LAND AND WATER 
December 5, 1914. 
and upon the south of that system. There is a 
Galician held and a Roumanian field, and between 
them they are able to supply the needs, however 
heavy they are, of Germany and of Austria at war. 
Now these economic values of the Carpathian 
system being grasped, let it next be noted how the 
present Russian advance affects them for the pur- 
poses of this war. The general direction along 
which the supplies of wheat, of horses, and of oil 
reach Germany (Avhich is the main consideration) 
I have represented in the above sketch by the lines 
B, B, B. The Russian raids across the Carpa- 
thians now in progress are represented as to their 
direction by the arrows, A, A, and the present 
front of the Russian armies in their advance west- 
ward and southward I have represented upon the 
sketch by a dotted line stretching from Bukovina 
to near Cracow, and at one place actually cross- 
ing the Carpathian chain. 
Two things are at once evident. First, that the 
Russian advance across the " waist " of the Car- 
pathians is directly transverse to the general line 
of supplies, that is, perpendicular to it; and, 
secondly, that this advance is already in the imme- 
diate neighbourhood of the supplies, or of their 
line of travel tOAvards Germany. If the Russian 
cavalry once obtain a firm footing on the Hun- 
garian Plain, three weeks will suffice to harry that 
plain thoroughly. 
By the latest advices the first raid across the 
Carpathians at Homonna has been partially 
checked, but that is Austrian news, and the num- 
bers behind the Russian advance continue to swell 
perpetually. If the raids are pressed home Rou- 
manian oil will be cut off, and in Galicia, with the 
investment of Cracow, Galician oil will be cut off 
also. 
We may sum up and say that this Russian 
effort to push light-armed bodies and masses of 
cavalry across the Carpathians has a double object. 
Primarily, it is intended to interfere in the highly 
complex and unstable political condition of the 
Hungarian kingdom. But next.it is also intended 
to interfere with the economic bases upon which 
the Germans are fighting this war, and in particu- 
lar with their supply of horses and of petrol. 
It is on both these accounts that what is essen- 
tially a minor military operation projected with 
small forces against a countryside almost empty of 
troops must be watched verj' carefully in the imme- 
diate future, for should it succeed it will have a 
profound effect upon the remainder of the war. 
Men are already talking as though Austria were 
beaten, and as though Germany were the only 
serious opponent to be considered for the future. 
That is an exaggerated and premature statement. 
But if Hungary is seriously raided, and if it feels 
itself abandoned by the German people in the 
midst of insurrections of its subjects and commer- 
cial blockade and interference, then the collapse of 
Austria will be near enough; for, with a dis- 
affected Hungary on its flahk, Aystria will be cer- 
tainly defeated. 
THE POSITION IN SERVIA. 
IN connection with this Russian raiding across 
the Carpathian system in the north one is 
led to consider the Austrian counter-offen- 
sive in Servia, to which some space was 
devoted last week. 
The position of the Austrian advance in that 
country has not materially altered since it was last 
described in these notes. The more or less open 
country in the north-west remains occupied by the 
invaders. They have advanced, as was presumed 
in these notes a fortnight ago, to the passes above 
Valjevo and between that town and Tsutschak. 
Titles ^ 
To Salonika 
Austro- Hungarian and 
Serviaa frontier 
'Mbuntaiaous ■ 
Approximate Servian 5 , Shobotz 
front at this moment j^ . Belgrade 
Austrian direction V = Valjevo • 
But hitherto they have gone no further. They arc 
stopped here, just as they are stopped on the Mon- 
tenegrin boundary further south, by the tangle of 
the mountains. The advance was made at a 
moment when Servia was believed to be short of 
supplies. How far that shortage has been made 
good we have nothing to tell us ; but at any rate 
it appears that the present Servian line, which 
leads along the edge of the high ground from Bel- 
grade, round past (but excluding) Valjevo, and 
having its centre at Lazarevetz, is unbroken and 
has not further retired. There is no reason, save 
the one of ^numbers, why a second Austrian ad- 
vance should not take place up the valley of the 
Morava ; and it is quite possible that we shall see 
that development in the near future. It is possible, 
I mean, that the Servian line in the mountains may 
prove too strong to break, and that the obvious 
step of trying to turn it by an advance up the 
Morava valley may be undertaken by the Aus- 
trians. But every such attempt means the use of 
more numbers and the subtraction of greater and 
greater forces from the decisive region in front of 
Cracow; and the more the Austrians are deter- 
mined to occupy or advance into Servian territory, 
of the more direct value is the Servian Army, in 
whatever condition of supply or strength, to the 
cause of the Allies. 
The Blue Cnoss Fi-ND.^-lhis is the only organisation which has 
received the authority of the French Government to establish eight 
base hospitals lot wounded horses. The committee have had the good 
fortune to secure the services of Lady Smith-Dorrien as president, 
whilst the secretaryship is in the energetic hands of Mr. Arthur .J. 
Coke. The committee have undertaken, whilst the war lasts, the 
constant employment of a skilled staff of veterinary siirgeons and 
assistants, and the equipment and maintenance of the hospitals. Some 
of the difficulties will be appreciated when it is understood that even 
the forage has to be sent from England, in addition to motor trolleys, 
cars, drugs, medicaments, surgical instruments, etc. Liberal donations 
to the fund will be needed if the work is to continue. Those who are 
not in a position to contribute themselves can give Valuable help by 
organising the collection of money on lines which will be explained 
if they will communicate with the secretary at 58, Victoria Strcc^, 
Westminster, S.W. 
12* 
