holy war during her struggle with Italy, but no one took much notice. Mohammedan piety is nearly a3 flaccid as the Christian variety, and even good Episcopalians would not go to war at the lidding of the Archbishop of Canterbury Mohammedanism is split into sects, and divided by dogmas, and the sectarians awi dosrmntiats do not love e.soh eiher. England has always been careful in her handling of Turkey from a fear of hor Mohammedan peoples in India and elsewhere, who are supposed a J nays to grow restive when the Sultan is in trouble. But India now Eeems to be extraordinarily loyal, and although Indian seemings are so notoriously treacherous the calm is still unbroken. None the less let it be remembered that a, _ universal Mohammedan rising has been one of the awful possibilities for the last twenty years. It is one of thra things that are on the caids, and the temptation may now be irresistible. If so. the world would bo faco to face with it .calamity before which even the piesent war would sink into nothingness. ' Much lias-lteea said of jthe superiority

of the German artillery, but this superiority seems to be confined to the largo siege guns, which are evidently irresistible. But there is no reason to assume superiority for the other branches of this arm, and we may believe that putting the siege gunß on ono side there is elsewhere very much of an equality. Indeed the British naval guns wore said to have done surprising work at Nieuport, and they have certainly established their value on the few occasions when British and German ships havo been face to face. But when all is said and done it is the rifle that counts. The riflo can go wherever the man can go. It does its deadly work by day and night, and of all other weapons it is tho ono that best reflects tho spirit and courage and temper of the man who carrios it. Where is tho German navy? No ono knows except tho German authorities, but it is generally supposed that the ships are somewhere in the vicinity of Heligoland or Wilhelmsbaven under the protection of the land batteries. But it seems far more likely that they are somowhore in tho Kiel Canal, grouped either at the North Sea end or tho Baltic end. A glance at tlie map shows tho Kiel Canal to lie to the south of Denmark, connecting the North Sea with the Baltio Sea. Therefore the German ships could emerge at either end, and in this connection it will be remembered that the Russian fleet is in the Baltic and that it is very inferior to tho German. Now the British fleet is almost powerless to attack under such conditions. If it sought to enter the canal at the North Sea end tho German fleet would make its exit into the Baltio. If the British passed to the north of Denmark through the Catfcegat in order to attack at the Baltic end the Germans would make their exit into tho North Sea. If the British divided their fleet in order to attack at both ends each of the halves would be inferior to the German whole. Just as the Panama Canal has doubled the strength of the American fleet, so the Kiel Canal has doubled the strength of the GermaJi fleet But it would bo a mistake to suppose that the British fleet is therefore nullified. It has kept the sea open to trade. It has made a bridge over which the steady marching of men to France and Belgium is continued.