PROGRESS OF THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2375, 3 February 1915, Page 4

PROGRESS OF THE WAR

War messages to-day tell of continued successes by the Allies in the Western theatre, but little is a,dded to the story of the Russian campaign in the East. At the moment of writing there is no addition to the list of merchant ships sunk by German submarine raiders, and news on this subject is confined to details of the sinking of. the Tokomaru off Havre, and mention of a somewhat bombastic chorus of jubilation in German newspapers. Silence concerning Egypt probably means that the British and Ottoman outposts are still forcing each other, and that the Turks have not yet developed their threatened attack. * * * * Happv chance was apparently responsible for the fact that the crew of the Tokomaru were enabled to nscape from their stricken ship when she was torpedoed by a German submarine off Havre. According to the story of the wireless operator the torpedo forced its way through the side of the ship into a coal-bunker and there exploded sideways. As n result it was an hour before the Tokomaru sank. Had the torpedo been more immediately effective the crew might very probably have been drowned before they could lower the boats. It is hardly necessary to say that an attack of this character upon a-n unarmed merchantman docs not come within the scope of civilised warfare. * * * * The difficulty of running, down submarine raiders is exemplified in the fact that the attacking Bubtnariae jzofc clear away,

though a dozen French torpedoers were on the spot within half an hour in response to the "5.0.5." signal sent out by the Tokomaru. Submarines are pretty sure to get_ safely away if they travel for a distance under water after delivering their stroke. It was. by neglect of this precaution that the German Uls met her fate under the guns of the cruiser Birmingham. The Uls had discharged a torpedo which missed its mark. "Thereafter," according to that well-known naval writer, Me. F. T. Jake, "the Uls might have got home in safety had not her captain imagined that he had succeeded and come to the surface, to shout 'Deutschland über alles.' " That little incident settled the fate of _Uls as she came up alongside the Birmingham and was sunk at onco. Evidently the captain of the submarine which torpedoed the Tokomaru off Havre was more cautious. However, no matter how careful they may be, German submarine raiders cannot indulge in extended craising without incurring considerable risks from swift torpedoers and other craft intent on their destruction.

News to-day concerning a great part of the Western front is on lines that have become normal during the. last few days. There have been lively artillery duels throughout Northern France and Flanders, and German attacks, where they have been attempted, have been everywhere repelled. No fresh development is reported immediately east of Soissons, but there is a somewhat general assertion (in an official message) that on the whole Aisne front the Allies' batteries have demolished enemy trenches. The Allies _ have strengthened their position in a wood north of Mesnil Les Hurlus (about 28 miles east of Beims). The Argonne is calm, and the enemy appear to have suffered severely in recent fighting. The last statement probably refers to the forces near La Bassee and in other parte of Northern France which have recently witnessed heavy fighting, as well- as to the Argonne and other parts of the line.

*** ' # Ypres is one of the places at which German attacks have been decisively repulsed during the last day or two. This famous old Belgian city, lying about midway between Nieuport and the French fortress of Lille, was practically wiped out by the artillery fire of the. Germans when they failed to gain an entry in November last, but more recently the Allied forces in the neighbourhood have enjoyed a partial respite owing no doubt to the fact thai Ypres is to some extent protected by the area of inundation which.fronts the entrenched line in Flanders from Ypres to the sea. Prospects of further heavy fighting in the neighbourhood of Ypres are opened up by the news, received a couple of days ago, that the Germans had drained portion of the inundated area.. So far, however, the German attacks sip pear to have failed disastrously. On Monday last, after an attack, which was received an'd repelled by the French 1600 Germans remained dead on the field, and to-day it is reported that a German infantry attack at a point south-east of Ypres was stopped by combined artillery and infantry fire.

The Germans opened the month with an attack upon the Allied trenches north of the La BasseeBethune road and bad no better fortune than in the numerous other assaults they have launched of late at this and other portions of the Allied lines. It is recorded that the attack was repulsed with heavy loss. Other attacks have been repulsed north of Albert and elsewhere. Succeeding reports uniformly indicate that the- Germans in North France are playing into the hands of their enemies by losing many men without in any way improving their position. » * # * Unconfirmed reports that, five Gorman aircraft had attempted to pass the south coast of England in the neighbourhood of Dover appear to have created a considerable stir in London and elsewhere and to have led to a general obscuring of lights. If the Germans do attempt an air raid on England from the south they are likely to meet with a much' warmer reception than in the bombardment of Norfolk, for at Dover and other fortresses there are doubtless searchlights and anti-aircraft guns in plenty. -- * * * * The official message notifying the safe arrival at their _ destination of the troopships conveying the Second New Zealand Reinforcements states that the men are well. As was mentioned in our news columns yesterday tlio horses also have arrived in good condition. * * * * Major M'Clymont, who went away as second in command of the Otago Infantry Battalion in the Main Expeditionary Force, is apparently returning invalided. Interviewed at Melbourne regarding the reported bad behaviour of some Australian soldiers in Egypt he gave a satisfactory assurance that he had seen nothing justifying the published stories. From the statement of this officer the behaviour of the Expeditionary troops appears to have been on the whole excellent, and there can be little doubt that the stories alleging misconduct have at least been greatly exaggerated, although, as Major M'Clymont remarks, it must be expected that in a large force a few men will kick over the traces. / *** * . A report that the Russian Left Wing in the Carpathians is advancing and taking many prisoners daily is- rather too vague to convey much information. It may refer to the operations in Bukowina, at the Eastern extremity of Galicia, or (if these are regarded as distinct) to progress along the Carpathians eastward from tho Dukla Pass where, the Austrians recently made a tentative effort to break out from the passes into which they were forced by the advancing Russians weeks ago. In any case the advance cannot as yet amount to much for the' Russians have been fighting in and along the base of the mountains for a long tiuie past. * * * * No further news is given of . the Russian invasion of East Prussia, north and south of Tilsit, but the importance of this enterprise is emphasised by the Times correspondent at Pctrograd. He takes the view that tho Russians are intent upon turning the German position upon the Masurian Lakes, _ lying to the south, which the Russians found an impassable barrier when they invaded East Prussia in tho 'early stages of the war. In any case this northern extension of the fighting line will impose new burdens upon the Germans and compel them to j divert forcc? which would otherwise , have gone to strengthen their armies I in Poland and Western Galicia.

Servia, which has made head gallantly against Austria to the point of ultimately winning a great victory and driving tho invading armies out of her territory, has apparently almost reached the limits of her strength so far as economic resources are concerned.' A harrowing picture is painted to-day of the state to which her population has been reduced. A million people, including many thousands of children, are homeless and foodless. Servia's condition seems to be in no way better than that which Worldwide effort has done something to relieve in Belgium, and while Belgium has special claims to consideration Servia's claims cannot be overlooked by her Allies. Like Belgium, Servia has been swept and devastated by invasion ana has offered a heroic resistance to greatly superior forces. After the part she has played in the war it would be black ingratitude if her population were now left to starve.

While internal conditions in Servia are so ted as to demand _ early relief her situation from a military point of view appears to ( be somewhat less critical than it' was not long ago, when, with depleted resources, she was faced by the pros?ect of another Austrian invasion, t is now reported in Italy, at all events, that Austrian troops are being withdrawn from the Servian frontier and massed on the borders of Rumania, and as matters are developing in the Balkans this seems not at all improbable. The latest prediction of impending Rumanian intervention comes from, Mr. Martin Donohoe, a correspondent of established reputation. A Rumanian invasion of Hungary would very greatly relieve the pressure on Servia, but even though the latter country be guaranteed an immunity from, further invasion it will be a long time before she recovers _ from the effects of the invasion which she has already suffered and the tremendous efforts which she has put forth in driving the invaders back into their own country. * * * # Italy also seems to be steadily approaching the point when intervention will became inevitable. It is abundantly clear, that she is regarded with deep distrust and suspicion by her former allies, and as to the trend of opinion in Italy itself it is indicated to-day that the opposition of the anti-war section of the Socialist Party is being steadily worn down. The Italian newspaper Oceania, published in Sydney, states on allegedly high authority that' Italy will take the field in April. * * # » In one message published to-day a neutral returned from Berlin is credited with the statement that the people in that city are convinced that Germany must emerge triumphant. This is very different to the messages published yesterday, which spoke of a developing agitation against the continuance of the war. The truth probably ■ lies between these extremes of perfect confidence and acute depression. It is just as difficult to believe that the German population is inspired with perfect confidence as that it is cowed and stricken with despair. Very many of these messages attributed to neutrals no doubt contain an element of truth, but it would be a mistake to ooncede them too wide an application. Probably few neutrals who have visited Germany are. in a position to furnish a reliable estimate of the general state of public sentiment, but thev are undoubtedly in a position to afford valuable hints as to the direction in which public opinion is trending. At all events, it is tolerably safe to heavily discount sweeping statements about unbroken confidence like that contained in the message we publish to-day.