Please wait. Contacting image service... loading

Article text

REASON FOR AUSTRIAN REVERSES.
The Russian successes against the. Austrians
were thought probable by all who had" con
-idwred the history. orAustria in previous wars,
which has been marked by constant failure.
The failure has not been due to lack of good
fighting on the part of the gallant Austrians
and Hungarians, but their commanders have
never been quite competent for their tank, and
the staff-and administrative services of those
somewhat easy-going people have never been
up to the mark. In numbers, too, Austria in
a very weak Power aompared to Germany and
France, and she -has had to .keep some of her
16 army. corps .of first line to oppose the
Servians, and probably ,to watch the Italian
frontier as well, while we have, from time to
time heard of Austrian troops having joined the
Germans, both in Alsace and in Belgium. The
Austrian armies opposing the Russians in
Galicia, even when strengthened by reserve
corps, must have been very inferiorin numbers,
and the fact that the German commanders have
lately taken over the Austrians and amalga
mated them with their- own armies, ehows that
the.Austrian command and stiff were wanting
in efficiency.- We have, indeed, heard of Aus
trian generals being removed from their com
mands for non-success.- We may, therefore,
confidently look forward to a considerable
diminution of Austrian strength, which will
eventually result in Germany having to rely on
her own resources alone, for resisting numer
ous and deteirined enemies on both her east
ern and western frontiers. - Should Austria
be compelled to meet an invasion by Italy or
Roumania, or by both together, as s not un
ilkely, her 'weakness wii be immensely ac
centuated.
$