Progress of the War.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16264, 15 July 1918, Page 6

Progress of the War.

To-day's messages relating to the Allied advance in Albania indicate that the operations on this front are developing into a campaign of considerable size and importance. The capture of Berat, and the disorderly retirement of the Austrians, in some cases amounting to

a rout, according to ono messago today, will doubtless have a far-reaching cffect, not only militarily, but more particularly from a political point of view. Apart from increasing the warweariness of the Austrian army, and strengthening tho hands of the Slavs and tho Czechs, who have given frequent and unmistakeable evidences of their desire to cast off tho yoke of tho Central Powers, the Allied succosses will increase the uneasiness of Bul-

garia, whore tho newspapers have gone so far as to say that Austria's gross and humiliating failure in Italy has compromised the fate of the whole war, and that tho time has como when Bulgaria must seriously consider her own interests. In the event of the Allies continuing their advance, they should in the near future threaten to turn the whole Macedonian line, in which caso Germany will be forced to withdraw reserves from the West front to prevent a disaster of the first magnitude. Already German divisions have beon withdrawn to stiffen tho Austrian front in Italy, and there seems every likelihood of a further call on the German man-powor to stem tho Allied progress in tho Balkans, and for despatch to Russia, where the day appears to be going against the Central Powers. Thus the effect of tho present operations in the Balkans, and tho prospects of Allied intervention in Russia, may play an important part in bringing the enemy's plans for a decisive victory on tho "West front to nought by compelling him to dissipate his reserves in campaigns in the now secondary theatres of the war. On the "West front the lull continues, broken only by Allied gains in successful minor attacks. Today the official communiques record a further advance by the French on a five ifilomotres front, and local gains by the English and Australians in tho Lys sector. It is reported unofficially that Marshal von Hindonburg is dead, and in view of the cable messages some weeks ago, announcing that he was seriously ill, there seems no reason to doubt tho accuracy of tho report.

There are persistent reports that Marshal von Hindenburg is dead, but these have not so far been confirmed. His death would not make any differance whatever to the military situation, because in a war conducted on the scale of the present conflict no military commander is indispensable. We shall always believe that the death of Lord Kitchener was a heavy blow to the Entente, the effects of which cannot be estimated. The death of Hindenburg oould have no equivalent effect upon Germany's fortunes, for although Hindenburg has been the object of popular worship, his hold upon, the German mind had no deep roots. Kitchener, however, had been a heroic figure for many years. He was the great soldier whose achievements, as solid as they fascinating, as strong in their appeal to the prudent man of affairs as to the romantic worshipper of heroes, had made «him more completely trusted by the British people than perhaps any other person could be. Hindenburg assuredly had a great triumph in the Masurian Lakes district, but it has been generally believed that Ludendorff has been the real brain of the German High Command."

A correspondent, dissenting from our view that the tricks of the spiritualist mediums are of any value, quotes Sir Arthur Conan Doyle as a witness against us. So far as we can make it out, Sir Arthur contends that if a soldier can swallow spiritualism whole, and can see the interesting things ''beyond" that the spiritualists profess to see, he would lose all fear of death. Indeed, there appears to be a suggestion that if the soldiers only knew, they would hasten to get rid of this earthy shell. That, it seems to us, is an argument against the dosirableness of spiritualistic "revival" in the Army, because wo do not want our soldiers to succumb to the temptation held out to them. As a matter of fact, we think the risk is small, because the spiritualists themselves display great fortitude in resist ing the temptation themselves.

What seems the most singular thing about this appeal to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is tho assumption that there is real military value in a theory which, when embraced, destroys the fear of death. For underlying this assumption! is another, and a very false one, namely, that the soldiers' fear of death is a handicap to British arms. It is strange that anyone could make such an assumption as that. If there is one fact moro clear than another in this war it is that our soldiers, while they naturally take all the precautions compatible with soldierly behaviour in any given situation, are not troubled by fear of death at all. Generally, in the old sporting phrase, "the paco is too good to enquire." It will be time enough to send spiritualistic propagandists to the front when battles begin to be lost through our soldiers' fear of being killed. • * In a letter we print in another column Professor Haslam recalls the stranding of the steamship "Delhi" as an occasion upon which French lives were given in the service of England's Royal House. It was in the early hours of the morning of December 13th, 1911, that the P. and O. steamer '•'Delhi," among whose passengers were tho Princess Royal, the Duko of Fife, and their daughters, the Princesses Alexandra and -Maud, ran ashore three miles south of Cape Spartel, near Tangier. The British warships London and Duke of Edinburgh, and the French cruiser Friant went to her assistance, but owing to the heavy seas the naval authorities decided that it would bo safer to land the Royal party by means of a boat belonging to tho Duke of Edinburgh than to attempt transhipment. While still some distance from the shore the boat filled and sank; but

the whole party, who were all wearing life-jackets, were able, with assistance, to float into shallow water, and wade asllore, though for a few moments the Princess Alexandra entirely disappeared under water. Rain was falling in torrents, and a fierce gale was blowing; and the Princesses, who were clad only in night-dresses and coats, had to struggle for four miles over a rocky path to Cape Spartel Lighthouse. Sir Reginald Lister, the British Minister, arrived later in the day with mules, and tho Royal party rode for three hours over a rough road in the pouring rain to Tangier. The Princesses displayed 6plendid courage, and endured their sufferings with the utmost cheerfulness. All the passengers and crew were saved, but three seamen of the Friant, who were attempting rescues in that vessel's vedette, were drowned. This sacrifice of French lives was not without its effect on tho relations of the two countries now fighting side by side.