NOTES ON THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2268, 30 September 1914, Page 4

NOTES ON THE WAR

ftlucji of the news' to hand from France torday relates to fight jug which took place early in the present month. The censor apparently has delayed these messages for something over a fortnight, and the only light they throw on the position to-da-y is that the Crown Prince was badly beaten in the Argqnne region about September 6, and it was this defeat that forced a retirement of the forces farther north on the German Eight. So far as ea,n be gathered the Crown Prince's Army must have been in a very critical position, but there have been so many rapid changes during the past month that it is hopeless to attempt to gauge the effect of such. The broad outstanding fact is that since the German retreat from before Paris the Allies have frustrated all their attempts to break the Allied lines and have steadily pressed the enemy back towards the French frontier. ' Jho more repent estimates of ■ the position of the German forces a, seem to confirm the opinionpi:evioust ly expressed that for the time being I the advance on Paris has been aban- , donect as hopeless, and that the plan , of campaign has been completely - changed. A general survey of. the - position discloses three outstanding ' features which account for this • change. In the first place what was intended to bo an overwhelmingly ! rapid dash on Paris has failed) and instead of France being smashed at ~ one great blow, the Allies in France > are more than holding their own. Secondly an essential part of this plan ; ' {o smash France quickly, and then to turn roiind and tneet Russia, was a slow Russian mobilisation and adr vance. Here again, the Kaiser has been disappointed. The rapidity and strength of the Russian advance exceeded all expectations. The third outstanding feature in the situation - is the upsetting of that part of the 3 German plan of campaign which was J dependent on the Austrian forces be: • ing strong enough to check the Rns: • sian 'advance until France was crus.hr E ed. Austria failed badly in the'peri formance of her part of the task. t'.— — : - r Thu£ in every direction Germany's • military plans have been upset. This ' 'has necessitated a change of plans, • and so far "afl"c£ri''bVjudgcd, the \ Kaiser's purpose now is to hold the c Allies in check in France while in [ conjunction with Austria he seeks I to strike'a vital blow at the Russian ' armies in the East. What we do not ' know, and on this much depends, is [ the extent to which the Kaiser nas depleted his forces in the West in order to strengthen-, those he has to 1 throw, against Russia. According to ■ Russian estimates the flower of the German troops have now peen trans: fe.rred from West to East, but'tlie fighting iii France Hardly "bears" this out. The probabilities arc that the troops sent tq the East have been taken from Alsace and Lorraine, the Germans relying on the line of fortresses there' to enable those left to prevent the .French trespassing very far into German territory. ' In any case the position from the Allies' point of view continues satisfactory. 16 is probable that chief interest in the .s.trugglo may be ' temporarily . transferred to the Eastern theatre of war. A marked .Russian success against the main German Army tiierc woi*?cl be a most important factor in the general situation at the ■ present juncture.

The increased activity in Belgium may be taken as pointing to important happenings in Northern France, on the German Right. This activity usually has displayed itself at such times as the Germans have- been hard pressed by tile Allies, thepurppse of course being to add to the embarrassment of the Germans along their line of communications. Apparently tlie plucky Belgians are carrying puta -plan of systematically harassing the Germans at .unexpected points. Their method' seems to be to detach comparatnicly small bodies of mobile tvoops to attack in different dircc'r tions, keeping the Germans in a shale of uncertainty as fcp where an attack in force is likely to bo made! One effect of this sort of thing is to compel the Germans to keep ji'nvuch largor loroo than ruiijht otherwise be.

necessary to watch fqr and check the daring raiders. It is but another Evidence of the splendid courage of the Belgians that despite their terrible looses through the oyerrunains; of their country by the ruthless German hosts, they should )» now found lighting with the same- undaunted spirit which won for them tjie admiration of the whole world at the earlier stages of the war. Within the next week or two should the Allies in France progress as they have been doing the Belgians may find themselves in a position to , strike a blow at the enemy's flank whicji will wipe off at least part tJ tjie score they owe to the brutality' of the Kaiser's troops. In the early days of the war it was not an uncommon thing to hear slighting remarks made about Servia. By many writers the little Balkan kingdom was stigmatised as a hotbed of political intrigue, culminating at times in savage atrocities; a land peopled by_ semi-savage inhabitants naturally inclined to war and violence. Servia was not raised in the estimation of British people by a generally held opinion that in the events which have now, developed into a general European.waT she was little more than a Russian. pa\yn. No doubt there is in all this a certain amount of truth, but while.it is,impossible to ignore the deecjs of violence of which Servia has sometimes been the theatre there is another side to the picture which equally deserves attention,' and to a great extent undisputed facts relating to Servia are in themselves calculated "to redeem the reputation of the' country and its people. 'The" Servians; like other Slavs, are in great measure victims of the so-called settlement of European affairs which followed the downfall of Napoleon'. ' It was a. settlement which safeguarded the interests of dynasties and ignored the interests of races and it led up_ naturally to the seething ferment which has existed in Europe ever since. A factor' to be always kept in mind js the keen desire of the Serb race for national unification and independence. In 1909, before the' Balkan Wars, it was estimated that only about a third of the race, some three million souls in Servia and about 300,000 in Montenegro, was free. No fewer than 5,700,000 lived in territories subject to Austria-Hungary, and more than 1,30p,Q00 Serbs in Old Servia were under the dominion of the Turks. The Balkan Wars led to the emancipation of Old Servia, and in the present war the Serbs are undoubtedly fighting for the freedom of their whole race. They must be regarded as a group of more'than ten million humsn beings, one in national ideals and aspirations, and in that light they will have to he reckoned with. • •" The Serbs under Austrian rule have given clear proof of _ wholehearted sympathy' with their, free brethren, for' when the annexation of Bpsnifi by Austria in 1908 .made the kingdom of Servia eager for war trie. Servians of Croatia raised such a vigorous agitation that their constitutional guarantees, were suspended, and a state of siege declared among them. Repulsion inspired by the savagery and turbulence with which the Servians have been credited must bo mitigated to'some, extent by respect for a people gallantly battling against terrible odds to assert their national independence. The possibility that Servia inspired the crime of Sarajevo loses importance •to an extent in face of the long-continued efforts of Austria to convert Servia, into an Austrian sphere of influence or to subjugate the kingdom in gome still more-marked fashion. Other countries have fought their way to independence through long' and savr age conflict,' and it'is at least possible that Seryia is following in their footsteps. Two years of almos continuous fighting have> hardened her spldiers, and in the present war she has already gained some notable successes. It is noli unlikely that after the war,'- instead :of sinking to the condition of'a mere Russian province, Servia' will stjand forth as an enlarged and independent kingdom. News which has just arrived by niaii frpm South Africa confirms the impression that thp position of the Germans in South-West Afrip is hopeless, and that their invasion of Union territory at. ifa'kob' and'more recently at Reitfontein, on the Wγ der di British Bephuanaland, is not likely to'mend their fortu'nps in any way. The absence of npws as to the fate .of the raiding party at Nakob is sufficiently accounted!' for by tho prpbaßility that-it has long ere this retreated togethe/with the fact that thp raided territory lies in the midst of a ■wilderness, about joCfmilesfrom the coast and at a considerable dis.J.ance from British centres of population. Even a.f the Gape difficulty is experienced in assigning reason? which would account for the raid and outweigh the risks involved. One theory is that the Germans are in severe straits for lack of wheat, flour, and other foodstuffs,.and that'they invaded the Union in the hope of penetrating to_the'.south and securr ing such supplies .a§ might' be available in the north-jyestern districts. If thjs was their object if; cannot have succeeded or more would been heard of it. The only' alternative theory advanced at the Cape is that the German attempt was merely anpther example of the madness that precedes destruction'. That it was based on-the false'assumption that the Boers would seize the opportunity to cut adrift from Britain. In any ease the answer of the Union has been prompt apd decisive. On'Aug? us£ 27 a proclamation issued der fining the units called out for'sei> vice and a strong and efficient fprce, with General Botha at its'head, has sfneo taken the field against the Germans. : ■

Thk landing of the Union forces at Luderitz Bay will no dpybt be quickly followed by the successful occupation of the German territory. As hasten mentioned the Germans have at command a force of something less than tjirec thousand regulars, which can be about; doubled by 'calling out available reservists, but it appears that they cannot concentrate fchciv police and garrison troops for hold service yrithoiit' incurring grave risic of a nativo uprising. The native tribes are animated, it is said, by a deadly hatred of German rule, which can'be maintained only by armecl. force. On this subject; the Uapc Tiines remarked a few weeks ago that the withdrawal of garrisons north of Windhoek, the German capital, would precipitate ftc horrprs pf a Herero rising,' while similar action in the sontji would certainly' be foir ioweu by the rebellion of the warlike tripes in that part of the territory. As ji wiiole the Cjermans in Spiitiu Wost Afi'ica seem to bp so awkwjirSr ly placed that it should be a positive relief to them when the occupation of their country by the Union forces is an AcrotoDlishcd fact

While the conduct of the great majority of members of the Expeditionary Force now in Wellington has been wholly admirable, it has unfortunately happened that a small Bprinkhng of the men have not lived up to the favourable expectations formed of them. Several complaints have reached us of the street behaviour of this happily insignificant few and wo are confident that the fact has only to be mentioned to ensure that the good sense of the men themselves will- prevent its continuance. 1 he- trouble no doubt lies in the fact that the men being away from their homes and having nowhere to go to at night come into the City and. spend the evening about the streets and gossiping at tho street corners. _ A movement is iiow afoot to provide nightly'entertain, ont for the troops during their sta here. There is plenty of scope tor. tfnose who are in.a position to assist in this direction, and it jsan. be. safeljassumed that Once a beginning is made there will' be an abundance ofoffers of assistance. The troops created a- very favourable impression on'parade and their smartness and undoubted efficiency have been a source of no little pride and satiis•faction to those who had the privilege of witnessing them turn out. It would be most regrettable to find that through any laxity now on the part of a few of their number they should lose the high place they had gained in public esteem. . The arbitrary fixing of prices by the State.is by no means tho simple matter many people appear to imagine. In Australia, for instance, considerable trouble has already been occasioned by' the attempt to fix the price of wheat. The New Bout; Wales Commission appointed to investigate the'position of the wheat j supply and to fix a maximum selling ! price came to the conclusion that 4s. I 2d. per bushel was a reasonable figure. The outcome of this. decision j was that the holders of the wheat in store considering the price fixed to. low declined to sell. The Government quickly settled this difficulty by stepping in and seizing a large quantity of the wheat despite the protests of holders who had never been consulted respecting their views. One result of" the arbitrary and hasty action of the New South Wales Government has been that the farmers who grew the wheat, and many ,of whom still hold supplies, feel that they have been done an injustice, and that instead of being enconraged to grow wheat to meet the necessities of the abnormal conditions throughout the world have received distinct discouragement. This feeling is accentuated by what has since happened in Victoria. There a- more careful investigation was held, and the views of all the interested parties were fully inquired into. The consequonce was that the" Victorian Commission fixed the maximum price at 4s. 9d. per bushel,- or Id. per bushel higher than the price fixed in New South Wales. _ The reason of this was that in Victoria the Commission held that the wheat-growers, while they could not fairly claim an increased price because of the war, could justly claim such increase as might be due to the prospects pf a bad season. The farmers contended that the Government, did not interfere and fix a, price profitable to, the producer when prices were low, and if it was going to step in and' deny all the advantage of a high price on the rare ofc casions when it was obtainable, then the farmer would have to turn his land to some other use in respect of which Government. .... interference would not be such a menace. The Victorian Board/ as stated, recognised the fairness pf the contention that the farmer was entitled to rea-: sonable consideration and fixed the higher 'price mentioned. In , New Zealand also 4s. 9d. has been fixed as the maximum price, "and. at this figure the farmer should have no hesitation inputting down his land in wheat. '■