PROGRESS OF THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2357, 13 January 1915, Page 4

PROGRESS OF THE WAR

The fog of war has lifted in the Eastern theatre to show the Russian and German armies still facing one another on the line, some thirty miles in length and an equal distance west or Warsaw, which runs south from the Vistula along the Bzura for a distance and then on to Skierniewice. Here the contending armies have apparently remained ever since the Germans desisted a week or two ago from their desperate efforts to force the passage of the Bzura and capture Skierniewice further south._ The importance of Skierniewice is due to the fact that it is connected with Warsaw by rail. it f * # .■ ■

Recent ■ German attacks along the Bzura are described as half-hearted, badly concerted, and lacking in impetuosity, and the explanation is appended that the German troops are suffering dreadfully in the rigours of winter. Many of the prisoners captured by the Russians are Landsturm troops (Beoond-line reservists), and frost-bite and exposure appear to have seriously cut down their effective strength. The conditions under which these unfortunate men are existing have been intensified by a thaw which has half-filled the trenches with melted, snow. This particular battle-ground is a dreary, windswept plain, much of it low-lying and marshy. Fighting in such country and in flooded trenches would test the quality of the finest troops in the world, and it is not a.t all surprising that the Germans have lately been able to make no very definite' attempt to prosecute their offensive against Warsaw.

The Germans opposite Skierniewice appear to be in somewhat better case than their comrades further north, for it is reported to-day that they made another desperate but unsuccessful attempt on Sunday last to capture villages eaßt of that place. They reached the entanglements fronting the trenches, and tried to deceive the Russians by calling out: "Don't fire on your own men !" but the.stratagem failed; The Russian response was a murderous fire, followed by a vigorous counter-attack. .. l

No news is given of the operations in Southern Poland, but continued fighting is reported along the left' bank of the Lower Vistula, from which the Russians are attempting to advance into Poland so as to cut tho communications of the German central armies (opposite Warsaw).

Meantime it ib reported that General yon Hindenbebq, the German commander in the Eastern theatre, is assembling a million men for a decisive attack on Warsaw. ■The Russians are also calling up heavy reinforcements, and will doubtless maintain the large preponderance of numerical strength they at present enjoy. There is, therefore, no reason ■to expect that the renewed attempt to reach Warsaw will be any more fortunate than those which have preceded it,

'A lath message from the Eastern theatre states that the German offensive ia confined to a zone- ten miles wide, thirty miles west of Warsaw. This is probably the line from Skierniewice to Bolim'ow (ten miles north of Skierniewice), for both places have recently been the scene of heavy fighting. The | Germans are described as Btraining every nerve to gain Bolimow woods, and the desperate character of the contest is made manifest in the statement that thirteen attacks wero delivered and repulsed in a single night. There, is no gainse.ying the faot that the Germans are displaying gallant 'determination. On this occasion, as tne Russians testify in somewhat gruesome detail, the German attacks were ( so desperately pressed home that the piled bodies of the slain formed a barrier in which embrasures had _to bo formed for tho Russian maohine-guns, and from the shelter of which the later attacks* wore repulsed.

Information concerning the campaign in Galicia is limited to tho brief statement that the Russians are 'cannonading tho German positions. The last, detailed reports which came to hand- indicated that the Russians were _ conducting a cross-country drive in a_ line extending right across Galicia from the Vistula to the Carpathians, and had reached a point about thirty miles from Cracow. _ _ Apparently the Austrians in Galicia have been reinforced by German troops, and are holding an entrenched line in an effort to arrest tho Russian advance. ' Thi6 is a natural enough policy, for if Cracow were once_ invested or masked the Russians would be almost within striking distance of. the defences protecting the frontier of German Silesia.

No new light is thrown to-day upon the operations in the Western theatre, but the Amsterdam report of yesterday, which stated that the Germans were retiring on Ostend, is corrected by another message from the same quarter, which places tho nearest Allied force at a distance of nine miles from Ostend. This means that the Allies are still in the region immediately cast of Nicuport, in which thoy have boon engaged for, some weeks past. The Germans grudgingly admit the'losß of some of their tvenchos north of Soissons, but their admission is not in harmony with the French official account, which recorded an important gain in that region of three lines of trenchoa and a hill redoubt.

German air-raiding on a big soale during the. last day or two seems to have resulted in ignominious failure, and to have afforded further proof of the superior Bkill and prowess of the Allied airmen.. An expedition against England, in which no fewer than fourteen aeroplanes were engaged, was defeated by the weather, ana the Germans consoled themselves for their disappointment by attacks upon a number of French towns, with results which they miißt have found anything but gratifying.

The most interesting and instructive chapter in the story of the raid is that relating to the attack on Dunkirk. _ Here a dozen of the German aircraft dropped . thirty bombs, which it is stated did very little damage, and subsequently seven of the raiders wore attacked and badly beaten by two Belgian airmen. Apparently the Belgians had better machines, for they outmanoeuvred the Germans, and it is mentioned also that they brought machine-guns into play. The altitudes at which the aerial conflict was carried on are impressive. The Belgians fought and put five of the enemy craft to flight at a height of 7000 feet,- and ultimately rose 2000 feet higher. At the greater elevation one German aeroplane was destroyed, and crashed to earth, and the j survivor followed its companions which _ bad already fled. '. It was a humiliating, experience for the Germans to be so decisively defeated by a greatly inferior force,' and the incident will confirm the growing impression that in aerial warfare they are inferior to the Allies.

The fact that the Germane relied wholly upon aeroplanes in the active prosecution of their raid, will not tend to reatore the damaged reputation of the Zeppelin. Mention is made of one airship which appeared over Calais going in the direction, of Dover,' but it does not appear to have taken any part in the subsequent bombardments. The continued inactivity of the Zeppelins, coupled with the fact that two of them were successfully fought off by the British naval squadron which raided Cuxhaven, must needs strengthen the impression that the giant aircraft have been overrated. .* * » •. It is no easier a-B time goes on to know what to believe about the projected Turkish invasion of Egypt. One message to-day states that the Ottoman leaders in Syria, inspired by the Germans, are intent upon an advance on the Suez Oanal, and are massing a great force with that end in", view. • It is added that the movement westward is very slow. This is confusing enough in view of yesterday's report that a German general had_ arrived at Damascus to take command of the Turkish troops in Syria, and" now further complications are introduced by a message ' from the Daily Telegraph'a' correspondent at Athens, in whioh he states that the expedition against Egypt has failed, 6he Turks fearing that the British might land on the Syrian coast' and endanger their communications. The only safe conclusion in this welter of conflicting statements seems to be that the Turkish invasion has become a subject of romance. As to the message- from Athens, it is difficult to see how an expedition can fail before it has been, definitely undertaken, but it is not at all unlikely that contemplation of the risks has induced the Turks to abandon their projected enterprise. Probably they have all the time been hoping against hope that a rebellion would break out in Egypt to facilitate the'ir designs. * # » .#■ The latest story from Buenos Ayres about the German battlecruiser Von der Tann having been sunk by a BrfElsh cruiser iB probably on a par with other reports from Buenos Ayres last month, 'which alleged that the Von der Tann was at large in the South Atlantic. These reports were never amplified nor cCnSrmed, and were presumably untrue. At all event? it is mentioned to-day that naval officials a.t Vancouver do notTcredit, tEg report that the Von der Tann has been sunk. Very probably thiß warship is in the North Sea, and has been there Bince the war began.

When will the war end? This is-a question which, is often asked, but no one can answer it with anything like certainty—not oven Lobd Kitchener. According to a cablegram which we publish this morning, an .English officer told- some French comrades that the British War Minister's latest reply to thiß question-was: "I don't know; but I know it is going to begin in May." It is, of course, impossible to say whether the story has any foundation in fact. • It is quite possible that Lord Kitohener may have made some such remark, and if so it may be taken as an indication that Britain will make a big effort in the coming European spring. Over a million men are at present being trained in England, and the War Minister possibly intends to send the greater part of them to the front in _ about four months' time. It is generally admitted that Britain will have to do much more than she is at present doing, and it is understood that all the belligerents intend to attempt great things when the spring arrives.

Lokd Kitchener's statement that he has no complaint whatever to make about the response to his appeals for men seems to be a puzzle to the British Preßß. The Times says:

. The statement may not square with the advertisements which have since been issued, nor with the miserable result of the appeals at Saturday's football matches in London; but it is all we have to go upon, and must stand as' the Goveipiment view. So long as it stands it silences critioism; but it is not the view taken by the nation any moro than by the Army in the field.

Many of the letters from soldiers at the front reveal the existence of a strong feeling that Britain's fighting army should be largely augmented. Tho following extract, from a letter from a private in the Army' Service Corps, is a fair example of tho views of our soldiers in France and Belgium:—

Oh! if only our numbera were more evenly balanced our many valiant stands would be turned into victorious progress. With our superior fighting qualities our advance would bo overwhelming, and an early end be put to this wholesale killing and maiming.

Fortunately the Empire has great confidence in tho War Minister. It is reasonable to assume that his plans have been well thought out, and he will no douhfc take tho nation more fully into his confidence at what ho'considers to bo the right moment. f He has already stated that the time will come when many more recruits will be roqu'irod. Ho added; ''.When that time comes-^

and I shall certainly let it btf thoroughly well known—l feel ewto we shall nave the response which this country always gives on suck an occasion." « * # * It has- become a truism to say. that the present war differs from' all previous wars in human history. Every day we are reminded of this fact. The story of' the trenchfighting in Franco and Belgium is weird . and wonderful. There are practically no battles of the old kind, but an unending series of engagements. The number of men engaged is so enormous that previous wars are dwarfed into insignificance. A cablegram which we publish this morning announces that General von Hindenbeeq is assembling a' million men for a decisive attack on Warsaw. Informer days people would have been astounded at the mention of an army of a million men, but we have become so accustomed to huge figures during the present war that we have learned to Bpeak about millions in the most casual way. Over a score of millions are engaged in this gigantic conflict. An American comic paper makes Tomms. Atkins say to Napoleon : "Battles, what did you know about battles! You with your little three and fourday skirmishes." '