PROGRESS OF THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2308, 16 November 1914, Page 4

PROGRESS OF THE WAR

The news from all quarters published "in our cable columns this morning is satisfactory. The Russians are still going forward in East Prussia, .and progress has fieen made by the Allies in France and Bolgium at several important points. Desperate fighting has taken place, and Dixipude, around which tho two armies have been contending so fiercely for some time past, has been recaptured from the Germans. T&e losses of the enemy in this district are said to be enormous. Some idea of the determined nature of the attack may be gained from the assertion of captured German officers that no fewer than half a million Germans are fighting in the Yser district alone. According to latest information, the pressure of the enemy in Belgium between the River Lys and the sea is less severe; but the struggle has . been proceeding with renewed fierceness in the Argonne district. The German attacks have; however, _ been successfully' repelled. The object of a great deal of the fighting at present going on in Belgium' and North France is to secure vantage points, behind which fresh attacks can be organised. The Kaisek's orders to his troops to take Calais at all costs are as far' from fulfilment as when they were first issued. The terriblo sacrifice of German lives haa up to the present been in vain so' far as the capture of Calais; is concerned. ■ * * * * The Austriana have met*with a severe disaster 'in Eastern Galicia. Their retreat was cut off by the Russians and two divisions were : annihilated. _ The Austrians appear to have decided .to renew the aflack on Servia which was abandoned shortly after the beginning of the war owing to the crushing defeat which tho Servians inflicted upon . them. They have again met with misfortune, and have been sharply repulsed by the Servian. Army. It is rumoured that Austria has been endeavouring to asoertain what terms the Allies would give her, if she abandoned Germany: and sued for peace on her own- account; The rumour may not have much truth in it, but there can be no doubt that Austria will find it almost impossible to continue the struggle much longer, and the difficulty of her position is intensified by the increasing friction between the German and Austrian troops. It is stated that the Germans have been defeated with heavy loss by the Russians neat Kalisz, and that the Tsar's troops aro still advancing/in East Prussia. * * * * Things are not going at all well with the Turk's. Tho Government is faced with serious rioting at Constantinople, and the army in Turkey-in-Asia has suffered revere reverses at tho hands of the Russians. The action of tho Government in plunging the country into war in order to help the Kaiser out of his difficulties has given rise to . a good deal of discontent, and the position haa become so bad that the Germans have taken charge of the city. This expedient is not at all likely to increase the popularity of tho war or the Germans. The Russians are pressing forward- in the' horth-east-ern district of Turkey-in-Asia, and have come into collision with the Turks in the neighbourhood of Erzerum. ' Notwithstanding tho fact that the Turkish force was reinforced from Trebizond,: it was not able to hold its own against the Russians, and Buffered heavy losses. They are pursuing the Turks in the mountains. Erzerum occupies the'oentro of the Armenian plateau, and is one of tjie principal stations on the trade route from Trebizond to Teheran. .It was acquired by tho Turks in 1517. The Russians took it in 1829 and 1878 .respectively, but it was eventually restored to Turkey by the Treaty'of Berlin.

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Great Britain is taking every precaution to prevent copper shipments from reaching Germany. -This is a matter of very' great importance owing to the fact that copper is very extensively used in the manufacture of ammunition. The supply comes largely from America, and the British Government has been in communication with the United States authorities with the object of restricts ing shipments, _ so that they will not exceed, the ordinary consumption of the neutral countries contiguous to Austria and Germany. Britain is prepared to permit shipments on this condition, provided the United States Government will guarantee that they will not find their way to the enemy. - Britain's action in thiß matter is said to be causing much anxiety to the Germans, as it is feared that it will result in a shortage of ammunition. _ A considerable amount of copper is produced in Germany, but the United States makes about 60 per cent, of the world's total. * « <* » General Botha's campaign against the South African : rebels is being conducted with vigour and determination, and the rebels have met with several severe reverses in different districts. By a forced night march, General Botha surprised De Wet and captured 260 prisoners, and only the failure of the supports to arrive at their allotted positions in time prevented the capture of the rebel leader himself. One of the rebel leaders, General Muller, has been captured. The indications are that the Government have the situation well in hand, and the probabilities are that the rebellion will soon bo completely crushed. a* * a An interesting item of news published this morning refers to the rumoured recent loss of two German submarines. They appear to have been undertaking some daring reconnaissance work in the Channel, but they did not on this occasion elude the vigilance of the British warships, and had to pay the penalty. Wo ono now ( doubts the seriousness of the submarine menace, but the incident recorded to-day shows that a submarine on the warpath is not always invisible nor qui to invulnerable. There are various ways of! detecting their presence, and when once their whoreabouts is revealed the warships and. destroyers in the neighbourhood have a good chance o£ giving them a death-blow, i