PROGRESS OF THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2376, 4 February 1915, Page 4

PROGRESS OF THE WAR

In the Eastern theatre the fojr of war has' lifted to show the Russians making good progress towards their goal. At the northern extremity of their line they have definitely gained a footing in East Prussia, and are fighting north and south of Tilsit. There is no indication that they-bave penetrated the Masurian Lakes district, but as has been indicated recently the northern invasion of East Prussia, if it driven home, will turn this defensive chain of forts and waterways. Between the southern frontier pi East Prussia and the Lower Vistula, the Russians have made notable progresß since light was last thrown upon, their movements. A week_ or two ago they had reached a line extending from Dobrzyn (on the Vistula, 10 [miles east of Wloclawek, and 40 miles south-east of the Prussian fortress of Thorn) to Biezun, about 33 miles north-east of Dobrzyn and a dozen miles away from the Prussian frontier. This _ line passed through Sierpc, 22 miles north-cast of .Dobrzyn. * # * * Reports now received indicate that the Russians have advanced along the whole length of this line for distances ranging from twelve to twenty miles. The Russian cavalry has penetrated . the German lines nine miles north of Sierpc, and a German offensive has been repulsed with slaughter at Lipno, twenty miles west of Sierpc and fifteen miles north of Wloclawek. An attack upon the Russians at Dobrzyn was also repelled, and the Germans wcro thrown back north-west of AVloclawck. * * * « The Russians are therefore shown as occupying a thirty-mile line, distant about 20 miles'from tho Prussian frontier north of the Lower Vistula. An immediate point of attack is Wloclawek, on tho Vistula, 32 miles south-cast of Thorn, because at Wloclawek tbo Thorn-Lowicz railway, on" pf t.hp most important Unca Bunplyuui M» Gcrwaa amies in,

Central Poland, touches the Vistula. Just how near the Russians to capturing Wloclawek-and so cutting the railway is not clear, but they have defeated the Germans in the neighbourhood, and occupy ground to the north and west.

South of the Vistula the Russians are holding a strong entrenched line passing thirty miles west of Warsaw and extending into Southern Poland. On this line there has been heavy fighting during_ the last few days on a front extending from Sochacze-w, 32 miles west and a little south of Warsaw, to Bolimow, 12 miles further south. Bringing great masses of troops to bear the Germans forced the Russians to fall back upon their second line of trenches at Bolimow, but in a subsequent counter-attack all the lost trenches were retaken and the German losses are described as colossal. There seems to have been some confusion in recent messages between fighting at Boliraow and at Boramow. The latter pla-ce is not shown on available maps, but evidently tho battle at Bolimow was very much the more important of tho two. * * * * No further news is given, of the operations in Western Galicia, where the Russians occupy positions about thirty miles west of Cracow, but in the Carpathians, where fighting has recently been continuous on a long line east of the Dukla- Pass, the Russians have taken over four thousand prisoners and captured a number of guns. * * # * As a whole, the message bears out the indications lately given of new developments in the Russian strategy. While tbe strong defensive line westof Warsaw is being firmly held against all assaults,' the area of the fighting has been considerably extended, notably in the extreme north, where the invasion of East Prussia is being pressed.

The most encouraging thing about the German Admiralty announcement that all military means will bo used to prevent the transport of British troops and material to France is that it has been made. Experience in this war has been that where the Germans see a chance to strike a blow, dastardly or otherwise, they strike first and talk afterwards.; _ All the world knows that Britain is face to face with the task of transporting a great army across the Channel in readiness for the Spring campaign, but the army now fighting in France and Flanders was carried over safely in spite of all that Germany could do to prevent it, and it is reasonable to hope that equal success will attend the bigger enterprise now in prospect. If the Germans adhere to the letter and spirit of their promise to use every military means to block the passage they will bring their battle-fleet out of its long hiding. In that event' a decisive naval engagement" would follow, but the rough handling that several of 'the finest German battlecruisers got in the North' Sea a few ■days ago does not encourage a belief that any such heroic effort is contemplated. It is more likely that the Qerma.ns intend to rely on siibmarinesj and the success with which the bombarding fleet on the Belgian coast has been protected from these craft justifies the hope that a submarine attack upon the British troopships will be equally ineffective. It is quite possible that Zeppelins also may be brought to bear, but Zeppelins have yet to prove their quality in actual, fighting. They might perhaps be more effective against transports than they were against the British naval squadron at Cuxhaven, but if they attack transports they will have to contend with anti-aircraft guns and aeroplanes. * * * * Not long ago it was reported that the Germans were about to undertake a vigorous offensive in Alsace, but the actual position is that the French are steadily advancing towards Mulhause.l. A week or two ago they were checked on the western outskirts of Cernay, about nine miles north-west of Mulhausen, but the Germans have now been constrained by the French bombardment, to evacuate this place, though the attackers have not yet succeeded in occupying it.' •■■ further south the French are advancing upon Burn-haupt-le-Bas, which lies eight miles west and a little south of Mulhausen and artillery fighting is reported at Uffholz, a few miles north 01 Cernay. Slow as the French advance upon Mulhausen is, the Germans are apparently failing in all their efforts to stem and turn it back. ,

* * * * Heavy artillery fighting appears to be the rule on the Western front, and German batteries near Soissons aro.reported to have been damaged by the guns of the Allies. • Some progress has been made at Perthes-les-Hurlus, about 28 miles east of Reims, and attacks at various points have been repulsed. * * * # No new developments are reported in Egypt, but according to a Cairo correspondent the rnaj-jrity of the Turkish force is still scattered in Syria, and in very poor condition for ai advance. The British Army defending the Suez Canal has been reinforced by the arrival of the second Australian contingent. Meantime the Suez Canal is secure, and the Admiralty officially announces that it is open as usual for traffic, subject only to precautions for safety. * » # * President Wilson, according to the Times correspondent a.t _ Washington, is determined to avoid'com--plications with foreign countries over the Shipe Purchase Bill, and to use with the greatest discretion the powers that measure will confer. The correspondent hints, but does not say in so many words, that Mr. Wilson has abandoned his former intention of purchasing interned Gorman ships,.but if the President has really come to this decision the danger of complications with foreign countries will, of course, disappear. No foreign nation would presume to interfere with American efforts to build up a national mercantile marine, but the purchase of interned ships belonging to a belligerent would clearly invade the rights of countries with which it is at war, and it was on this ground that the I'liilctitc Powers lodged their recent protest. - " * * * * The lengthy Copenhagen message which professes to report the substance of the recent between the Austrian Foreign Minister (Count BuiUan de Rajecz) and the Kaiser is more interesting than convincing. It is not at all likely that the report was made available by any of the parties in a position to supply it, and the reasonable nssumption is that somo- enterprising person has constructed & narrative

out of probabilities with a showy detail or two thrown in for effect. No one doubts that Austril v.ould gladly terminate the losing battle she is condemned to fight, but between German domination and the pressure of her enemies, the opportunity is scarcely open on any other basis than that of unconditional submission. Meantime the story of the Austrian Foreign Minister's eloquent pleading with the Kaiser to consider the possibilities of a tolerable peace rests upon no bettor authority than another recent message which declared that twenty thousand men were working night and day to fortify Vienna. One thing perfectly clear is that tolerable peace, from the point of view of Aus-. tria and Germany, is not a possibility as the war now stands and is developing.

As to tho internal state of Aus : tria, one message declares that rioting has reached such a point that German troops have been _ sent to prevent its recurrence. It is stated that gendarmes and students took part in the rioting, and that at one placfc in Croatia a mob broke into an arsenal and stole, arms and ammunition. In the circumstances it would not be at all surprising that the Austrian Foreign Minister should keenly desire a tolerable peace, whether or not he has given the desire expression.

It has been said that it .would be a real misfortune to Great Britain and her Allies if Count Beensxohff and those who share his views desist-' ed from their campaign on 'behalf of Germany in the United . States, and no one who reads an item of news which we publish to-day will think that this is 4 an exaggerated view of the position. . Yinding moral suasion ot no avail in their efforts to mould public opinion, the German-Americans, or a section of them, have presented a pistol at the head of the American nation. They have threatened that fivo million members of German-American societies will take part in the next election contests in favour of proGerman candidates, the idea being that Americans shall be punished in this way for their refusal to ap&laud the Kaiser's enterprises of lood and slaughter. History has not often witnessed a stupider effort by the partisans of one nation to coerce another, and it is pretty safe to say that this fatuous pro-German effort will go a very long way towards creating a definitely _ antiGerman sentiment in the minds 01 a big majority of the citizens of the United States, The actual voting strength behind the threat is more or less a matter of speculation, but ' the German- j American vote is at apy rate big enough to make the native-born section of the United States population appreciate and resent the threat to use it in a neutral country on behalf of a nation at war. The census taken in 1910 showed .that there were over thirteen million whites of foreign birth in the United states, as against 78,456,380 native-born citizens. Of the foreign-born 2,501,181 ' landed from Germany, 1,174,924 from Austria, 2,572,123 from the United Kingdom (including 1,352,155 Irish), 1,196,070 from Canada, .and 1,732,421 from Russia and Finland. In addition to the foreign-born whites the population of the United States in 1910 .included nearly nineteen million whites, the children of foreign-born parents. Of these figures the German vote, though a big factor, is not necessarily a very formidable one in United States politics, but given en bloc it might be a determining factor in some of the . individual voting areas, and possibly in some of the States. The threat to engineer five million votes, however, is probably far beyond the bounds of possibility. In 1910 thero were in the United States-26,999,151 males of voting age' (woman suflrago is confined to a limited number of States), and of this total 6,829,881 were of foreign birth, naturalised and unnaturalised. Allowance must be made for the fact that a proportion, probably a large proportion, of the Germane in the United States are American rather than German, in their sympathies and outlook. * * * *

It is after all in its immediate aspect that the German-American threat must be considered. That any serious attempt will ever be made to carry ifc into effect is unlikely, for the probabilities arc that German militarism will be past helping by political agitation or otherwise before the United States elections of 1916 fall due. The threat of the German-Americans nevertheless has a positive aspect which cannot be overlooked. It represents an, insolent attempt to coerce public opinion in a country which las a constitutional hatred of being dragged into international complications, and may be expected to view the attempt with irritation and extreme disfavour. The wa,ve_ of indignation and resentment which may be expected to result will probably tend to complicate the position of the Democratic Party, headed • by President Wilson—<i party which has 'seldom been happy in its direction of foreign policy. The Democrats have usually been supported by Germans and other Anglophone sections of the United States population, but tho majority ot the Democrats are good Americans, who may bo expected to view the latest German threat with as much diafavouf as the great bulk of their compatriots.' In the main, however, the effect of the German challenge should be to strengthen the hands of the Republican and Progressive leaders, who stand for a strong foreign policy. The political necessities of the Democrats may incline them to turn a deaf ear to the German outburst, but it is nevertheless bound to serve a useful purpose in awakening the American people to the true nature and direction of German activities at home and abroad.

Definite testimopy to the cordial and friendly sentiments harboured in the United Staffs towards tho Entente Powers is .furnished by SIR Robert Bouden (Prime Minister of Canada). He declares that stores of young Americans have already enlisted in tha Canadian regiments, and he is confident that large numbers would be forthcoming should the necessity arise. Coming from such a quarter an assurance of this character must carry a good deal of weight, and the action of the American volunteers will assist in no slight degree to counteract the somewhat unfavourable impression created b'y the hesitating, over-cau-tious attitude of the United States Government-