PROGRESS OF THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2340, 23 December 1914, Page 4

PROGRESS OF THE WAR

The headway made by the Allies during the past week on the Western line has radically altered the position of affairs in Belgium and Northern France. Along the coast, aided by the guas of the Fleet, the attackers have progressed fairly rapidly and advance parties are now within a few miles of Osfcend. Trending south from the coast the zigzag lino held by the Allies touches Roulers, twenty miles on the Belgian aide of the Franco-Belgian frontier, and Zillebeke (south-east of Ypres), nine miles from the frontier, wnile northeast of this place the British have occupied Moorslede, within easy striking distance of . the RoulersMenin railway, which is an important link in the chain of German communications. All these points indicate distinct progress.

In Northern France the Germans are reported to be retreating from Lille to Turcoing and Roubaix, which are close to the frontier. Still further south the German line curves towards Paris, penetrating to a point south-east of Albert, between thirty and forty miles from the fron-: tier, and thence through the Champagne district, until iti turns to the frontier again north of Verdun. Along a great part of this front progress has been made, though less rapidly than in the north of Belgium, and successes are chronicled at a point east-south-east of Albert, and in the Champagne district, where German trenches have been captured. South of Verdun, in the Vosgcs, the French are fighting on the frontier, and still furtner south in Alsace they have carried the war into the enemy's country. No doubt the advance along the Belgian coast, will presently have an effect upon the operations further south, and expedite the German retreat at many points. * * . * *' In tho Eastern theatre the success of the Russians on their northern flank and the penetration, of East Prussian territory has had the effect of compelling the Germans to abandon Lodz (sixty miles from the frontier at Kalisz), which was evacuated recently by the Russians for strategical reasons. In their first impetuous advanco upon East Prussia, which did yeoman service by relieving the pressure upon the Allies in the West at a critical juncture in their campaign, tho Russian forces became entangled in the difficult country of the Masurian Lakes, and subsequently were driven back with great loss. They are not at all likely to repeat this mistake; and present indications are that they are forcing the Germans back ajid keeping them engaged all along the line. In the South, too, the offensive of the Austrians in Galicia has been checked, their army being defeated by the Russians at Dukla._ Talk of an Austro-German enveloping movement appears to have evaporated, and as things are now developing it seems likely that the Germans will shortly be hard at work defending their frontier, while the Austrians are exposed to tho danger of being cut off *%nd destroyed. At any time a Russian army may penetrate tho Carpathians, and in that event the position of the Austrians would, of course, at once become highly critical.

"As if she had not enemies enough already, Turkey seems fated to embroil herself with Italy. _ The Porto recently escaped this additional misfortune by apologising to Italy for an illegal invasion o£ that country's consulate at Hodeida, on tho Red Sea, but it is now reported from Petrogr&d that Italy has demanded' .from Turkey an explanation of tjie movement of four thousand Arabs, officered by Turks and Germans, against Tripoli, and has threatened war failing a satisfactory answer. I In. the absence of details, the position is somewhat obscure, for Tripoli is bounded on the west by the French territory of Tunis, on tho east by Egypt, and for tho rest by the French Sahara. The key lo the mystery is doubtless supplied by the mention of Gorman officers. It would be strictly in accordanco with recent clfive!opro?n!n thai Carman,y should drag Turkey into an iuUlcue with.

fclie Arabs of the Sahara, and Turkey's part will no doubt bo to accept the consequences, even if they should amount to war with Italy, with the best grace that she can muster up. The storm of the Arab invasion of Tripoli cannot, of course, be accepted unreservedly until the Petrograd message is confirmed, but if it has : anv foundation in fact, war between Italy and Turkey will be inevitable. Possibly it may be found that the Arab force in question is designed for use against Egypt. Further discomfort for the Porte is to bo found in the announcement that Italy and Rumania have agreed to act mutually during the war. The possibility of trouble with the Balkan countries has been hanging over Turkey ever since she entered the war, and the trouble over Tripoli, taken in conjunction with the understanding between Italy and Rumania, Brings the menace perceptibly nearer.

Meantime the prospect of a. Turkish invasion of Egypt is becoming more distant than over. The evacuation of the • Sinai Peninsula involves abandonment of the idea of passing tho Suez Canal, and the Turks certainly cannot hope to land an army of invasion on the seaboard of Egypt. Turkey must have abandoned all hope, too, of .a Mohammedan uprising in Egypt or the Sudan. It seems clear that Princb Hussein is already firmly seated on his throne, and commands the loyal support of the people of the country. All accounts agree that Egypt has greatly gained by her change of rulers. Apart from his friendly understanding with Britain as the suzerain Power, Prince Hussein is doscribed as a much abler man than his deposed nephew, and one far better fitted to promote the welfare of his subjects. Taking all these things into account, it becomes plainer every day that Turkey will do her fighting at home, and that tho Australians and New Zealanders now serving in Egypt are less likely to be called' upon to assist in repelling an invasion of that country tnanto take part in an invasion of Turkish territory. r, * * * Foe a time it was considered possible that Bulgaria, smarting under the injustice of being robbed of the fruits of her victories in the territorial adjustments which followed tho second Balkan War, might seek redress for her wrongs by joining hands with Turkey. Happily the resources of diplomacy, have proved adequate to meet any such untoward turn of events. The Entente Powers have now received such assurances from Bulgaria as to enable them to give guarantees to Greece and Rumania that Bulgaria will not attack Greece if she assists Servia, nor attack Rumania if the latter intervenes, in the war. In a word, Turkey's last hope of obtaining another ally has departed, while the number of her potential foes has been increased. It is a successful adjustment of a critical situation which goes far to justify the statement attributed to the Kaiser that his diplomats are "wasters and lubbers," and that the British "knock spots off them." Bulgaria has presumably been influenced in her decision by the consideration that she is more likely, to obtain satisfaction of her claims in the general adjustment of boundaries which may be expected to follow the war than by the suicidal policy of allying herself with the broken fortunes of her former enemy, Turkey. * * * *

Prince Bulow seems to have been received in Italy with the courtesy due to his rank and standing, but the impression that might have been created by his lengthy conversation with tho Kino of Italy and such pleasant Kttlc details as a bugler being stationed at the palace entrance to play German airs will be seriously discounted by tho anti-Aus-trian and pro-war demonstrations in which sections of the Italian public have been so freoly indulging of late. A picturesque detail is the stirring appeal addressed by a son of 6ahiiialdi to his countrymen in tho name of his dead father. Apart from tha latest complication with Turkey, it seems plain_ that Italian opinion is steadily veering in favour of war, and it is extremely unlikely that Prince Bulow will be able to deflect events from their natural course. The practical experience which the war has afforded of Germany's treatment of her allies is by no means calculated to popularise her bidding for additions to their number.

It would have been much better for the German Navy if it had rested its title to fame upon the action off the Falkland Islands instead of incurring an infamous stain by the murder of non-com-batants on the English coast. Details of the action furnished by officers of Admiral Stuedee's squadron show that the Scharnhorst and the Gneisenau met their fate in a fashion not unworthy of naval traditions. The cool and confident fashion in which the British squadron approached its task is indicated in the statement that while the German ships began firing at long range the British reserved their fire and permitted the crews to breakfast before answering. If thoy showed poor judgment in their battle tactics, however, _ the Germans certainly -faced their end like gallant sailors. The Gneisenau, with ammunition exhausted, refused to surrender, and her officers and men stood on deck singing patriotic songs as she took the final plunge. The Scharnhorst was ablaze when she sank with all hands, including Admikal von Spee and his two sons. It is hard to realise the fact that these brave sailors were of the same race and service as the cowardly and furtive raiders who disgraced their cloth in the raid on the English coast the other day. * s * * The possibility suggested by the naval correspondent of the London Times that the . German battlecruisers which took part in the raid on the Yorkshire ceast may be still at sea will probably not be altor gether unwelcome even to the people on the British coast who are exposed to the risk of further raids, for it raises an accompanying possibility that the raiders may be intercepted by the British Fleet before they return to port. Of the result in that event there need be little doubt. It is on record that the Germans, although' they did some accurate shooting at undefended towns, lied before a, British flotilla of greatly inferior force, and in their hurried departure gave a remarkably poor exhibition of gunnery. Upon tho whole it is perhaps moro likely that tlioy have returned to the safe shelter of their ports than that they have kept tho sen exposed to the risk of being brought, to an en- • RJigemcnj. by tho fighting ships of the Bnlmh fleet,

It must be confessed that the Germans have raised the gentlo art of robbery to new heights of perfection. Their latest exploit of this character, one of a long series, but possessing some new features, is reported from Belgium. Under German pressure nine provincial representatives assembled at Brussels and held a socalled Land-tag, or Parliament, which made arrangements for issuing Treasury bills to the amount of nineteen millions sterling, payable in twelve monthly instalments. In return for this concession at the rifle's point the German Governor was graciously pleased to promise that all goods would be paid for in cash if these instalments were forthcoming. In other words, if the Belgians promptly produce the money of which they are being robbed by an absurd caricature of constitutional procedure, some of this money will be paid back to them for goods, of which they will otherwise be robbed by direct process. They are to be robbed in any case, but they are given the choice of methods by which the robbery is to be carried out, and of course the German artists who devised the scheme have been careful, in offering this precious alternative, to largely augment the total extent of the robbery. It seems to be characteristic of the Germans that they cannot oven commit a theft, in defiance of international law, without resorting to devious tricks worthy of a pettifogging lawyer. It would be much more straightforward to stick to the severely simple methods of highway robbery. The only grain of comfort for the Belgians lies in the fact that if reasonable good fortune attends the Allied Armies the Germans will not remain in Brussels to collect very many of the monthly instalments. * * * * Some of the stories about the Kaiser which are coming over the wires must no doubt be accepted with a grain of salt, but the correspondents who have described him as a prey to helpless fury and exasperation, particularly against England, are probably reasonably near to the facts. As an absolute monarch, the Kaiser must accept individual responsibility for such crimes as the recent raid. on the English coast, which was in itself one of the most striking confessions of impotent fury ever furnished in war, and the load cannot be a pleasant one to carry. It is his fate to end his days a figure of scorn and reprobation to the whole' civilised world, and all that he may suffer in surveying the wreck of his criminal ambitions will be but a trifling retribution for the colossal wrongs he has inflicted on humanity.