PROGRESS OF THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2305, 12 November 1914, Page 4

PROGRESS OF THE WAR

The story of the exploit of the Australian light cruiser Sydney in removing the'scourge of the Indian Ocean, the Emden, is told this morning with some detail. It was largely as we surmised. The Emden was engaged in an attempt to destroy the cable station and' wireless telegraphy plant at Cocos Islands, when the Sydney, which had received a wireless message from the Islands, came on the scene. Some of the Emdcn's crew wore ashore, but the German cruiser left these and turned to fly. The Sydney • however came into range, a' hot engagement followed, the Emden caught firo, ran aground and was burnt out. The collier accompanying the Emden was also sunk. Australia is delighted with this the first naval engagement in which her fleet has participated, but not more dolighted than the shipowners, traders, and insurance comwho have suffered by the depredations of the enterprising German cruiser. It seems now that the Konigsbcrg, another ocean pest, has been also accounted for.

The news from France and Belgium is again satisfactory. No very great progress has been made by the Allies, but events are proceeding along the lines expected. The various positions are in most ca-ses strongly held on both sides, and progress is in consequence slow. The Indian troops, and especially tho Gurkhas and Pathans, appear to be distinguishing themselves by their daring and enterprise in opening the way for night attacks on the enemy's trenches. An interesting item today is the eulogistic reference to the work of the Franco-British Aviation Corps. The two great experiments in the present war were the submarine and tho aeroplane, and each in its respective sphere has stood the tests well. The bomh : dropping of the aviators, appears to" be a far more deadly and effective branch of warfare than we had been led to believe, the general impression gained being that apart from their scouting work, which was of the utmost importance, they were rather harmless against troops in the field. Such plainly is not the case. * * » » T}!B Tlitnaiivpc h>ir<3 MllTjfi bc;o-Y,v fighting in Bust Prussia winch tncy.

are now invading for the second tinio; tho Germans putting up a stubborn resistance. With the advent of tho winter the Tsar's forces should find less difficulty in traversing the swampy lake country in this region than on their previous visit, as the swamps will bo frozen over shortly. In Galicia the Russians apparently are again concentrating near Przemysl, the siege of which it will be recalled had to be abandoned temporarily in order to beat off the attack of the reinforced Austro-Ger-man Armies. Now the siege will'be renewed and tho offensive be continued all along the frontier of Posen as well. ***».'

The entry of Turkey into the' struggle has resulted in a wide extension of the area of conflict. Fighting has taken place in theneighbourhood of the Dardanelles, on the coast of Asia Minor, on the shores of the Persian Gulf, and in the north-eastern part of Turkey in Asia. The Armenians, who are cooperating with tho Russians, have besieged the town of Van in Turkey in Asia, and they are also threatening to attack the rear of the Turkish Army. Tho Armenians have suffered severely at the hands of the Turks at various times, and are no doubt, glad of the present opportunity of nelping the Sultan's enemies. A message from Constantinople states that the Turks crossed the Egyptian frontier on Sunday, but no reports of fighting in that region have yet been received. The British authorities in _Eygpt have made their and the Egyptians, like the Indian Moslems, are not at all inclined to take part in a Holy War to please the Kaiser. The Balkan States are still holding aloof from the struggle, but tho situation is very uncertain. Germany is doing her utmost to keep Bulgaria from co-operating with the Entente Powers, as such a step would paralyse Turkey's operations in Asia. A movement in favour of invading Austria-Hungary is making itself, felt in Rumania. Germany is endeavouring to check this by creating bad feeling between the Bulgarians and Rumanians.

* # * * The proposal of the American Wool Manufacturers' Association that Britain should be asked to permit the export of Australian wool direct to United States, under a pledge that it will not be reshipped to Germany or Austria, appears to be reasonable enough at first sight, but there are serious, difficulties in the way of carrying it out. Is the American Government willing and able to take effective measures to prevent our wool finding , its • way from America to Germany? However much British communities may desire to retain and if possible extend the markets for our produce, they have no intention of trading with our enemies, either directly or indirectly. American ideas of neutrality on certain points have not been entirely satisfactory from the British point of view, and it is felt that our enemies have taken the fullest advantage of the want of firmness and decision shown by the Washington authorities. Britain is not likely to agree to the direct export of Australian wool to the United States unless it can first bo made quite clear that none of it will be permitted to reach the nations with whom we arc at war. * * * * The policy of President .Wilson in regard to the war is characterised by Mr. Roosevelt as "supinely immoral." This description of the attitude of tho United States .Government may be rather too emphatic, but Mr. AYilson and his Ministerial colleagues have certiainly bandied the problems arising out of the conflict in a' weak and hesitating manner. The Germans have made great efforts to influence public opinion Jn America in their favour, but tic sympathies of.the American people arc, generally speaking, on the side of the Allies. The great majority of Americans are disgusted at the brutal manner in which the Kaiser and_ his advisers violated the neutrality of Belgium, and the contempt for the laws of war shown by the German troops has met with the strongest condemnation; but tho head of the United States Government has done nothing to give official expression to the feelings of his fellow-countrymen/ Tho President has from time to time made non-committal utterances on various phases of the war, and ho has also called upon tho nation to maintain an attitude of strict _ neutrality. Yet it is almost cortain that our enemies have received a good deal of secret help from the pro-German section of tho population, and many people are of opinion, and not without reason, that the measures taken by the Government to put a stop to this sort of thing might have been much more thorough and effective. No one can deny that the invasion of Belgium was a gross breach of international morality, yet no steps have been taken by America to condemn this wrong, and Mr. Roosevelt is justified in declaring that the Government has "shirked tho duty plainly imposed upon it by the Hague Convention.".