PROGRESS OF THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2303, 10 November 1914, Page 4

PROGRESS OF THE WAR

After tho heavy budget of news of yesterday there is a slackening off to-day. Generally speaking, thereis little of importance to record. Tho Germans on the South-Eastern frontier of France appear to have been terribly punished in tho vicinity of St. Mihiel, and their forces, are reported to be closely hemmed in on the front and both flanks. We have had only scraps of news concerning the fighting in this region, chief interest being centred in the bigger issues at stake in Belgium and r{orth-East France. It is apparent, however, thp.t- though tho forces engaged on the Allies' Right have been smaller than on their Left there have been some desperate engagements fought. St. Mihiel lies midway between the two French frontier fortresses Yerdun and Toul, and is between 20 and 30 miles from the frontier; The German forces apparently have been endeavouring to break . through the Fronch lines at this point for some time past, and judging by the places mentioned from time to time, fortune has favoured first one side and then the other, though the French lines have never 1 been broken. In the present instance the Germans appear to have suffered terrible losses, and their position is fraught with great peril. It will not be surprising to learn within the next day or two of a really big French success in this neighbourhood. * * * * The only official message to hand at 1 o'clock this morning is a marvel of brevity. In effect it states that things are as they were, with the exception of a slight advance by the Allies to the north-east of Soissons. Tho main attacks of the enemy still continue to concentrate in the region around Ypres, where the British forces aro engaged, but at no point have the Germans gained any advantage. It may be that the men at the front aro enjoying a brief respite' after the recent terrific - encounters. _ The struggle has resolved itself into a question of staying power, and that means that the Power which can maintain a steady supply of fresh troops for the longest period of time must win. On the face of things Britain is the Power which should bo best able to do this, * * * # Men, more men, is the cry from the fighting lines in France and Belgium. Though a very fine response has been made by the manhood of ■ the y United Kingdom to the call for soldiers yet ' much more remains to be done in tho way of recruiting before the position oan be regarded as entirely satisfactory. It is stated there has been a falling off during tho last three weeks in tho number offering to go to the front, and that English newspapers have been giving prominence to a discussion of tho question of compulsory sorvice. The Asquith Government has always opposed the demand for compulsory military training, and will no doubt cling as long as possible to the voluntary system; but the fact has to be faced that thousands of young men who would make excellent soldiers aro holding back for various reasons, and many people will agree with Lord Selboene's contention that,; when the very existence of the nation is at stake, such men should bo compelled to enlist if they will not do so voluntarily. But the great majority of them aro not shirkers. Their failure to enlist is probably due in a large measure to the fact that they have not yet been impressed with the urgency of the country's call, and they probably think that the need 'for fighting men is not sufficiently great to make it necessary for them to give up their ordinary work in order to become soldiers. * * ■ * * In a rousing speech at Liverpool recently Mr. Ohukohill_ said he came there to ask for a million men of the flower of their manhood to go to the Continent of Europe and stand in line with Sir John French's gallant army, .equipped with everything that science could invent or monoy could buy. It must not be forgotten that the Germans are fighting with desperate determination, and are making enormous sacrifices—nothing is too great for them to In such circumstances it is I of vital importance that the British forces in the field should be continually strengthened witli fresh troops to roplaoo wastage, and give a needed rest to tho men in tho

fighting line. The British public do not yet appear to have fully realised that the best way to safeguard their own shores from invasion is by smashing the enemy in France and Belgium. This cannot bo done without making a supreme effort. Britain has not had to fight for her life since the days of Napoleon, and it is not- an easy thing to get the nation to put forth its whole strength. The fighting of the people is, however, assorting itself, as is shown by the fact that during the past three months an unparalleled expansion of the army has taken place. In emphasising this point the military correspondent of The Times remarks that the new recruits are much .older than tho boys who usually join the Army, and their physique is decidedly superior. * * * # Officers and men are behaving splendidly, and the British troops at tho front have done their full share of the, work of hurling back the invading hosts- of Germany. That the falling off in recruiting is not due to any craven desire to,shirk the perils and hardships of war is shown by tho fact that the best response to tho call for volunteers has been made when the outlook hasbeen gloomiest. Statistics indicate that the highest point was reached in the first week of September, when tho Allies were retreating and the enemy waS nearly at the gates of Paris. This is a decidedly healthy sign, and proves that tho people will respond when the urgency of the need is brought home to tiem. The Times declares that-the curt, cold tone of 'the official news is responsible for the slackness in 'recruiting, and there seems to be a good deal of justification for this contention. The Allies "can give the news and get the men, or they can suppress tne news and do .without the men." We are told that the final victory will go to the side able to put the greatest number of fresh troops into. the field, and if this is so Britain should be able to turn tho scale decisively against Germany. Mr. Ohurchill has declared that we can put in the field a million men who for their personal quality, spontaneous energy and initiative will not find their ! match in the armies of Europe. There is no reserve of manhood or of vital energy on the side of our enemies which can prevent that million of men from turning the scale. In all the great crises of our history the need _ has produced I the men, and it will do so to-day; but the nation must ba convinced that the need really exists and is imperative. * # * * A somewhat tantalising message from Tokio hints at Japanese ships in the Pacifio being in touch with the . German fleet of cruisers which were recently at Valparaiso, and that a battle is imminent. This is extremely good news, prQvided of course'that the Japanese vessels possess the necessary speed and weight of guns to'cope with fighting ships like tho Gneisenau and Scharnhorst. Japan has only .four armoured cruisers—the Ikubi, Kurania, Ikoma, and Tsukuba—superior 'in weight of guns to the German boats named. Each of them carry four 12-inch guns and the two firstnamed also each have eight 8-inch guns, while the two last-named have a supplementary armament of twelve G-inch guns. None of these boats is quite so fast as the Gneisenau and Scharnhorst, and one of them at least is supposed to be engaged in another part of the world. But in addition to these are nine or ten smaller armoured cruisers all of which carry a few 8-inch _ guns, but not so many as are carried by the German boats. Japan has 16 jpreDreadnoughfe armed with- 12-inch guns, but the fastest of these warships is about four knots slower than the Gneisenau and Scharnhorst, which . have a speed of 24 knots. There are also two very heavily armed 20-knot Dreadnoughts which' if they - get within range ' could quickly settle" the whole of the German Pacific Fleet. The pride of the Japanese Fleet, however, is the Kongo, a ' 27-kndt Dreadnought carrying eight 13.5-inch guns. If she by any chance should come into touch with the German Fleet it would be like a Bwoop of a hawk on a duck-pond—there would be nothing for the Germans to do but scatter. * * tt * This however is mere speculation. The probability is that the older preDreadnoughts have been_ engaged in the bombardment of Tsing-tao and the' boats in the Pacific which are reported to be in touch with the German Fleet probably include the powerful armoured cruisers Kurama, Ikoma, Tsukuba, and possibly a fast protected cruiser or two such as the Yahagi and Hirato, and Ohikuma, 26-knot boats armed with 6inch guns. One of these flyers may be waiting off Honolulu German light cruiser Geier which we are told will have to leave port within the next five days.. It may be that tho German squadron has set out from the South American coast to the rescue of the Geier, and on its way has been intercepted by the main Japanese cruising fleet. If so the Geier will have led its bigger consorts into a pretty mess, provided the Japanese vessels are those we have suggested. » N It « It is worth noting that a New York correspondent states that the silence of the Germans as to _ the whereabouts of the cruisers Leipzig and Bremen sincc the fight off Valparaiso makes the United States naval authorities believe that only part of that story has been told and that it will probably be found that the German losses were heavier than stated. So far we have heard' only of British losses, but plainly_ the suggestion here is that the Leipzig and Bremen have suffered badly or been sunk. Let us hope that tho latter is the case. It may be, however, that they have gone to the assistance of the Geier. Probably we' shall know more about it within tho next day or two. # * # # The failure of the efforts of secret emissaries to stir up trouble in Egypt is in no small measure due to the fine work done by Lord Kitohener during his term_ of office in Egypt as British Minister Plenipotentiary, Agent, and Consul-Gen-eral. He had previously been known to tho Egyptian people solely as a military commander, and they awaited his coming as British Agent with fear and trembling. But their fears were soon dispelled, and they found that in Lord Kitchener they had a sympathetic friend who spared no pains to understand them and who was determined to treat them justly. He won the respect and confidence of both tho European residents and tho natives. Wo are told that the man of "blood and iron" had undergone a complete transformation. "To everyone he was urbanity, and cor-

diality. personified. Those amongst the nativeß who had grievances flocked in their hundreds to Kase-EL-Doubarah, and no one was turned away without a patient and considerate hearing." Ho waß in a special sense the protector of the poor. He started a great scheme for tho_ draining of tho Delta, and reclaiming something like a million acreß for cultivation; ho extended the Post Office Savings Bank system; and introduced other reforms for increasing the prosperity of ■the country and the welfare of the people. The Egyptians know that they were never better governed or more prosperous than they are at present, and they are showing their gratitude by their loyalty to Britain in the present crisis. Up to the present German intrigue has entirely failed as far as Egypt is concerned.