ROGRESS OF THE WAR.

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2396, 27 February 1915, Page 6

ROGRESS OF THE WAR.

Though the German submarines have' not yet accomplished any very serious destruction of merchant shipping, the history of their depredations during the past week or so shows' that they are able, for the time at least, to successfully evade detection and pursuit in a comparatively restricted sea ' area, which must be heavily patrolled. Most or the ships, destroyed or damaged by submarines during the last week have been attacked in the "English. Channel within about seventy; miles of the narrows in the Strait 'of Dover, which connects the Channel with the North Sea. From the north coast of France the submarines have transferred their activities • to. the south coast of England, and apparently they have been able : not only to pursue their stealthy career in the closely-patrolled waters of the eastern Channel, but to pass at will through the Straits of Dover,'where mine-fields and such other obstacles as the Admiralty is able to impose might have been expected to offer some restrictions to their passage. The effectual concealment of the submarines is further indicated in the news of the attacks on vessels off Beachy Head, which is situated on the Channel coast about midway between the mouth of the/Thames and the Isle of Wight. It was here that the Harpalion (reported torpedoed yesterday) met her fate, and news of the destruction of two other ves-1 sels to-day indicates that a submarine (or submarines) is still stationed in the same locality. One of these steamers, however, may, it is thought, have been sunk by a mine, which would presumably be either a British mine or a German mine broken away from its moorings without losing its dangerous properties, as mines constructed in accordance with international law are supposed to do-in these circumstances. There is talk to-day of a fleet of German mine-layers setting out from -the Baltic, but it is hardly conceivable that surface craft of this character would be able to extend their operations to the British coast west of the narrow strait which constitutes a vital link between Great Britain and the theatre of war in France and Belgium. . *** • * The success with which the enemy submarines have pursued their piratical work and evaded pursuit cannot bo denied or ignored. At the same time it is plain that they are n9t pursuing an unchecked career and striking where they pleas® at the mercantile marine of Britain and her Allies. There is bigger game on the seas than the small colliers and cargo steamers which up to the present have figured almost exclusively in the list of ships torpedoed by the submarines. The Har-. palion was the largest of the vessels sunk, but she was a comparar tively slow steamer with a speed of

less than twelve knots, and evidently speed is' a factor of the first importance in the submarine campaign. Whatever may be the reasons for tho limited scope of their depredations, it is quite certain that the German submarines would not expend their torpedoes on small coastal craft if they were in a position to direct their attack at bigger and more important ships. Another striking fact is the apparent immunity _60 far enjoyed by transports crossing the Channel, 7 which would undoubtedly be eagerly . attacked by _ the Germans if they wero in a position to. do so. . *** ' * A veky improbable story concerning the sinking of the American steamer Evelyn, off the island of Borkum, has been issued by the Ber* liti wireless service. The captain of the Evelyn, it is alleged, states that the disaster was due to the advice of a British Naval Board officer, who instructed a-different course from the one prescribed in German instructions. Much better authority than that of an official or semiofficial' German announcement lis needful to secure acceptance of a story of this kind, and meantime on internal evidence it is wildly improbable. Borkum is an island lying opposite the mouth of the Ems, practically next door to Wilhelmshiiven, and so well within the sphere of German coast defence. That any British naval officer would prescribe a course for a neutral ship navigating this zone is beyond belief. The whole story, in fact, need not be seriously considered, except as showing that Germany is unable to desist from her standing policy of trying.to stir up diswusioii between Britain and .Amfli'ica.

The Admiralty has reduced tho results of the submarine oampaign to figures, and the result is striking. Between February 18 and February 24 708 vessels arrived at British ports, and G73 sailed. In the same period German submarines sjliik seven. That is to say, they accounted for about one-half of one per cent, of the vessels which may bo regarded as having offered them a; target. ' Meagre accounts are given to-day of the fighting in the main theatres of war, but tho Allies aie still pressing the Germans hard/in the Champagne district, east of Reims, and report - minor gains, also further cast, between tlic Argonne and the Meuse. In Poland, _ east of liast Prussia, heavy fighting is still going on, but apparently with little change of position. « ' # •> * Satisfactory news is given of the Russian operations in Eastern Galicia, where heavy Austro-German forces have recently been trying to enforce a continuance of the Russian retreat from Bukowina. Convincing evidence that fchft effort hftß failed is to be found in the Budapest message describing the stubborn Russian defence ofpositions at Stanislawow, which lies north of the north-eastern extremity of. Bukowina. Here the Russians have, been rcinforced, and appear to be easily holding their ground. Further east the Russians seem to be still established in Bukowina, for it is reported that they ibave also been reinforced in that region. Prospects of th» Au6tro-German advance developing into a serious flanking attack threatening the Russian armies along the Carpathian front are thus very greatly diminished. -

Bombaedment of the Dardanelles forts, interrupted for a few days by gales, was resumed on Thursday, and it is announced to-day that all the fbrts at the entrance of the Strait have been reduced. The work of the Anglo-French attacking squadron will- now be complicated by ,the;neoessity of coping with . the mines which protect the waterway, but it is evident that a serious attack is being steadily, developed.