NOTES ON THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2231, 18 August 1914, Page 4

NOTES ON THE WAR

There can bo no doubt of Japan's willingness to fulfil her treaty obligations to Great Britain, and ap 5 parently something more.' Since the commencement .of the struggle there have been several indications that she has been watching for an opportunity to' strike an effective blow at Germany in the Far East.-, She has now. brought matters to a crisis by sending an imperative ultimatum to the German Government, insisting upon the withdrawal of all German warships from Chino-Japanese waters, and also demanding thaf>Kiaochow shall bo handed over to Japan by September 15 for eventual restoration to China. Japan threatens to take action if these terms are nou agreed to before August 23. Kiaochow is a town in Shan-tung, the bay and surrounding coast having been leased to Germany in January, ■1898, for a period of ninety-nino • years. In April of tho samo year an area of about 200 square miles was declared a German proteotorate, and the right to erect fortifications was conceded. This territory was taken from China practically at the point of the bayonet, and Japan no doubt thinks ;that the present' is. an opportune time'for restoring tho place to its original owners. It is stated that the Japanese .are not seeking for territorial expansion, but it maybe taken for granted that they will lose nothing by. their intervention. Germany can' hardly bo expected to agree to the terms of the ultimatum. Such a course would be too severe a N biow _lo her prestige. Yet the combination of the British and Japanese forces in the Far East would mean thei prompt .'and complete downfall of German power in that part of the ■world. Even if Germany sliou'd agree to withdraw her warships- it is not likely that they would be allowed to get away without a fight with the, British fleet, which is already getting into touch with them, and. which is much superior in strength.

Still further south, in AlsaceLorraine, the French forces have'not been content to act only on the do. j Ve V Tlieir rejported advance towards -Saarburg is doubly important at the present juncture, because of its "possible effect on the movement in southern Belgium. .The German forward movement cannot go on in the north with'the risks of a flank attack by way.of Alsace-'Lorraine. the French frontal attack," i- it can bo pressed homo .quickly, enough. and in sufficient".'force',''"may bo .carried through before the Ger- : man forces are. strengthened by the Addition ,of the two army reported ,to have been ordered to this }ioint. It is ■ impossible toestimate the full effect of these encounters, but it fairly clear that all along the line of attack, from Diest in the north to the Swiss boundary in the south,, the German advance has been at least checked." The reports indicate a great deal more than this, and show that the German forces have suffered heavily. It is, however, in any case good news. Time is on the side of the Allies. ■. ' '• n

Proofs of this last, remark are forthcoming this mornirigfrom various quarters; For one thing, Russia •is moving, and each day now her activities must react more and more detrimentally'on the Kaiser's plans for his western campaign. Then Japan has added to the embarrassments of Germany by issuing an ultimatum, respecting Kiao-chow. No doubt the Kaiser realised at the outset of hostilities that he stood to lose all his overseas possessions, and Japan's ultimatum may not trouble him very much in face of his greater trouble., But the moral effect of the decisive step taken by Britain's ally in the Far East, will be great. Italy, it will be seen, has also v mado a. move. She has, issued a- warning to Austria, and has supported it by transferring large bodies of troops to strategical positions near the Austrian frontier. Udina, for instance, is closo to the Austrian frontier in the north-east of -Italy, and is excellently provided winn railway 1 services bot.h in Italy ana connecting it-with Austria, Verona and Pieschiata, further to the west, also connect with a line of railway running due north info Austria, and Lugano, still further westward, is also well Bituated in case of trouble with Austria. Itwill surprise no ope to find Italy on the side of the Allies', and should this happen at an early date, tben a vital blow might be struck, which would completely _ shatter any hope of a successful invasion of France in the south. However, Italy at present is neutral, and her assistance, welcome though it might bo, is not essential "to the success of the Allies.

The Tsar's proclamation promising self-govornment to Poland under a .Viceroy appointed, by Russia will be heartily approved,by everyone who believes that some recognition should be given to the claims of honour and honesty in the dealings of ono nation with another. It is truo that when the circumstances in which the Tsar's promise has been made are taken into consideration, one can hardly regard the offer of regeneration to- Poland as a conspicuously generous act of international morality; it is nevertheless an admission, however tardy it may be; of the fact that a great wrong has been done to tho. Polish people, and it is also a public declaration that some reparation will be made. The Poles have suffered so much in thepast from tho insatiable greed of their powerful neighbours—Germany, Austria, and Russia—that it is to be hoped that on the present occasion they are not being buoyed up by false hopes. It would bo an eternal disgraco to Russia if this promise of national resurrection is not fulfilled in tho most generous manner. The action of Germany in trampling on the rights of sniall States is one of the principal reasons why Britain declared war, and it is supposed that Britain's "humanitarian co-opera-tion with France and Russia" is in a measure responsible for tlie issue of tho Tsar's offer of freedom' to another oppressed nation. • It may, thorefoTfl. - be assumed that Britain

will do all in her power to see that the promise of autonomy is fully kept. Indeed, the terms of the pro- • clamatioii are so explicit and uhc3uivocal that it is difficult- to believe that Russia will neglect to cany out her promise if she is in a position, to do so when the war is over. It is, perhaps needless to add Iftat a sympathetic Poland will be of enormous help to Russia in her movement against Germany and Aus-

A glance at the map of Belgiur which wo publish this morning wi] show clearly enough tho progress o operations in Belgium so fa? as w know them It will b 0 noted tha a portion of the German forces—hoi many we do not.know-has cross*, ...fchc.Meuse, possibly at differen points, and engaged the Belgia-n am a rencn troops over a long stretch o country 'extending from Diest in th north to Dinant in the south. Th fact that fighting was reportei simultaneously at Diest, Tirlemont Jocloigne, and Dinant, and at point between • these towns,, shows clear! enough that the Germans must hav advanced in some force. From Dies to Dinant is a distance.of some Si miles, and along what is practical a straight line, running north an! south between these two towns tb opposing forces have been engaged this would seem to indicate that th, iigntingof which we have been hear ing during the past, day or two hai really been the Winning of the'bij battle foretold for Friday last. Th< position of the Allies would seem t< oq an extremely strong one. In th< north their left flank is strengthenec by the fortified town of Diest, backet by Antwerp, some little distant away. Between Diest and -Namuj (another strong fortress on the rivei Mouse), the country is. suited for de tensive operations; while betweei Namur, and Dinant it can "bo ven easily held. Thus, over this long lin< of country, through which th< IVAiSER s troops are endeavouring t< torce their.way, tho Allies have even chance of presenting a formidable front. In addition, Liege still.stands well out to the east like a rock, splitting and checking the German advance, and ready in the event of a German reverse to strike hard at the retreating forces. , With the River Meuso behind them, with the forts at Liege, tfamur, and Huy guarding its easiest passages, the position of the Germans, unless they can press "still further forward, is full of danger. lhey not Only run' the risk of what may amount, praoti'cally. to annihilation in the. event of a-successful counter-attack on the part of the Allies, but tho further they go into Belgium, with Liege and Namur still untaken, the more difficult it will be tor them to keep open their line of communications pnd maintain supplies oj food and immunition at the front.