THE FUTURE.

Wanganui Herald, Volume L, Issue 14699, 2 September 1915, Page 4

THE FUTURE.

Though Russia* has lost Warsaw and a considerable portion cf the railway ;o Petrograd she has . saved her irmies, and no nation in such a position could dream of surrendering to the foe. The "Russian nation has been stirred to its very depths by. this war, undertaken In the first instance in support of. the oppressed Slavs of. Servia. The Russians have now seen the people of Poland, who ire ajao Slavs, crushed under the Prus•nau jackboot. It;is out of the question that with her armiea still in the field the great leader of the Slavs would tamely submit to be bought off by Germany by i territorial concession as has been suggested by Germany. To accept such an offer—which would, of course, be taken back by Germany when it suited her to do sc—would be, to place the Slavs definitely under the heel of the .Teutonic nations at once. Such a submission could only take place when Russia, was .beaten to her knees beyond all hope of resusci-; fcation. ■ -

While her armies are still in the field with unlimited room for further retirement into the idepths of the country .where no German army could follow them Russia cannot sign a separate peace. Were she to do so the’forfeiture of her place as a great Power would probably be the least of the evils by which she would be assailed. Even if she had no Allies her Government could not sign peace with Germany in the existing military situation without running tire gravest risk. But Russia is not only prosecuting the wax in common with France and Britain. Her statesmen have put their signatures to a convention ratified soon after the outbreak of the wax, by which Russia is bound along with France and Britain not to conclude peace with the enemy until it is concluded by all the Allies simultaneously, No dqubt the Kaiser lias. Been flying pilot-balloons to see which way the political wind is blowing. Rut the Germans' hive been singularly unsuccessful as political meteorologists. They appear to be constitutionally incapable of understanding that the non-German nations possess ideas of honour which are regarded as imposing sacred obligations. Because they do not keep, faith themselves they ’ assume • that other nations are prepared to break faith at short notice! They have yet to- find out their mistake. Both material interest and moral ebligalion imperatively demand that Russia shall continue to wage War with all her strength; v There is no doubt whatever that it will- be so waged; ■