PROGRESS OF THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2313, 21 November 1914, Page 6

PROGRESS OF THE WAR

For the moment the fighting in Belgium and France would seem to have slackened a little, but this does not mean anything'more than a brief respite for the wearied troops. It may be taken aa a good sign for the Allies that the German artillery has been less effective' of late, the reason advanced for this being that the quality of the German munitions of war is deteriorating undor the pressure of forced production. This is the first really serious sign we have had_ that Germany is feeling the strain_ in maintaining the supply of material, as well as' of men. It is true that wo have been told of the stripping of the dead for the , sake of their uniforms, but that is not by |-any means so important as defective ammunition. At time of writing there is nothing outstanding in connection with the fighting either in the Eastern or the .Western theatre of war. ■ The situation in Belgium remains unchanged, but the defensive preparations of the Germans behind their present lines still appear to support the idea that they are making ready ±0, retreat to new positions nearer their own frontier. There are signs of increased activity in France in the vicinity of Soissons: that is to Bay, at the point at which they are now furthest into France. Sevoral times they have striven to break through the Allies' lines here, but always without success. Now another attempt appears to be afoot, possiblyj in the hope of relieving the pressure further north in Belgium. It is pleasing to feel that, we can view such possibilities with confidence.

1 From Russia comes a story which is most tantalisingly incomplete. It tells of an encounter between the Russian Black Sea Fleet and the German-Turkish battle-cruiser Goeben. Seemingly the Qoeben was damaged, the report speaks of explosions having ocsurred on board of her, but the final outcome is shrouded in doubt. She' seems to have escaped in the mist. None of the Russian fighting ships in the Slack Sea pan look at her for speed, and it is too much to hope that she has been vitally damaged. . ■ '■•:.» # » The German plan of campaign, as originally drawn up, has so completely broken down that there can be very little, doubt that Germany would gladly agree to a cessation of hostilities if she could do so without loss of territory or prestige. There are indications that the Kaiser realises 1 that.the chances of ultimate victory are now exceedingly remote, and that he is probably fighting on in the hope of creating a situation which will place him in a position for securing favourable terms. A cablegram which appears in another column states that the Rome Press understands that Germany and Austria intend to completely occupy Belgium and Servia, and then make an offer fpr peace on condition that tho Allies agree to a reversion to the state of affairs which existed before the war began. The Allies are not at all likely to listen to any such proposals; for a settlement on tho terms indicated would only mean that Germany, would postpone the struggle till ' a more convenient season. » # * # ' British statesmen know quite well that there can be no permanent peace for Europe until Prussian militarism has been completely crushed. The Germans havo devastated and overrun the greater part of Belgium, butthey are not by any means in effective occupation, and Austria has not made much headway with the conquest of Servia ; but even if Belgium and Serviashould temporarily pass into the hands of the enemy the Allies would not for a. moment agree to the status quo ante helium as a basis of peace. The longer the war goes on the worse it will bo ■ for Germany. Time is fighting with the Allies, and they are not so foolish as to consent to a "drawn game." In view of these facts too much attention must not bo paid to reports of peace proposals at the present stage. * * * * The slackness of tho_ British authorities in dealing with the German spy system has been tho ■ subjeet of a sharp debate in the House of Lords. There is a very general feeling throughout the British world that tho measures taken to liaiJli end ItfiiflU'ate ttuj aotivitios

not sufficiently thorough, and the declaration thai the Lord Lieutenant of Durham intends to instruct Magistrates to arrest spies, and if they are found guilty to shoot them, will meet with the approval of a strong body of public opinion. Tho following letter by Mr. Oliver Fey, of Surrey, which recently appeared in the Daily Mail, will bo read with % interest in this connection. It gives an indication of what the British public are- thinking:—

We are passing ridiculous sentences on many derman spieu, but it is not the fault of our Magistrate. They do what they can. The fact is they have not enough power. Our civil law is quite inadequate to deal with tho spy nuisance. We are told that no German spies have been shot in England. In Prance and Belgium It is quite different. What we want is a ehort Act of Parliament authorising, or even compelling, the civil authorities to hand over all spies taken by them to the military authorities for trial,, sentence, and even execution. And. when a spy is executed there should be no secrecy about it—if only fo encourage the others. The killing of one German spy may eave hundreds of British lives.

The British Government ascertained five or six years ago that the Germans were organising a system of espionage in the United Kingdom, and steps wore taken, to thwart them. Mn. Chxtechill recently declared that as head of the Navy Department evidence has been placed before him month after month of the doings of the agents maintained by Germany. "These men have," he said, "exported all the details of our naval organisation that they could get by bribery and. subornar tion." A spy system of such dimensions can only be kept in check by draatio measures. Not hundreds, but thousands, of British lives may be endangered by lenient treatment of enemies within our own gates. * » * o The Berlin news factory announces that the promulgation of a Holy War is arousing great enthusiasm in Constantinople. It has certainly aroused very little enthusiasm anywhere else, •and even in Constantinople the manifestations of .approval are probably confined to the pro-German section of the community. Previous messages have made it plain that the war is far from popular, and that disaffection is prevalent in the Turkish capital. Outside of Turkey the Moslem world shows no inclination to engage in a Holy War in support of the unholy alliance in which the Porte has become entangled by the intrigue of the Kaiser's agents. The object of a jehad, or sacred war, is to secure the dominance of Islam, but in the present case , Mohammedans are asked to sacrifice their money and their lives, not for'the sake of their religion, but in order to get Germany out of the desperate fix in which she has been placed by the aggressive policy of. the Kaiser and his advisers. Representative • Moslems of India and Egypt have repudiated the action of the Sultan in the plainest terms, and have placed their services at the disposal of Britain. In ; any case, it would be very, hard to start a. Holy War in these days. A high authority on Mohammedanism tells us that tho possible proclamation of a jehad has often been employed as a bugbear by European politicians j but the condition of the world is so changed from what it was in the days of the Caliphs, that the danger does not appear to bo serious."

; •» * * * ■. The Bheikh-ul-Iblam (L'ord of the Faith), who has /according to the Berlin Press) proclaimed a Holy War for the whole Islamic world, is the chief canon-lawyer of Turkey. His office was created by the Ottoman Sultan, Mohammed'll, in 1453, after the capturo of Constantinople. Ho is the nead of the ecclesiastical sido of the State, the Grand 'Vizier being the head of the secular ■_ side; Although the- powers of the Sheikh-ul-Islam are delegated by the SultanCaliph, yet in his.right of issuing legal opinions on points- of canon law he is independent. The Sultan may dismiss him before he has a chance to issue an but if it is once issued the result is legally automatic,_ evon though it involves the deposition of the Sultan himself. , It was by one of these "opinions" of the Sheikh-ul-Iblam that the Sultan Abdul Hamid was deposed. ' * # .* * It is announced in our cable columns to-day that Mb. Jerome K. Jerome, the well-known author, is' touring the United States with the object of collecting American opinions about the . walr. Mr. Jerome's effort may __ result in the publication 'of some -interesting statements from people _ whose opinions count for something,'but the rights and wrongs of the - war have now been uo thoroughly threshed out from almost every conceivable point of view that very little remaine to be said upon the subject. There can be no doubt that public opinion in the United States is; on the wholej strongly in favour of the Allies, in spite of "the great efforts jnade by the Germans to gain the sympathy of the American people. Of course the German-Americans are bitterly opposed to Britain and her friends. Tne President has endeavoured to maintain a non-committal attitude, and has been extremely cautious about expressing opinions that might give offence to Germany He' has, however, informed Me. Jerome that he regrets that Germany has allowed herself to be permeated by the teachings of Treitsohke, whose writings have done so much to foster that craving for world-wide domination described by Emil Eeioh in his book entitled Germany's Swelled Head,

■», • tt # Heineich von . Teeitsohkb was born in 1834 and died in 1896. He was the son of a soldier. He devoted himself to the study of history, and became famous as the historian of Prussia. He wrote with much power, and his patriotism was unbounded. To him England was the enemy who stood in the way of German expansion, and he assailed Britain arid all things British with the bitterest hatred. The British Empire must be smashed, so ho taught, before the "German Idea" could conquer tho world. "To whom will belong the eceptro of the Universe?" he asks. "What nation will impose its wishes, on the other decadent and enfeebled people? Will it not be Germany that will have the mission Ito ensure the peace of the world? The future belongs to Germany, to which Austria will attach herself,if she .wishes to 6iirvive." Another writer .of the same school declares that the Germans are tho best colonists, the best sailors, tho best merchants, "tho most intelligent nation there is," and ",without contradiction, the most warlike people on earth." Tho reverses which the Germans have suffered during the present war must have given a rude shock to this spirit of insolent pride shock to this spirit of insolent nrido fostered by the teaching of