gates of Paris, have been drawing the same enemy after them to Salonika.
That they will throw him back from Salonika, as they threw him back from
Paris, is assured.

General Sarrail was one of those who commanded in front of Paris, and
General de Castelnau, who also commanded at the battle of the Marne, and
is now chief of staff of General Joffre, has just visited him here.
General de Castelnau was sent to "go, look, see." He reports that the
position now held by the Allies is impregnable.

The perimeter held by them is fifty miles in length and stretches from
the Vardar River on the west to the Gulf of Orplanos on the east. There
are three lines of defense. To assist the first two on the east are
Lakes Beshik and Langaza, on the west the Vardar River. Should the enemy
penetrate the first lines they will be confronted ten miles from
Salonika by a natural barrier of hills, and ten miles of intrenchments
and barb-wire. Should the enemy surmount these hills the Allies
war-ships in the harbor can sweep him off them as a fire-hose rips the
shingles off a roof.

The man who tells you he understands the situation in Salonika is of the
same mental caliber as the one who understands a system for beating the
game at Monte Carlo. But there are certain rumors as to the situation in
the future that can be eliminated. First, Greece will not turn against
the Allies. Second, the Allies will not withdraw from Salonika. They
now are agreed it is better to resist an attack or stand a siege, even
if they lose 200,000 men, than to withdraw from the Balkans without a
fight.

The Briand government believes that had the Millerand government, which
it overthrew, sent troops to aid the Serbian army in August this war
would have been made shorter by six months. It now is trying to repair
the mistake of the government it ousted. Among other reasons it has for
remaining in the Balkans, is that the presence of 200,000 men at
Salonika will hold Roumania from any aggressive movement on Russia.

To aid the Allies, Russia at Tannenberg made a sacrifice, and lost
200,000 men. The present French Government now feels bound in honor to
help Russia by keeping the French-British armies at Salonika. As a
visiting member of the government said to me:

"In this war there is no western line or eastern line. The line of the
Allies is wherever a German attacks. France went to the Balkans to help
Serbia. She went too late, which is not the fault of the present