PROGRESS OF THE WAR.

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2392, 23 February 1915, Page 4

PROGRESS OF THE WAR.

An enterprising dash by German aeroplanes is reported to-day, which appears to have been undertaken rather with a view to reconnaissance than to the infliction of damage by aerial bombardment. At all events, although early accounts of .the exploit mention that' some bombs dropped, no great damage seems to have been done, and no x.casualties • are at present reported. The hostile aircraft were sighted over Braintree, a town in Essex, about 30 miles north-east of London, and from that point mado for the coast at Harwich, which lies east a little north,. 33 miles, away. Coggeshall and Colchester are places en route, almost in a direct line from Br&intree to Harwich. * * * * The fact that the Germans apparently contented themselves with dropping a single bomb on each town as they parsed overhead heightens • the supposition that they were really out on a scouting expedition. Probably they regard few things ,of greater imporbanco at the present time than to gain all possible information about the now British Army which by this time must be ready, or all but ready, for the field. The Germans will naturally be keenly desirous of finding out all they can about the present disposition of the Army and the arrangements that are being made for its tranportation by land and sea in the hope that they may find some vulnerablo point at which to strike the Army, in its-passage. Harwich, which apparently was the limit of the flight of the aeroplanes over England, is a seaport distant only about ninety miles from Ostond. .** * *

Details of events in the "Western theatre available to-day' show that tho. Allies are everywhere maintaining thfiir pressure off the German lines, and in some places, chiefly towards the eastern extremity of the Aisne front, arc making a littlo progress. The broad facts of fcho position on the Western front aro in* kirriuMgly, b#.«• ob» jorvei' with, fcJw Ffeadj Ami, He,

states that although slow progress has been made along the extensive battle-line, very real work has been accomplished. It is the duty of the Allied armies, until needed reserves are «avaijable, to prevent the Germans gaining any decisive success, meanwhilo forcing them to fight at a disadvantage involving them in heavy loss. 'In theso objects the Allies appear to have been successful. More than that, they have done a great deal, in some places, as the same correspondent points out, in tho way of working into a position favouring an ultimate advance. This is notably the case along the Vosges Mountains, at the southern end of the long Western line, where the French hold •- the heights and tho Germans are located in the lower spurs, and at ono point (Ccrnay, in Alsace) have been driven into the plain. ..* * * *

TeiSe seems to be solid foundation for the hope that when the Allies have built up their armies to full strength, which should be accomplished very soon now, they will be able to use them speedily and with good effect upon the Germans. Prospects are all the brighter when the position on both fronts is taken into consideration. At the moment the Russians are evidently hearing the' brunt of the German attack. The situation in its broad aspects suggests an absolute reversal of the policy with which Germany opened the war. flcr aim was to concentrate upon smashing the French A rmy in the first instance, and then turn her attention to tho Russians. Tho Western offensive failed, and now, while the Allies are steadily building up their strength in that theatre for a great, counter-stroke. Germany is madly striving to inflict such a defeat upon the Russians as would enable her once more to swing back her armies to'meet the great attack for which huge forces are gathering in the West. Her prospects are certainly not more hopeful now than in the early stages of the war, and the indications are that she will presently' have to face terrific assaults on both fronts simultaneously. *. - * * * Little defirfito -news is given today of tho fighting in Poland, but' correspondents with • the Russian armies state that opposite the East Prussian_ frontier 175,000 Russians have retired in good order before 400,000 Germans. It is added thaff the Germans are concentrating towards the Russian fortress of Novo Gcorgievsk, on tho Vistula, twenty miles north-west • of Warsaw, but this presumably indicates merely the direction of the German advance. It does not necessarily indicate that the Germans are already «within striking distance of the fortress. Novo Georgievsk' is at the southern end of the fortress chain, standing opposite the Prussian frontier, 1 but official reports have indicated that the bulk of the fighting so far has taken place about a hundred miles to the north and east.

For the time being the Russian forces on the extreme left of their line, in Eastern Galicia, appear to be heavily outnumbered, and the Austro-Germans are still pressing forward in their northward advance from Bukowina and the portion of Galicia lying immediately west of that crownland. In the 'latter region the enemy have now reached Sfcanislawow, about seventy, miles southeast ,of Lemberg.

So far as the actual destruction of ships is concerned results are being achieved very -slowly by what the Germans call the submarine blockade. For one. thing, some of the torpedoes employed seem to be-of very inferior quality. Several ships struck by them, 1 though have managed to struggle into port. A late cablegram published yesterday reported that a British steamer laden with copper had been torpedoed without warning, and sunk m the Irish Sea, and to-day there is news of a small British collier being sunk off the Isle of Man. In the latter oase the crew were given five minutes to leave their ship. Mines, as yet, seeni to be working nearly as much havoc as submarines, for with-in-the last day or two two Norwegian ships have been destroyed by striking mines, one of them in the North Sea and the other in the' Baltic. The crew of the ship sunk in the Baltic were drowned to a main. There is no word yet of any protest by Norway on the subject, but presumably she will pot long be content to suffer these outrages without making some protest. An examination of the Norwegian steamer Belridge has definitely established. the fact that sjie was torpedoed by a German submarine.' Apart from German mines having levied toll on Norwegian lives and property, Norway is thus face to face witr. the fact that she has been made a victim of a piratical outrage of the very worst description. Will she tamely submit to this outrage? « * * *

While positive results of the German submarine oampaign in the way of destruction' of ships aro as_ yet meagre, other results are multiplying thick and fast. Most important of all aro the indications that the United States will hot much longer find it possible to maintain the aloof attitude in which it has hitherto regarded the European struggle. An interesting dispatch from the Times correspondent at Washington states that the German reply to the American Note has not dono much to improve matters. Germany's suggestion that American ships should sail in convoy, protected by American warships, has fallen through. The mine-danger in itself was sufficient to put it out of court, a very striking example of Germany having over-reached herself in an attempt to grasp a sea-com-mand far be.vohd her power., If Germany had not resorted to a policy of mine-laying cn the high seas which threatens enemy and neutral ships alike it is quite possible that the American Government would have favourably considered the convoy proposal. As it is, Germany, by her disregard of international law in this particular, has destroyed her last hope of being able to readily distinguish between American and British ships making for British ports. Her choice lies between going deeper into piracy, making neutral and eiemy ships equally the target of her attacks, or retiring from the field with a confession of defeat.

Developments in Germany itself suggest that she will chooso the former course, and pursue a policy of piracy as indiscriminating as it is contrary to tho law of nations. Very wild talk is current in the German newspapers of which a sample is the statement of the Vossiuhc Zcitung that Germany's measures will be directed against BriUMn'i) twt> ftlHiißi tbß AWftWcan lu'tita attd itovftilott,' Tkei'O 1B hfii-c

a plain warning that American ships not only will not enjoy immunity, but will be singled out for attack. Similar views are oxprcssc'cl ' by Count von Reventdow, a well-known German naval publicist, who declares that Germans at present do not admit friendly relations with America, and that public opinion is filled with the utmost bitterness against the United States, whose ships will not be protected by the American flag, unless they are convoyed _by American warships. Broadly, the position is that the Germans are at once setting America impossible conditions, and breathing threats of destruction against American shipping if their demands are not fully acceded to. In face of these developments the comparative indifference with which America baß hitherto regarded the war is likely to swiftly melt away. Point is lent to the observations of the German writers quoted by the announcement that an American steamer has been mined and sunk off Borkum (a German off the estuary of the Ems). *.* * * In Great Britain robust confidence appears to be the prevailing note where the German sea campaign' is concerned. Sailings, it is stated, are being fully maintained,' in face of the so-called blockade, and an enormous amount of war insurance has been effected at low rates. Masters and officers of merchantmen adopt a nonchalant attitude, ' and declare that the risks now faced aro no greater than at any time during the last six months. In view of the small number of ships destroyed this view of the position seems to be reasonably warranted, and in addition prospects, of subjecting the piratical submarines to the fate they deserve are of being improved by the arming of merchantmen and in other ways.

News that five British ships (three steamers and two sailing, vessels) have been sunk in the Atlantic by the Kronprinz Wilhelm, a German converted cruiser, comes as a reminder -that the Navy has not quite completed its work of clearing the outer seas of German cruisers, although, th&nks to its vigilant pursuit, the few surviving raiders have accomplished nothing more for weeks past than to evade capture or destruction. A less distinguished member of the raiding fraternity" than the cruiser- Emden, . destroyed by the Sydney at Cocos Islands, the Karlsruhe, was at first supposed to have been responsible for the destruction of these five ships, and is still at large to be reckoned with. She is a fast light cruiser, completed in 1910, and similar in type to the _ Arethusa class,. the units of which have earned such honourable distinction in the British Navy. The Karlsruhe has a designed speed of 28 knots, and is armed with twelve 4.1 guns. Throughout her , career of Atlantic cruising she has ■ been a lone-hand ship, and is to have had an independent service of colliers anl supply ships. ■ I