The Dominion. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 1914. THE FIRST MONTH OF THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2247, 5 September 1914, Page 6

The Dominion. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 1914. THE FIRST MONTH OF THE WAR

The war has now been in progress for a little over a month, and the momentous happenings of that short period have been followed with the intensest interest throughout tho whole world. Most of the attention of British people is naturally fixed on the western theatre of the conflict where our own troops are fighting, but if we ijre to have a> true and well-balanced conception of the progress of events it-is necessary to keep the whole field of operations steadily in view. Looked at from this broad and comprehensive standpoint, an impartial estimate of the position fully justifies tlje assertion that the Allies have much more solid grounds for satisfaction than their enemies. 'Though the Kaiser's soldiers have gradually forced their way through Belgium and into Franco bV sheer weight of overwhelming numbers, they have had to pay a terrible price for every forward movement. The Allies have contested the ground step by step, and the picked troops of Germany have, suffered enormous losses. How long progress can be maintained at this cost remains to be seen. It is reported that the severe punishment they have received is already beginning to weaken tho morale of the Germans. But however-that may be, it is absolutely essential to the success 'of their plan of campaign that they should bring Franco to her knees with all possible speed, in order that they may be free to devote their undivided attention to the huge armies of the Tsar which are pressing through East Prussia on to Berlin. Even when the Germans get to' Paris their task in West will be by no means accomplished. They may attempt to take tho French capital by storm; but this would certainly involve a tremendous sacrifice of men, and the defences may prove impregnable to direct attack. To starve the city out would occupy some months, and it would require en enormous army to invest the place. Before the last siege of Paris commenced the Germans had; delivered several smashing blows, which had practically driven the French armies from the field, whereas on the present occasion the forces of the Allies are being continually strengthened, and they can afford to choose their own time 'for giving battle. Compared with the present struggle the invasion of Franco in 1870 was n.vovy -»04v; affair, During the 'first moutp

of the Franco-German War Marshal MacMahon was-- defeated at Woerth and Frossard at Forbach; Bazaine's army retired to Metz, and MacMahon was beaten at Sedan and compelled to surrendor, Napoleon ID being taken prisoner. In the conflict now proceeding the Germans have so far been unable to secure one decisive victory, and though they have forced their way through Belgium and well into France, they have done-so at a frightful cost, and their losses have far exceeded those of tho Allies. It is impossible to form a reliable estimate of the exact significance- ol the Franco-Belgian campaign at its present stage, because we do not know how far the course of events ha; fitted in with the plans of the leaders of tho Allied Armies. Things mav have happened in accordance' with their expectations to a. very large extent. It is.probably their intention gradually to wear down their adversary. This seems to have been in Lord Kitchener's mind when he stated that Britain would continue to pour in fresh troops, bo that as Germany's armies grew weaker the forces of the Allies would go on increasing in strength until tho time for decisive action came. But in any case it is quite clear that whatever success the Germans may have achieved in this quarter has been fully counterbalanced by the steady advance of the Russian armies in Austria and Eastern Germany, and the destruction of _ Germany's oversea trade by Britain's maritime supremacy. Outside of Franco and Belgium the outlook for the enemy is decidedly gloomy. Italy's refusal to help the other two members of tho Triple Alliance was their first disappointment, and the second was the utter failure of Austria's attempt to crush Servia. After Austria had been badly defeated in an engagement near the River Drina, the vigour of the Russian invasion compelled her to abandon her attack on Servia in order to defend herself against the Muscovite onslaught, and here again she lias met with disaster. In a great battle in Galicia her army has been shattered, and her losses are reported to have been colossal. The sea fighting has been, almost entirely in favour of the Allies. Germany's home navy has been bottled up by the British North Sea fleot since the- beginning of the war; the Allied fleets are in undisputed oommand of the Mediterranean; tho Japanese are attending to the Gorman squadron in Chinese waters; and therest of the Kaiser's warships are being tracked down by British and French cruisers. One British cruiser has been blown up by a mine, whereas the Germans havo lost at least five cruisers and two destroyers. The Allied Fleets havo been able to protect the ocean trade routes and to keep all the British and French ports open j while Germany's merchantmen havo been driven from the seas, her commerce paralysed, and her industries brought to a standstill. All this goes to show that when we.consider tho progress of th© war as a whole, up to the present time tho balance of profit and loss is docidedly_ in favour of the' Allies, and the weight of the balance is substantially increased by the fact that timo is working_ in their favour and against their enemies , . It is staying power that will probably decide this war. Fra"nce has got her back to the wall, and is fighting with all the determination of a high-spirited nation that knows its. lifo is at stake. Russia has an enormous army, and has already gained a firm footing on German soil from which she will not bo dislodged without a desperate Britain did not enter into tho conflict without counting the cost She knew from the, first that it would be a tremendous trial of strength and cudurance, and she now also knows that she has all the resources of tho whole Empire behind her.