THE WEEK'S WAR

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16254, 3 July 1918, Page 8

THE WEEK'S WAR

SECRETARY OF STATE'S REVIEW. VON KUHLMANN'S SPEECH. The following telegraphic review of tho war situation during the week ending June 29th, has been received by his Exceilency the Governor-General from the Socretary of btate for the Colonies: —

Von Kuhlmann's declaration in the Reichstag: "When one makes a wide survey of evonts one must asit, will-the war, according to iiuman calculation, last boyond tiic autumn and winter or beyond next year. 1- '' caused a sensation in Germany. The Genuiuis axe no longer told that ineir great sacrifices on the battiuiield wiU brmg speedy peace. I'eA'naps tne chouse is partly aicijljutable louie AiiaU'iun situation. i_,ven wane von xv.uninuuiii was spoaKing of tue "noteworthy suecebsos" ox tue Aubuo-iiiuigai'iuii armies, their suatleied divisions were snuggling back across tho Piavo. Austria io almost starving. iViany Austnans are blaming ueimany tor tnoir predicament. Austro-iiemian , negotiations seem to make no progress. I lie Aus* txians apparently insist upon their own soaition of tno i'oiish question, making this condition precedent for furtner negotiations, and the Germans are unlikely to accept it. Tho dilforence is fundamental, and most embarrassing to Germany. Tho completion of a new alliance with Austria is the keystone of tho "Mittel Europa" policy. Germany's whole will be seriously compromised if she is unabie to complete this speedily. Tho Austrian defeat on the Piavo is attributablo in Vienna partly to the refusal of the Hungarian troops to fight, because war in Italy is not considered a menace to Hungarian torritory. The Pan-Ger-mans, on.the other hand, argue that this is treason, and renders it more necessary to increase German control in Austria-Hungary. Von Kuhlmann and other German statesmen have little to sr.v about the share of the United States in the war. Y'et, they must know that 900,000 American troops are already in or on tlioir way to France, and tho number of American-built ships to he launched on July 4tli will surpass all records. Von Kuhlmann does not expect peace soon. What sort of peacp. may tho German people expect "beyond next year?" THE ITALIAN VICTORY.

On the Italian front the campaign began on the 15th of June, and reached tne end of tho definite phase by the 26th. The operation bemg of enemy initiative, the Italian victory may best be measured in terms of tho Austrian failure. After ton days of heavy fighting the Austrians wero less well placed than before. They lost some 20,000 prisoners, besides about 180,000 killed and wounded, 1 < and considerable material. In one of the most important sections, British- troops contributed materially to the success, taking over 1000 prisoners and several guns. The operations in the Italian theutro emphasise the unhappy situation of small nationalities forced to fight under thS German yoke. It was noticeable that no German units assisted the Austrian army, except, certain "requisitioning battalions," who trere armed apparently only with paste brushes ana labels; which they affixed to every desirable movable property, showing it had bocome "tne property of the Imperial German army." This appears to have specially annoyed the Hungarian troops on the Piave sector. There is evidence I also that the Czechs and Slav qnits on the northern front destroyed,their own ammunition dumps. Everywhere they | are able, the Czochs, Slavs, and Poles are fighting against the permans. The. I Slavs are enlisting in special units of the American army, and the Poles in a | special legion in France, while many soldiers in the American army are of, | German extraction, and glory in the | opportunity to destroy the tyranny, to I avoid which they or their ancestors Lwere forced to emigrate to Americ\ I GERMAN CLAIM DENIED, j On the main British front, though |no large operation has taken place, •activity has been continuous. The never-ceasing work of reconstruction, I training, and preparation involves time ! and immense labour The Germans claim to have taken 2800 ~uns and over 8000 machine-guns from the Allies between March 21st and June 21st, which is far from true. It is officially. stated. that. British workshops and building yards made good all tne British losses within three weeks. A large proportion of the reauirements of her Allies was also provided by Great Britain. The Italian Commander-in-Chief has specially mentioned the following units: Northumberland Fusiliers, Sherwood Foresters, Warwicks,. Oxfords, and Bucks Light Infantry). Men from industrial, manufacturing, mining, and agricultural districts are all fichting in the various theatres >.f the war. Those left by the National Service Tribunals, together with .vomen and children, are working day and night to produce munitions and supplies for the Allied armies. In ihe agricultural districts the British home produce has been increased by nearly 300 per cent., thus releasing shipping and imported foodstuffs for our Allies. EFFECTIVE ALLIED AIR WORK. The statements of enemy prisoners show the effectiveness of. Allied nr work. German infantrymen taken on May 18th said: "About eight days ago a British flying squadron bombed Douai. There were seven hundred casualties

among our troops in the town, 400 being killed, and much damage was done.'' •" A lettfer captured in the B.ipaume area, dated May 11th, says:— "The enemy aviators cause us mur-h misery. Incessantly day and night they bombard the main roads. We are not safe anywhere." The Air Ministry n>ports_ that the week has been notable for air work carried out in France n.nd Italy under weather conditions which a year or two ago would have made flying impossible. Low clouds, high winds, and frequent heavy rains prevail throughout Europe and the \ T a<ir East. Yet the Royal Air Force, with the assistance of the Australian Flying Corps, directed fire upon the enemy batteries, attacked field works and fortifications. dispersed concentrations, reconnoitred the. rear positions, Mid harassed his troops by bombing and machine-gun fire. Excellent work t»s been clone by Canadian pilots. Apart from the coastal enterprises and special work during a raid b- an independent force, over 90 tons of bombs hav«» been dropped on objectives bphind the German lines 7 nearly 2000 photographs taken, and many thousand rounds of small arms ammunition fired from a low height at ground targets. In air fighting 31 German machines have been brought down and eight driven down. Ninpfepn of o"r machines are missing, against 39 of the enemy's. ATTACKS ON ENEMY HARBOURS.

Highly-successful raids have been made on German harbours and shipning nava] works on the Belgian coast. Five separate attacks were made upon the docks, at Bilges, and Ostend, three being within twenty-four hours. During the operations upwards of nine tons of bombs were dropped upon -,he docks at Le Brugjeoise works, the Thourout railway junction, the Maria Apltcr aerodrome, the ZcGbni' T i*B sheds, and railway sidings at St. Pierre Capelle. Enemy trawlers and destroyers off Ostend and Zeebrugge were also attacked. On the night of the 23r.l inst. a British independent force made four successive attacks on Metz Sablons and dropped six tons of bombs on the station. On the following dav, the railway sidings wero again bombed, and the factories and sidings at Dillingen and Saarbmckon. and an enemy aeroplane was brought down in Annies. All of our machines returned safely. RAIDS ON MANY FRONTS.

On the Italian front the British airmen took an important 6hate in - defeating the Austrian offensive. On one day ten enemy machines were brought down, eight by British aviators. Many reconnaissances have been carried out. Our bombing machines rendered signal service bv attacking and destroying bridges, ancl pontoons across the Piave. British airmen have also been active on the Balkan front successfully attacking Rupe and Razenbev dumps, Kanatlarei aerodrome, Angista station, and Noun Farm dumps. In Palestine, the enemy troops in the Domos area have been attacked. Our machines dropped over a ton of bombs upon Amman. Direct hits were noted on the station camps and a party of infantry. The usual escort and submarine patrols have been carried out at sea with satisfactory results. THE FOOD SUPPLY. Medical reports indicate that Lord Rhondda (Food Controller) has made progress during the past week. The question of the increased Bupply of feeding stuffs is receiving serious' Consideration, in view of tho necessity of maintaining the milk supply during the coming winter and assisting in rearing calves. - This will entail Increased demands on the tonnage. Less home-fed meat was consumed owing to a better supply of imported meat. Sufficient supplies of mutton have not been available for civilians.