NOTES ON THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2254, 14 September 1914, Page 4

NOTES ON THE WAR

A line drawn from west to east from a point just south of Paris would pass through or near Sezane, Vitry-le-Francois, and Revigny. The distance from Sezanne to Revigny is about 60 miles. Along this long -line of country for four_ days there has been desperate fighting and at its close the battered and demoralised battalions of-the Kaiser were to bo seen making their way back in the direction of Belgium along the roads over which they had so recently marched triumphantly towards Paris. Outgeneralled and outfought _ the Germans still appear to have striven desperately in their endeavour to break through the Allies' centre and thus relieve the pressure brought to bear upon their right flank .and which if maintained must have led to disaster. The Allies' centre stood firm, while their left flank closed in on the German right., and the end w®s the retreat as recorded above, accompanied by the loss of four miles of German ammunition wagons—captured by that dashing French officer. General- Pau—and a huge tally of German lives. It is impossible to follow with, any degree of accuracy the ebb and flow of this great battle: wo must be content, and it should be fully sufficient, with the knowledge that at all points the Germans were compelled to retire, while on their right retreat became very much like a rout. The story of those four days' fighting on which so much depended must be thrilling indeed, but wo.are given nothing lint odd scraps and must piece together the details as our imagination may suggest. Splashed freely through the picture however must bo_ the vigorous offensive of the British troops, who again appear to havo covered themselves and the Empire with glory.

.The retirement of the ' Germans seems to have carried their line well back to Reims in the north, and it may be expected that they will make another ' stand probably between Reims and Rcvigny. Away, to the north-east of Revigny, some 30 or 40 miles, the German Crown Prince and liis Army are striving to force their way through to junction with the Army now >in retreat. So far the fighting here seems to have been fairly oven, first one side and then the other having the advantage. Seeing however that the chief purpose of the French at present is to stop the German advance it may be fairly claimed that the advantage rests with tho French. It is possible that the retreat of the Germans, from the direction of Paris may bring about the junctioning with the Crown Prince's forces, unless the pressure ■of the Allies on the retiring army compels it to-take a more northerly direction. In any case by the time the two German forces come together they will in all probability be a few score miles from Paris, which is very different to what they had planned. The outlook in France oontinues very satisfactory.

In Belgium too the Germans have suffered a further reverse, the Belgian troops inflicting heavy losses at Termonde. The Belgians appear to bo displaying great activity again, and the Ivaiser s troops left in Belgium have got their hands full. Tho news from Petrograd suggests that the Russians have succeeded in their movement to cut off the Austrians who were defeated at Lublin. . Apparently the Austrians have been manoeuvred into a position in an angle formed by tho rivers Vistula ana San, and being hemmed in on three sides by these rivers have to face the Russians on the fourth. Desperate fighting is proceeding, while 300,000 'Germans are stated to be hurrying to the assistance of the Austrians. It seems to be a case of whether the Tsar's troops can crush the Austrians before the Germans arrive. Should the_ German forces reach the scene in time it may hearten up the Austrians, who appear to be greatly demoralised by successive defeats. No doubt a substantial proportion of the Slav population of Austr'o-Hungary have no sympathy with the war against Rupsia. Further north on the borders of East Prussia and Russian Poland the German and Russian troons have again come into conflict at Chorzele. This is close to Soldau. ono of the points at which a Russian force entered Germany. 'The Germans are reported to have been renulscd, but no narticulars of the fighting are to hand at time of writing, and the importance of the engagement can only be guessed at, although it is stated that the German losses were heavy. It is satisfactory so far as it indicates a Russian success, but unless it was merelv a minor affair the Russians at this point do not apnoar to have made much progress of late. Still they are doing well enoiigh elsewhere. , The Australian Fleet has been at work in the Bismarck Archipelago, off New Guinea. On Friday last Herbertshohe, on the Island of New Britain, was occupied without opposition, and tho British flag was hoisted. Next day the fleet moved on Simpsonhafen, but here the .Germans resisted the naval landing party, and some hard fighting seems to have followed, in the course of which two seamen were killed and an officer and two seamen wounded. A landing party would, no doubt, bo placed at a disadvantage owing to the covcr that would be afforded the defenders. The warships probably were not in a position to-shell the defences, but were to do so next day (Sunday), when the harbour had been thoroughly swept for mines. One of tho immediate objects of this attack on Simjpsonhafen would bo to destroy

the wireless station there. But for! the folly of Downing Street, the Aus- | tralian Fleet would not have been required to spend its time now taking these islands. Many years ago in the early 'eighties the then Queensland Government urged the Home authorities to annex New Guinea and the adjacent islands, pointing out that unless this was done some other nation might do so, and they would then be a standing menacc to Australia. Downing' Street, however, declined to do as' suggested, and later the M'llwraith Government annexed the islands on behalf of Queensland. Even then the' British Government refused to profit by_the step taken, and all that was retained was that part of New Guinea known as British New Guinea. . Now an Australian fleet and Australian troops have gone out to capture the islands for the Empire. A substantial force of Australian troopsi is somewhere in New Guinea, but about its movements we at present know nothing. The fleet as shown is operating amongst the smaller islands, and has been, compelled to fight to gain the desired end.

An extraordinary,' almost amusing, feature of the present war has been tho organised attempt by Germany to create dissatisfaction amongst the alien races who at present enjoy security and fair treatment under the British flag. By grotesque exaggerations in _ newspapers and seditious agitation by secret propaganda, German agents have been busily occupied in endeavours to engineer anti-British-sentiment not only amongst the native races in the British Dominions, but amongst the great alien nations whose greatest security lies in the protection afforded by the_ political friendship of Great Britain. The splendid demonstrations of loyalty which' have been recorded in India and. other parts of our great Empire since the outbreak of war have shown in a remarkable' and convincing way that whatever their domestic differences with the Imperial Government on questions of internal administration, the native races under tho British flag are emphatically 'of one mind in one very important respect, and that is that they are better assured of; justice and humanitarian government under the British rule than under tho extremely doubtful aegis of the Prussian Eagles. ' The Germans reckoned— and without their hosts—that the disaffected condition of the political situation over the Ulster question in the United Kingdom, the Hindu trouble over the question of alien immigration to the Overseas Dominions,- reinforced by a systematic camijaten to undermine tho sympathies of. the native peoples in our Egyptian protectorate and elsewhere, would find tho Empire at a disadvantage when the crisis came. The instant abandonment of all party contentions throughout the Empire in a unanimous desire to present a- solid and united front to the common enemy must have come as a rude shock to- the German mis-chief-makers at Berlin. Indeed, if the Kaiser has any spare moments for thought in these strenuous days, it must be a bitter reflection with him that he, its most jealous enemy, has done more to solidify the British Empire than all the efforts of its •staunchest friends.