PROGRESS OF THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2332, 14 December 1914, Page 4

PROGRESS OF THE WAR

No- startling developments aro reported from Belgium and -France, but the Allies appear to be making steady, though slow, progress' at various points. The converging line of battle in West Flanders is Toeing continuously pushed forward. In the 'Ypres region the Allies have been subjected to violent counterattacks, but have succeeded in more than holding their own. Further north, towards the sea, on the Ysor Canal, the enemy has been pushed back. Desperate attempts by the Bavarians to recapture tho ferryman's house, on the east bank of the canal, which tho Germans had converted into a minor fort, were defeated, with terrible slaughter and the Allies have made good their footing at this point. In artillery duels on the Aisno the guns of the Allies have prevailed over tho field and heavy artillery of This is a most important factor, and it would bo interesting to learn more about it. If the British artillery is superior to the German, under equal conditions, then it augurs .well for encounters both ashore and afloat. * * * # The Russians are reported to be holding their own in Central Poland and to be' vigorously prosecuting their operations against Cracow. Itwill be noted that the London Times states that tho evacuation. of Lodz' by the Muscovite troops has not affected the strategical. position. As tho Russians, in addition, are heavily reinforcing thoir armies in Po-* land, it does not, appear that any weight can be attached tothe report that the Germans consider their Eastern frontier secure for the winter, and contemplate the transfer of i a considerable force from the Eastcm to the Western theatre. The probabilities are that, this constant talk about the transfer of troops from one frontier to tho other has nothing behind it. The-Gernlans aro not in the habit of giviDg away their plans in advance, and the movement of troops naturally, is kept as seoret as possible. * . • * # ■ Evidently tho,Government has made arrangements to have the New Zealand troops well looked after while they are away on service.' A message which we publish to-day ■states that the High Commissioner is going to' Egypt to'complete arrangements for the comfort- of the New Zealanderß while they are there, and to organise a records department, which will presumably enable tho .soldiers to keep in touch with their relatives and friends in this country. * . * '. * *

Another example of . German methods is reported from Broome, Western Australia, where a. state of unrest amongst tho Japanese and coloured crews of the pearling luggers' is attributed to the active intriguing of German agents. Serious conflicts have occurred between the Japanese and the coloured men, but the authorities appear to have the situation welliiri hand. It is ; not stated whether the Germans who stirred up tho trouble have been arrested, but it is to bo hoped that they'will not escape tho 'consequences of their treachery. * * * *

An interesting contribution to tho story of the German cruisers sunk by Admiral Sturdee'3 squadron is tho statement of_ tho First Lord of the Admiralty, in which he emphasises the point that the Japanese and Australian squadrons lent valuable co-operation in the work of enveloping and running down the Germans, and remarks that if tho enemy had turned westward, instead of' eastward into tho-iAtlantic,. it would have fallen to tho Australian or Japanese ships to try final conclusions with them. Thus, .although only one German ship has so far been aocounted for by an Australian cruisor, the Commonwealth squadron has played throughout a useful part in the greater work to which Admiral Sturdee's squadron set the final touch. An important fact stressed in to-day's messages is the capture of tho supply ships, upon which the few remaining German cruisers and armed merchantmen are dependent. Enclosed in a net of pursuing cruisers, and with their sources of supply cut off, the surviv-' ing raiders must be very near the end of their tether.

As might have been expected, the destruction of the German sea-raid-ers has been followed by an immediate drop in tho rates for war risk insurance. For some time tho rate on cargoes to and from Australia and New Zealand stood at £2 per cent. It has now been reduced to 305., and when the last of the German cruisers on tho high sea's has been accounted for there should be a still further decline. ■ ~

The extraordinary ramifications of German intrigue in connection with the entry of Turkey into the war arena, as revealed in tho dispatch of Sir Lucas Malet, British Minister at the Torte, almost take one's breath away. It has been certain, of course, that engineered the whole business, but it was then taiEpec'ted that Turkey wan jockeyed into her. first breach of

neutrality by fcho action of the Gcr-! man warships Goeben and Brcslau in (the Black Sea, and German bluffing at the psychological moment. Sib Lucas Malet's dispatch, however, lays bare a conspiracy that must have been long and carefully planned, for even the loyalty of the Khedive op Egypt had been sapped. We are told that tho German Embassy, had actually made arrangements for his presence in the military expedition across the frontier ! That the political leaders in Turkey were by no means unanimous is clear, but the ascendancy of German diplomacy at the Porte, and the devious machinations of the Kaiser's secret agents sufficed to stifle tho voice of prudence. When the full history of this chapter of the war comes to bo written, the Entente Powers will probably stand convicted of shortsightedness in their too tolerant view of the German naval and military mission to Constantinople last year. The ostensible purpose of that mission—politely accepted by the Entente Powers despite various warnings—was to place the Turkish forces upon a basis of organisation and training in order to restore order out of chaos. Its real purpose has now been made manifest.