NOTES ON THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2296, 2 November 1914, Page 4

NOTES ON THE WAR

There is much of interest in our war news 1 this morning, and . good grounds 'for satisfaction <- over tho position of things. With the exception of the messages respecting the attitude of Turkey (which is discussed elsewhere), and' a further exploit by a German submarine, the news is wholly good. We are given a good many details regarding .the exploits of i British; troops. during recent engagements, and it is gratifying indeed to read of tho magnificent behaviour of our forces. Individually they appear to have attained,a marked ascendancy over the enemy, and their achievements, whether on tho offensive or defensive, havo won the admiration of their foes as well as that of_ their allies. Horse, foot, and artillery, to say nothing or the aviation branch, have all in their:respective fields covered themselves with glory.

So. far as the actual effects of the latest fighting are concerned, the position is most satisfactory. The •Allied forces in Belgium have made distinct progress at various points, but more especially. to the: northeast of Ypres and in the vicinity of Ostend. A message from Dutch sources states that the Germans have evacuated Ostend, but the official news to hand at time of writing does not 'mention this; only that the Allies .have got to within three miles' of Ostend. , The Dutch report referred to states that fugitives assert that the German forces which evacuated Ostend retreated to Zeebrugge; on the sea coast, about 14 miles to the north-east of Ostond, where preparations are being made for a determined stand. It 6eems extremely doubtful that . any serious stand would be made at this point for the reason that the line'of retreat therefrom is hampered by the position of the Dutch frontier. Any force defending Zeebrugge would be liable to be cut off and forced to surrender or cross into Dutch territory. However, it is stated on German authority that heavy reinforcements are to bo transferred from the Russian frontier to Belgium, and it may be that these (if they exist) are oxpected to arrive before the: Allies can advance far enough to carry out the cutting-off process.

In addition to their success along the sea, coast in the direction of Ostend. the Allies a little further south nave compelled the Germans to retire across the Yser; and still further soutli to tho north-east of .Ypres the Anglo-French force, despite violent counter-attacks, advanced and. captured several points of vantage. So at practically all points in Belgium, from the sea coast to Ypres, # the Allies have mado, progress. Plainly it has been desperate work. Mn. Thompson, the photographer of the New York World, who has heen with the Qcrnian forces,' and who apparently has been wounded and fallen into the bands of the Alliee, stateß .that the

Germans in Belgium are still'fighting with marvellous determination, though they are getting a terrible hammering. According to - this American photographer, the British cavalry . are the greatest nightmare of the Germans, who, he states, are quite demoralised when the cavalry gets amongst thorn. It is flattering to learn that the enemy view ths work of the British cavalry with both admiration and dismay.

Where the opposing lines cross the- frontier from Belgium into France, to the north of Lille, the Allies have also made progress. Two reports state that Lijle has beea evacuated by the' Germans, and it is also stated that Turcoing, to the north of Lille, has been captured by the Allies. Tho advance in this region has'been slow and halting, but this latest news indicates a marked improvement. ,To the southwest of Lille, at La Bassee, the fight ing still continues with great violence. ... It is plain that the German commanders have been, striving to check the Allies' onveloping advance further north.by.breaking their base at this point. Twice, we are; told, tho British here were forced to give ground, but finally the enemy were repulsed. It seems to have"been : a' very critical time; the British being outnumbered. Thoy saved the day, however, and then took the offensive, and the enemy suffered "important losses," to quote the exact words of the message. Elsewhere v in France the Allies' advance appears to : have been pretty general, the principal progress being made between Arras and Albert, in the region to the east of the River Somme; near Soissons (about 50 miles. further south); on both banks of the'Meuse (some £G odd miles to the south-east), and also north of Verdun. It is worth noting-that a German report claims progress to the west, of: Lille (that is, in the La Bassee region), and aljo south-west of Verdun. We have seen as shown above that the ground gained by the Germans in the La Bassee region was largely-recaptured by the British troops there, but the Germans apparently have gained a little ground at one point in tho ; fs,r south. Taken oh tho whole it is plain that matters are going well with the Allies in France, . ':.'■

On the other side of Europe the Russians are pressing back the Germans in Poland, their lines now extending from Lodz to Zawichost. To understand what this means it may be explained that at the opening of the great battle of the Vistula aboiit a fortnight ago, the Russian lines. ran roughly north and south along the banks of the Vistula. When the Russian Northern or Right Wing near- Warsaw crushed the German Left, the'lattor retreated until tho line which had been running north and south had swung back and stretched across Poland almost at right angles to its old' position—that is to say,-the German lieft now ran from east to west, instead of from north to south, its most easterly section being located on the Vistula to the south., of Ivangoroii From this point.it followed its old line southward 'along the ,banks_ of tho Vistula to the Galicknfrontier. Now this portion of the line which continued to run north and south has also swuiig back from the point at which it touched the Gahcian frontier—Zawichost; This explanation; may be difficult to follow with-! out'a map, but expressed in a few words it moans that the extreme end of the German' Left. Wing hcia been thrown back from the vicinity of Warsaw to Lodz, a distance of' ;about 60 miles, and now runs' in ; a south-easterly, direction from that point to the Galician frontier, 100 miles awajv where the Vistula flows frorii Galicia into Poland. ■ \

■ On top of this cornea thenews that it is proposed -to' retire 'Jio Silesia, another 100 miles, and 'there take' iip a defensive position to await the fall of Calais.' A further retirement seoms quite probable, but Russia no doubt will have a good deal to say about the duration of the stay of the Austro-Germ'an forces at any given point. Moreover, the fall of Calais seems at the moment-a somewhat indefinite event on which to base a plan of 'campaign' in. Eastern Europe. According to Austrian reports, .Hungary is flooded with, wounded, and it is difficult to find accommodation for them. This may be taken as testimony to the 'fiercoriess of the fighting in the great engagements in Galicia and Russian Poland,. the losses in which \ must have been enormous on:. both'. sides. There is very little news horn. East Prussia to-day, but'such as there is is of an encouraging nature, the Russiane more than Tiolding their own. The main Russian advance, however, ■ is plainly moving in the direction of Silesia and Posen. '."■■'■

Amongst ; the messages which reached us at an early hour, this morning is an unpleasant item—the sinking of an'old British ligh't cruiser in the Straits of Dover by a German submarine..' tfhis is a daring exploit but fort'unately the majority'of the , crew of • the sunken Cruiser were rescued. The details supplied of the encounters between Russian and Turkish vessels 'in the Black Sea are too conflicting to make very much out of. them, but it woul'd seem that the Russians suffered most. None of the Russian boats in the Black Sea would have much chance with .the Goeben. . ; : ■ •■.-■

■ . ■ '. A■t ■■ '' .;. So far as South Africa is concerned there is'further good news. Another force of rebels has been dispersed, and the rebellion is not spreading. On the contrary, it rather looks as though it. wero going .to prove a complete fiasco. J)e ;Wet. has created a republic of his own, and is using his Deat endeavours to stir up trouble, but he is not the man for the undertaking, and it is only a matter, of time, when the whole thing will fizzle out. Still it has been an unpleasant enough experience at a critical time like the .present..' . ~ • | : .