The Daily News. THURSDAY, DECEMBER 14, 1916. THE NEXT MOVE

Taranaki Daily News, 14 December 1916, Page 4

The Daily News. THURSDAY, DECEMBER 14, 1916. THE NEXT MOVE

Von Hindenberg has a due appreciation cf tiie value of advertising, for lie takes the world as a whole into his eonfideree as to his moves. For instance, lie announced his intention before commencing" the Russian driye; he did the some in the case of Serbia, Italy and Roumania. The Verdun attack he dis-; countenanced, Falkenhayn being responsible for that disastrous enterprise. ■Now, it is rumored that the enemy will pay attention next either to the Italian ir Salonika front. No doubt Hindenburg will inform usl of bis intention in good time. Of the two enterprises, the Salonika one seems the more probable, and the signs are that 'Hindenhurg "'ill have support from the double-dealing Greeks, who have been simply biding their time, keeping the Allies at arm's length until the Roumanians have been effectually dealt with. Indeed, Constantine indicated on October, 10 pretty well what was going to happen. In answer to the request of a Greek patriot, "I beseech your Majesty to change your policy,'' he said: "I prefei to lose my throne rather than endanger Greece. 1 am convinced that in 15 days Roumania will exist no more. If Greece went to war, then after the conquest of Roumania, irresistible German forces would be directed against Groece, and she would share the fate of Serbia and Roumania." All along C'onstantine. has expressed his belief that the Germans would conquer. To own to the truth, his belief has, as far as the Balkans are concerned, boeii borne out by results. The Allies failed in their attack on Gallipoli; Serbia and Montenegro have been wiped out; Bulgaria is under the domination of the Germans, and now Roumania is well on the way to being crushed. There is not the slightest doubt that had it not. been for the All.es' navy, Constantine and the Greeks would now be fighting side by side by the Teutonic powers. .Should Hindenburg come down with his legions in force, the Greeks will unquestionably be at hand to attack Sarrail in his rear or on his left flank. It is astonishing that the Allies have allowed themselves to be hamstrung by these secret allies of the enemy Facts regarding their complicity could not be more convincing, yet it is only now that .pressure is being applied to them. At the present time Salonika is the weakest part of the Entente lines, simply because of the treachery of the Greeks, and for that reason we may expect Ilindenburg's bolt to fall here as soon as he has finished with the Russo-Roumanians and has th.em safely contained. He acts on Napoleon's maxim of striking down the weakest foe first, or of attacking the weakest link. Strike where thou canst conquer! This is ho".",' Hindenhurg has attained his success. If the Allies had sought out the enemy's ' weak points, selecting for the greater efforts objectives that could be obtained, yielding fruitful results,, the war would ere this have borne ■ a different aspect. Winston Churchill has shown that the enormous number of French and British soldiers sacrificed vainly in endeavors to pierce the German lines at J Arras, Loos, and in the Champagne would by themselves have sufficed' to conquer Turkey, to take Constantinople, and by uniting all the Balkan states against Austria to cut Germany altogether from the Kast, and complete the investment of the Central' Powers. Had this been done it is improbable, in Churchill's opinion, that Germany could have endured till the harvest of 1910 i'.'as gathered. Certni;ily ! her resisting power would have been immeasurably weakened. We have made mistakes all along. It is idle, of course, to dwell upon them at this stage, but expect.to take from them lessons wliich we can with profit apply in the future. But it does discourage one to see how lightly the Entente has regarded the Greece danger, and how by the masterly inactivity shown towards this disturbing element in the past the whole of our front in the Balkans may be jeopardised. • It is no time for the observation of international niceties and courtesies; it is essentially a time for fiction, ruthless, determined action. Greece lias to go, and the sooner she does, i-he better for the cause of the Allies.