The Daily News. SATURDAY, AUGUST 7, 1915. THE FALL OF WARSAW.

Taranaki Daily News, 7 August 1915, Page 4

The Daily News. SATURDAY, AUGUST 7, 1915. THE FALL OF WARSAW.

Although we have for some time past been led to expect that Warsaw would full into the. hands of the enemy, t!-o actual lu»s o*f this historical Polish capital cannot he viewed otherwise, th.ni with regret. From a strategical jio'i'.t of view tbe capture of. WarstiV is cf tittle importance, but it is quite con ceivahle In at (hi! Russians would have] been better pleased to have spared the Poles the loss of their beloved cen'.e of government. It has been a most costly "business for the Austro-Gerinaii forces, while Hie victory is an absolutely barren one—an almost empty town, bereft of everything useful to an invading nriny. (in all sides there is heard nothing but praise for the courage and skill exhibited by the Russians. They have fought .1 series of rearguard actions which have inflicted huge losses on the enemy, and in abandoning Warsaw they have acted on a well-considered and prearranged plan of retreat to a strong defensive position, there to await Hie time when their supply of artillery and other munitions will enable them to emerge once more to accomplish, as they undoubtedly will, the defeat of the Teutonic, hosts. It is only a question of time, opportunity, and preparedness. The faith and trust of the other Allies in Russia's success is even greater to-day than ever, for the forces of the Czar have proved (hat their fighting power is far better than that of the enemy, and though they have been heavily handicapped in the matter of munitions they have accomplished wonders with the' material available. The effect of the Russians' compulsory retreat wi'l probably be to prolong the war. but we must remember that the timely diversion created by their advance into Clalieia has enabled Britain to largely make up the ilelicieuey of munitions for opei'ntio.is in the West, anil to prepare for C:e threatened attempt of the enemy to break through to Calais. By retreat!,'.: and saving the brave armies under his control, the Grand Duke Nicholas has shown the highest qualities of a skilful general. It was Germany's object : :n annihilate tbe Russians, but we are confident that ere long they will emerge like giants refreshed, and equipped with the necessary armor for achieving victory they will go forward and avenge the reverses they have suffered

THE DEPLKTIOX OF MANHOOD. There is one question that constantly occurs to tlie student of political economy in connection with the effect of the war, and that is as to the impelling necessity of looking well to the number and quality of the coming' generation. The tragic, figures contained in the heavy casualty lists arc pregnant \vilh*disquictude as to their ell'ect on the nations now engaged in taking Mich a huge toll on human life. We know only too well thai, it is the llowcr of our manhood that is being daily diminished on a large scale, and it requires no ell'urt of imagin-

alion to see that this waste of manhood in war innit have a serious effect on all the nations concerned. In an interesting and scholarly article from the pen of Professor Schiller, of Oxford, appearing in -■ of the London evening papers, the question of "The Race after the War" is discussed. The professor points out that France, with its low birth-rate, e-ilt probably show a proportionate decline, while Russia,' with its high birlhrale. will make a rapid recovery. In Hie case of Conn-any. whose losses have been and probably will be enormous, the ofi'oct cannot fail to be extremely marked, especially as there has been a declining birth-rate in that country since 1902. Tn England the rate of increase has also ili (lined since ISSfI, but the limitation of families has not been anything like the same extent as in France It is in tin; middle class in England that the brunt of the depletion will be felt, but. ■f/i.vs the professor, '-I;-<ain riot one of those who fear for the future'of the iaee. and -. outeiid that the future genet at ions will be the children of the stay-at-homes and slackers. That leaves English mothers out of account, and though the men of the upper classes are being kilied, the women arc not." This elimination of the best fighting stock is no new .phenomenon. It is as old as English history, but there has never been a war as yet that has taken so large a 101 l as the one upon which we are now engaged. The important point to con--ider is, of course, how can the fallen be replaced? If. as some contend, the nat'ons will be poorer after the war, (hen. as if is usually found that when people are poorer there are larger families, one way of partially solving the problem will have been evolved. It is also probable Unit one of the effects of tl'.f- war will be to bring about a change in the manlier of living among the upper classes, conducing to a greater concentration on family life and (he elimination or the .shallow vagaries of a mere fashionable existence in which motherhood has no place. More than ever will Hie future of the race be in the hands of the women, and it may be reasonably assumed that effective measures' will be adopted for putting an end to the shocking wastage through infant mortality by the application of social remedies. It will take time to till the gap- in the manhood of the nations, but ■ the same spirit of sacrifice and patriotism that has been so nobly exemplified in conue.tion with the war may he relied upon to repair the terrible ravage? it has caused.