NOTES ON THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2275, 8 October 1914, Page 4

NOTES ON THE WAR

The long-drawn-out battle in France continues, with signs of increased activity on. the part of the German forces in the North. There on tho Allies' Left they are once more spreading out in a northerly direction in the vicinity of Lille, while their cavalry has been moving to the north of Turcoing and Armentieres. This means that their cavalry are now within some 20 or 30 miles of the Straits of Dover. It is plain that if their main line continues much further 'in this direction there will be no ro6m. for that enveloping movement by the Allies which was to turn the German Right. It is plain that the Germans have been strongly reinforced in this region, and- it is for the Allies now to find ,out the enemy's weak spot someivhere else along the long 240-mile line. Probably in covering their Right Wing the Germans have weakened some other portion of their long front. It is satisfactory to' learn that the repeated attacks and coun-ter-attacks between the Oise and the Somme have now endwi in the Allies maintaining their 'old position; and that at-Lassigny a slight advance has been made. Yesterday's advices seemed to indicate a slight loss of ground in this neighbourhood. Elsewhere the position remains unohanged.

The Russian victory over the Germans at Suwalki, according to the Petrograd correspondent of the London Times, -was a much more important affair than it at first sight appeared. We are told that,it is destined to live as one of the fiercest of the war, and also one of the most important in view of the numbers engaged and the results achieved. This sounds very impressive in view of the tremendous nature of the conflicts previously waged. It is well, however, to receive such news from Russia with some reserve. There is quite sufficient satisfaction to be § derived from the ia (, t that the Russians plainly ha/o Iw-m successful and are pressing forwac.i-with the invasion of East Prussia. In Galicia the Russian policy is stated to be one of conciliating the inhabitants,'- who naturally have a certain amount of sympathy with their fellow Slavs. Should this policy prove successful, and already this is reported to be the case, it must be of immense value in facilitating the Russian advance into Hungary and Austria proper. With a friendly instead of a hostile people behind them the Russian Armies oan press forward with greater speed and greater certainty of keeping open their lines of communication.

There id bad news from NamaquaLand, where the South African troops have been operating. An advance party-seems to have been caught in an awkward position by a much stronger force of Germans, and after a desperate fight was forced to (surrender. It n to be feared that in this region the strength of the German forces has been underestimated. According to latest advices there arc iO.OOO welltrained troops there,' and a much larger force than that already dispatched will require to be sent against them. The reverse now ?uffored will be- certain to arouse tho

fighting spirit of the British and Dutch in South Africa, and an ade3uate force no doubt will be now ispatched. The section of South African troops which met with disaster is stated to have fought gallantly until their ammunition was exhausted, and it was hopeless to continue longer in face of tho odds against them.

Ouk Allies the Japanese have been bestirring themselves further afield than was generally anticipated. A message from Tokio this morning intimates that Japanese bluejackets have captured Jaluit, the chief island and seat of Government ot the Marshall Group of Islands and have released certain British vessels held up there. This means that Japanese warships have been operating amongst the Pacific Islands. The Marshall Group is situated about 1200 miles to the north-east of the Bismarck Archipelago, where the Australian Fleet and Expeditionary Force have been operating; and is not quite 2000 miles to the northwest of Samoa. The purpose of tho Japanese is stated to have been merely a- military one, and with no intention of occupying tho islands. The idoa no doubt is to cut off the German cruisers in the Pacific from the German possessions, where they might have obtained supplies and information. It is generally understood that all the German wireless stations in the Pacific have now been destroyed, and all their more important, island possessions have been captured. The task of running down the German cruisers is thereby materially assisted.