The Daily News. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 1916. RUSSIA'S GROWING STRENGTH.

Taranaki Daily News, 4 November 1916, Page 4

The Daily News. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 1916. RUSSIA'S GROWING STRENGTH.

For some time past there lias been a dearth of news concerning the movement of General Brusiloff's forces on the Eastern front. This, to some extent, was due to Brusiloff's policy of silence unless there are matters of gr.;itt importance to make public, while in ether part the Russians have bad to face a largely reinforced enemy, who is desperately striving to prevent Brusi'.off's further advance towards Lemberg Yesterday the silence was broken, though r.ot by the Russian commander. The (London) Morning Post's Petrograd correspondent reported that the hard figbting on General Brusiloff's front wa3 beginning to bear fruit, the Russians having again pushed forward against the Germans' utmost efforts. It Eeems that Halicz is still in the hand) of t'.ia enemy, but that the Russians are steadily working their way all round. We are led ta believe that both sides are preparing for a great blow, with the Russians attacking, the indications b?ing that they have the upper hand. This news naturally directs attention to Russia's object in making a great offensive, at this particular time, and it cannot be doubted that it is one of the measures taken for relieving the Roumanians of the pressure which they have been feeling at the hands of the enemy. The collapse of the Germans at Halicz would lay open important communications, and seriously endanger Lemberg. The adoption of the enveloping movement, now being developed by the Russians, is one that Ims served well in the past, and will doubtless bear good fruit again, especially in conjunction with the .reported strong offensive in the lower part of Southern Russia, towards Vladimir Yolynski, which would enable them to interpose between Lemberg and Kov>l, the latter being the most important railway junction on the Eastern front. This renewed energy on the part of the Russians denotes increased strength, and in this connection it is instructive us well as interesting to turn to a recent article by the Duke do Moray, published in England. "Russia," slid de Moray, "is finding its Tsar, and the Tsar is finding his people. Not only is Russia vastly more powerful to-day than she wag in 1914, but there is an immense differenjce between her strength to-day and what it will be the longer the war progresses. In 1914 Russia had twenty million men at call, but only throe million rifles, and no reserve of ammunition—4ooo machine-guns against Germany's 42,000. This year Russia opened her offensive with 4,200,000 men, having rifles and equipments available f ci this number, and she has still at oil' some fourteen million men who, for physique, courage, and endurance ,have never been surpassed. She is steadily building up not only her vast armies, but her munitions and equipment, on a scale llic.t seems almost incredible.' This great constructive process lias been at work for a considerable time, and its results are being manifested by the Russian successes. She is only just beginning to feel her real strength, and it seems hardly possible for the full development to be reached beforo the war is ended. Against this 4,200,000 men in the field, and reserves of 14,000,000 men, what forces can Germany muster? It will be seen by to-day's cables that Mr Hilaire Belloc, who is an authority _on such matters, estimates the German troops at 5,000,000, apart from her reserves of 1,310,000 (including cured wounded men), but the German army of 1910 lias been increased at the expense of its fortunes in 1917—the most crucial, period of the war. It will be seen, therefore, that the mighty body of power that Russia has in reserve is overwhelmingly superior to that of Germany, and the longer the war lasts the greater will this superiority be evinced. It is this factor, which the Allies recognise as having an important bearing on the ultimate issue, that is making Germany nervy. She bad hoped that Russia's power had been broken by thi?'great drive of 1015, but instead there has arisen a new and mighty Russia, whose pressure on the enemy is growing day by day, and for whose success in the present offensive against Lemberg we are confidently awaiting. '■