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THE WELSH OUTLOOK The Editor does not necessarily identify himself with the opinions of contributors to "The Welsh Outlook." Editorial responsibility is limited to the views expressed in the Notes of the Month." NOTES OF THE MONTH The Russian The Germans have resumed their on- Collapse slaught on the Russian front, and, meeting with hardly any resistance, are now marching on Petrograd, where they will probably be received with joy by the majority of the inhabitants who will hail them as deliverers from the state of anarchy which has existed for so long. The shipbuilding yards, the Russian fleet, vast quantities of stores and material, machinery and rolling stock, will fall into the hands of the victors. Already they have announced the capture of numerous guns which the Russian Army had abandoned. Many of the heavier pieces have, unfortunately, been supplied from this country, but the Government cannot be blamed for having done their best to supply the Russian Army with artillery and equipment so long as there was any reasonable chance that this Army would remain in the field. The Ukraine has concluded a separate peace and the gallant Roumanian Army finds itself in a most pre- carious position, cut off from its supplies, deserted by the Russians and the Ukranians, and faced by a powerful and unscrupulous enemy. It would appear as though there was no alternative to a complete surrender. People's Conditions in Russia during the past Pitiful four months have been deplorable. Plight famine has been wide-spread, disease rampant, thousands of people, including women and children, have died from starvation and pestilence. The transport services have almost ceased to operate. In every province in that vast country there has veen civil war. Everywhere there has been pillage and murder, outrage, and destruction. No man's life or property has been safe. There is no government, all classes from the peasant to the Grand Duke have become the victims of this appalling anarchy. Most pitiful of all is the plight of discharged and disabled soldiers who were at once deprived by the Bolsheviks of their pensions. Even the hospitals and convalescent homes have been plundered, and those heroes who had fought for their country were insolently robbed of even their clothing and personal effects. The paper currency has depreciated to such an MARCH, 1918. extent that a suit of clothes now costs £ 100, whilst the price of a pair of boots is £ 30. We are told that the Germans manufacture the new paper currency and export it into Russia. Unfortunately this state of anarchy and the misery it brings in its train have reacted upon the situation in Germany and Austria. With the indescrib- able chaos and suffering in Russia before their very eyes, the results of revolution are not so attractive to the German people as they might have appeared six months ago. With this object lesson before them they may well pause before they embark upon any similar course. Unfortunately for us, not only has the Bolsheviks regime brought military disaster to the Allies, but it has also retarded the progressive and socialist movement in the enemy countries. The German Is it possible that after all there may be Offensive no German offensive in the West ? A policy of expeditions into Russia, a campaign in the Balkans or the Italian front, combined with a defensive role in France and peace offensives in the Allied countries, may have greater attractions for the German Rulers. They may prefer this course to a gamble on the Western front, for if this ended without a military decision in their favour it would entail enormous sacrifices in men and would not have brought the War to a final con- clusion. On the contrary, if it failed, they would have demonstrated that their last chance of securing a knock-out blow had vanished, and, with the arrival of the new American Armies in the summer, they might have to face defeat in the field before the end of another year. But we cannot read the mind of Ludendorf, and therefore it is useless to prophesy. Allies' In December, we pointed out in these Complete notes that the Supreme Allied Council Unity at Versailles would not become a really effective military machine until it was endowed with executive powers. At last, after a delay of three precious months, these powers have been granted, and we hope that now complete unity among the Allies