The Daily News. TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 1916. A LIKELY RUSSIAN MOVE.

Taranaki Daily News, 12 September 1916, Page 4

The Daily News. TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 1916. A LIKELY RUSSIAN MOVE.

The Austriaiis admit .having been driven back on the Halicz front, when the Russians captured between four thousand and five thousand prisoners. It will he seen by this morning's cables that the Russians now half encircle Halicz, which they continue to bombard. It is stated that the capture of Hialiez would menace the Hank of the Guila Lipa line, also the second and last line of the Lemberg defences. It w6uld seem that the Russians aro bent on the capture of Lemberg before the winter sets in, and it is quite possible that they will accomplish this task. There are, however, indications that they have a far more important offensive in view, and in this the Allies will doubtless co-operate. The time appears to have arrived when it becomes strategically imperative to capture Constantinople, and a slackening of the campaign against the Austro-Germans would enable the Allies to divert over whelming forces for the swift crushing o! Bulgaria and the fall of Constantinople. The German military authorities seem to fear such an offensive as this, for they have sent all the forces they coulu spare to Bulgaria, knowing that the de- j feat of the Bulgarians means a death blow to German hopes. In this connection it appears quite probable that the Carpathians and Transylvania will be overrun before the intensity of wintei j is reached, and that the Russians and i Roumanians will be in possession '■>! the < Hungarian plains. The Grand IjjWl Nicholas is said to be commandiiy the i Russian army against Bulgaria and that may be taken to imply thai a' issia intends to employ an army of exceptional size and weight. It ma.v fie that this force is the mysterious r t -j thai has been mentioned in cable-: ,in entirely mew army that is taking the field with a special mission which will further simplify Russia's task ir/ranling bases for foreign supply. The only meaning that can be attaehej to these cable? is that Russia intends to smash her 'way through Bulgaria and then proceed to Constantinople. A military critic slabs that "combined attacks with overwhelming forces by the Allies will ensure the swift fall of the city and the opening of the. Dardanelles and the Bos'phorus, and that there will be no winter pause in these operations, while if there is a short winter lull in the campaign against the Central Powers, the advantages gained by the Allies through the fall of Constantinople will more than make up foi it in the swiftness of subsequent developments." There U much sound logic in this contention, and those who consider that the fatal blow on the Central Powers will emanate from the Balkans naturally regard the offensive outlined above as being the factor in dealing that blow. A Russian communique admits the fall of Turtukai, but the Roumanian's claim that it cost the enemy very dearly. The Bulgarians, however, are not likely to get far, for they have ninety miles of exposed front to defend, and there should be no great difficulty in smashing it if Russia sends 'sufficient forces, which she evidently intends doing. An exceptionally wellinformed writei in a contemporary thus forecasts the operations:—"A powerful Kusso-Roumanmn army will -smash its way through the Bulgarian Hire and drive part of the enemy forces, towards Sofia and part of them back on the Balkan mountains. The main body of the -Roumanian army will then cross the Danube, and, with part of the Russian forces, advance upon Sofia, towards which the Allied forces will also be advancing from the south. The fall of Bulgaria will be swift and sure. The Russians will then force the passage of the Balkan Range, an operation which should he facilitated by the co-operation of the Allies from the south, and will junction' at Adrianople with the forces from Salonika. The combined armies will then turn upon Constantinople. One part of the allied forces will drive the Turks back behind the Tchataldja lines, while another plrt advances towards the Dardanelles and takes the. Bulair neck of the Gallipoli Peninsula in the rear. In. the meantime the signs indicate that we shall have secured the co-operation of Greece, and overwhelming allied forces will he available. Large forces will probably land on the Asiatic shore, thus completely cutting off Gallipoli, which will then be attacked on all sides. Its fall will be swift, and the opening of the Dardanelles will admit' our warships to

the sea of Marmora, The landing of troopa on the southern shore of the Bos-pli-orus will cut off Constantinople, and the co-operation of powerful fleet* on hoth side* should ensure the early forcing of the i!o;ii)ihonis and the fall of the eity." Tlie accomplishment of this task will render the compleU defeat of the Austro-Gcnmins a matter of detail, besides being a splendid achievement.