To the south Russia will have something to say in Asia Minor and much to say concerning Constantinople.  Certainly her influence in the Balkan States and on the Bosphorus will be as great as she could desire.  As long as the Turks remained loyal to England, Great Britain was bound to maintain their integrity and hold upon Constantinople and the Bosphorus.  With the passing of the Turk Constantinople is in the hands of the Allies when they are victorious.  Its final disposition is not yet clear, but the English people can see compensation in Egypt, Asia Minor, and Persia for any necessary Russian control of Byzantium.

While seeking one direct outlet by waterway, Russia may get two with the suicide of Germany and the destruction of her latest ally, the Mohammedan Turk.

Russia is beginning to be better understood throughout the British Empire and the world.  The fear of an invasion of Western Europe by the Slav races is a bugaboo set afloat by Germany, who also propagates the bugaboo of a Japanese invasion of North America.

Russia is not a competing nation.  She needs the capital and the brains of the outside world for her development, and in time she will offer the greatest field for world cooeperation.

Japan wants to cooeperate with Russia, and, indeed, with all European civilization.  After the fall of Kiao-Chau she sent arms to Russia, and she stands ready to throw legions into the European field in defense of her English ally.  Influential people in England are strongly urging the military authorities to permit the little Japs to join in.

Russia will keep faith with the Poles and the Jews and set up an autonomous Poland.  But there is a strong resentment in Russia to-day because the Polish Jews misled the Russian army in the marshy grounds of East Prussia in the early campaigns of the war.

Russian military plans had to be changed and the field of war set farther south.  Here Russia hopes to drive the five million people of Silesia back toward Berlin.  This will awaken the Junkers of East Prussia and bring home to the people of Germany what the Prussian military machine really invites when it attempts a world-conquest.

Russia lacks military railroads and scientific means of communication.  But just as America was surprised ten years ago to find the Japs, as the ally of England, giving, as the English predicted, “a good account of themselves,” so the Russians as the allies of Great Britain may be found giving a very good account of themselves in this war.  Russia is certainly unconquerable from either the Austrian or the German standpoint, and the smashing of Austria between Russia, Roumania, Servia, and Italy may be the real military campaign of this most Audacious War.

American engineers and diplomats familiar with Russia declare that, properly led, the Russian soldier is the greatest fighter in the world; and he is getting that leadership now.