PROGRESS OF THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2358, 14 January 1915, Page 4

PROGRESS OF THE WAR

Political parties in America seem to be getting ready for a strenuous battles over the question of foreign policy. In' Great Britain and elsewhere the policy of the IJnited States in disregarding its obligations under The Hague Convention has been accepted for the most part with expressions of polite regret. It has remained for President Wilson's own countrymen," as represented by a section of the Republican Press, to denounce him "for disgracing America's name in Europe* through supineness, yhile Belgium was outraged and destroyed," but launching an immediate protest against Britain when "a few hundred thousand dollars of American commerce was delayed by the British Fleet," which apparently, as the Republican critics remark, had good grounds for investigating the cargoes. '

The contrast upon which the Republican newspapers in the United States are thus laying such bitter emphasis certainly exists, but it is not essentia) to the question at issue. The manner in which America has faced, or rather failed, to face, its international obligations is a matter which may be best judged on its immediate merits. As a, party to The Hague Convention, the United States was one of the Powers' pledged, amongst other things, to protect the rights of neutral countries, but when Belgium invaded it did not support that guarantee by word or act, and. therefore must be adjudged, guilty of breaking its pledged word, This is the pith of the case against the Wilson Administration, and it scarcely • needs ■ amplification or adornment. Whatever may bo thought of its incidental features, the Republican agitation in' favour of a stronger foreign policy must be accepted as indicative of a healthy awakening of public opinion in the United • States. Making every possible allowance for the good intentions by which the foreign policy'of the Wilson Administration is no doubt inspired, it cannot be denied that it is calculated to bring the United States into discredit- and weaken its standing among the nations of the world. Apart from the questions of honour and good faith involved, no nation can afford to pursue sucl] a policy of repudiation as was involved in the abandonment of Belgium to its fate without a word of protest, for it would make international treaties in general no more v!}hiaV|le than the scraps of paper" which they aro osteemcd in German diplomacy. *. •'* .if * The protest of the Republicans may appear to be somewhat belated, but it has to be remembered that highly important items of domestic legislation have largely monopolised public and political attention in the United States during the past two years. For the remaining portion of the Presidential term foreign policy will bo in tho forefront, and it will probably be a leading issue in the elections of 1910. It' is with this contest in viow that the Republicans will conduct their campaign. « » * ' * In the Wostorn theatre the Allies appear to bp vigorously prosecuting their attack along the Valley of the Aisno from Roissqns eastward. They are slowly increasing their area of occupation north of Soissons and report that in that quarter tlioy have successfully repulsed attacks and captured a further section of trenches. Vigorous fighting is also going on in the neighbourhood of Perthes (28 miles oast of Kcims), from which the Allies arc threatening an important link in the German railway communications. There is an unofficial report that the Germans have evacuated Lille, but it irtust be received with reserve in tho absence of confirmation. * • * tt * Sincu it was reported a week or tyo ago that the Russians had been ejected from Mlawa, close to the East Prussian frontier, but still retained positions in the immediate neighbourhood of that place, very little news has come throiigh regarding'the activities of the Russian northern armies. One message to-day indicates thaj they are not idle, for ij> spegks of tho Germans as using icp, -breakers hti l.lm MwijiH Bur)' , hwU t« quorate, it net ta pro'vonfc

tho Russians crossing tho ice. Apparently. therefore, although tho principal fighting is going on further south, tho Goldiors of tho Tsar arc still pushing tho attack upon the East Prussian frontier with a certain amount of vigour. * * * *

Few do tails aro given to-day of tho lighting in Central Poland (west of Warsaw), and along the Lower Vistula, but it would appear that the position is virtually unchanged. The Russians liavo not yet succeeded in pushing .forward from Plock ■ and tho adjoining territory into tho country lying south of tho Vistula, and while tlioy appear generally to have had the best of the actual fighting the advantages of superior communications rest as yet with the Germans. * * * '* Official news of the fighting in Western Galicia is lacking, but anunofficial report declares that the Austro-German forceß are being pushed back towards Czensfcochowa. This place is a dozon miles from tho Silesian frontier and fifty • miles north of the Vistula. The message probably refers to the entrenched and fortified line which the Germans have constructed in Poland, parallel with the Silesian frontier, which it is designed to protect, Czenstq'chowa is near the northern extremity of this line. The message, however, is so vague that not much value can bo attached to it. <The last definite reports received showed that the Russians were still about thirty miles east of Cracow, both north and south of the Vistula, and the capture-or investment of Cracow is .a necessary preliminary advance on the fortified line protecting the Silesian frontier. * * f * ' It is generally understood that Italy and Rumania have decided upon joint action in regard to the war. If one throws in her lot with the Allies, the other will probably take the same course. Recent cablegrams - show that both nations are preparing for war. Rumania is getting ready to call up her reserves, and the opinion in Pariß is that the Rumanians cannot much longer hold aloof from tho struggle. In a recent telegram to the editor of the Vetchernoye Vremya, the Rumanian Minister of the Interior (M, Take Jonesou) statqd'that "all Rumania's interests and her future are inseparably bound up with the victory of the Triple Entente, to which Rumania must contribute by participating in the war. . Rumania should strive to promote a Serbo-Bulgarian agreement, and do everything possible to come to terms with Bulgaria, thus enabling all the_ Balkan States to side with the nations of the Entente. A German victory would mean the burial of all the hopes of the Balkan States and the independence of the neutral countries." #■ "• * * * The latest opinion as to_ the probable duration'of the-war is that of Field-Marshal von Moltke, _ who declares that it will last until the enemy has had enough. This is something of a descent from the designs of world-empire with which Germany entered the war. The announcement made in another message to the effect that the Empekqr of Austria, in reply to a deputation of. Galician noules, twice referred to the possibilities of peace, indicates that Austria, at any rate, has had nearly enough already, and there is no doubt that Germany is also feeling the strain very severely. The British Attorney-General (Sir John Simon) recently gave his opinion as to when the war woitld end. "The war is going to ei>4," he said, "on that day on which we and pur gallant Allies have accomplished fche purpose for which we set out—that is not only to right the_ wrongs of unhappy Belgium—for righted these wrongs shall be—not only to restore respect for sacred Europea.n obligations, as they shall be restored, but to crush that hateful spirit of Prussian militarism which is a menace to Europe worse than war, and by crushing which we stfall confer a lasting benefit not only on ourselves, not only on the small nations of Europe, but on that great and powerful community the German people themselves,'' 1 It may take a considerable time to do this, but the British Empire has fully made up its mSnd that it has got •to be done before tho sword issheathed.

The fact that the Kussians hare captured Nouri Bey, a highly-placed Turkish staff officer, who was sent to investigate the circumstances of the Ottoman, defeat at Sarikamysh, in itself discounts the efforts which "the Turks are making to belittle the disaster they recently encountered in Trans-Caucasia. In any case their belated disclaimer will , carry little weight in faoe of the! detailed and circumstantial account of the Russian victory, and the definite particulars furnished of the enormous losses suffered by the Turks.

The report that Gerrpany is assuming direction of all the campaigns is anything but-complimentary to her Allies, but indeed it. can hardly be described as news. It has been patent from the beginning that Germany is not so much in league with hpr Allies as in possession of their resources. There nave already been muttering? of discontent from Austria and numerous reports from Turkey have suggested that the German domination of that nation iq only possible because its legitimate rulers and peoplo are divided against themselves. 'Sssne' TFoigfct niust bo air taohed to the fact that Germany, iSflh affairs enough of her own on hand to attend to, finds it necessary to extend instead of limiting her supervision of thp Austrian campaigns. Even the operations against Servia are henceforth to be directed by the Germans. That Austria should tamely submit to this humiliating domination is a striking confession of weakness, and of her failure tq. make good against even the least powerful of her energies. It must he taken also as lending a certain amount of colour to the reportswhich have been circulated that Austria would gladly seek a separate peace'. * * # * The settlement of the Hodcida incident clears the air for the time being so far as Italy and Turkey are concerned. It will be remembered that the British Consul at Hodcida, a Bed Sea port, was seized by the Turks after he had sought shelter under the Italian flag. Italian . demands on the subject finally took the form of an ultimatum to Turkey, which expired on Sunday last, and the settlement was presumably upon the bfisis of Turkey rendering full satisfaction for jjie outrage committed by hpr agents. Although it is reported that an Italian fleet put to sea one hour after the ultimatum expired, it is unlikely that Italy was at all anxious to proceed to extremities oyer the Hodcida affair. The occupation of Va-loija, is another matter, for it marks the wording out nf a roliherate policy, iind rosy posjibw lflftd tq ffw ffftn AusU'lft.