PROGRESS OF THE WAR.

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2398, 2 March 1915, Page 4

PROGRESS OF THE WAR.

Later particulars fully bear out the views expressed in yesterday's messages that.fche have suffered a severe'reverse in North Poland. It was not clear from tho earlier messages whether the Russian victory in the Prasnysz region was purely local in its effect, but to-day we are told that the German retreat extends over a constantlywidening front; and that in some places it has developed into a disorderly flight with the Russian cavalry in hot pursuit. This is further supplemented with the news that the Germans are. on the defensive on almost the whole front. Piecing tlie position together it would seem that the Russian forces which fell back from East Prussia under the German onslaught, have now under cover of their fortified line stretohing through Poland turned on the advancing Germans and delivered a violent counter-attack. Simultaneously at various other points the Russians have resumed the offensive, and . in Galicia have soored successes at Stanislawow against the Austrians. The force which was driven out of Bukowina and northward beyond Czernowitz has also turned, and is now fighting its way southward again towards the Carpathians. Thus it will be.seen that the tidc_ of. tho Austro-feerman advance in both north and south has been and there are many indications that the Russian forces are once more gaining the upper hand. Berlin, it may be noted, admits tho reverse at Prasnysz. # # # , We may expect accounts of desperate fighting during the' next few days in which, tho Germans, after their great effort, should bo at a disadvantage both through physical exhaustion and tho difficulties of transporting supplies. So'long as these costly and exhausting "rushes" of the Germans fail to break tho Russian line they suit .excellently tho tactics which the Grand Dijke Nicholas has been' pursuing. He makes his at the point at which ho is strongest, and his enemies by reason of the distance they have crossed and the difficulties they have been forced to overcome, aro weakest. So tho slow process of exhaustion goes on—Russia has no occasion for haste.

Fnoii France the news, though brief, is good. In the Aisne region "marked progress" has been made, over 2000 metres length of trenches being captured. » . *

The (wittering of the Dardanelles forts proceeds apace. The AngloFrench fleet has demolished further fortifications, including the important fortress of Kolid Bahr, which appears to have been blown up with great loss to the garrison. The fleet should have now reached a critical point in the straits, that is a spot known as the Narrows. Here the waterway is only about two miko wide, and on both banks there we stated to be strong fortifications

with powerful modern guns. It will be a ticklish business forcing this narrow passage, ■ and progress for a time ma>y be slow. Apparently the success of the movement of the Allies' fleet towards Constantinople has greatly impressed the Egyptians, while it has alarmed the Turkish Government. Already it has been decided to transfer' the sca.E of Government from Constantinople fo Brusa, on the opposite side of the Sea of Marmora, that is to say,' in Asiatic Turkey. The Turks as well as the rest of the world must surely regard this as the beginning of the end of Turkey in Europe.

Britain's announcement that she intends to stop all vessels trading with Germany appears to be regard-, cd in America as the natural sequel to Germany's piratical policy of submarine attacks on merchant shipping. An outcry might have been expected in view of the readiness of America to make protests against any interference with her trade, but so far the step taken has been received philosophically enough by neutrals. Possibly they realise the uselesshess of attempting to bring' about any reasonable understanding while Germany persists in sinking peaceable merchantmen and their crews at sight regardless of the laws of civilised warfare.

It is pathetic to read the story of the industrial squabble -which is holding up the output of the engineering workshops, on the Clyde. The picture of Ineko fiddling while Rome burned is" hardly more a subject of odium and disgust than the spectacle of workmen and employers ceasing work to wrangle ove'r a farthing an hour while the existence of all tney should hold dear is at stake and endangered by their action. It is i a vital neoessity that the engineering ' establishments _ of Great Britain engaged in shipbuilding and in the manufacture of the munitions of war should be working at their utmost capacity at the present juncture, and instead of this we have this shocking spectacle on the Clyde. It almost passes belief that men fully aware of the facts of the situation' in Europe could act as these men are doing. How delighted the Germans must be to see their hated enemies fighting amongst themselves on such comparatively trivial grounds, and thus playing into their hands. Mn. Lloyd Geokge says the action of the men is largely due to drink. One can only hope that it is. It is a poor enough excuse, but the folly of men the worse for drink is understandable if not excusable, and a remedy may be found. A man who, for the sake of a few shillings a week, goes on strike or causes a strike and by so doing knowingly hampers his country in a life and death struggle such as that in which Great Britain is now engaged deserves the execration of his fellows equally with the man who deliberately sells his country to the enemy for cash received. And this remark applies alike to employer and employee.

2. good many people no doubt read with feelings not unmixed with a sense of pain a cablegram in our •war'news yesterday to tne effect that the medical staff at tho front had predicted that "over seventy per cent, of the wounded will be invalids 'for life. Most of their wounds have been caused by blows on the head with rifle-butts." What was prooably meant was that of those wounded who would he invalids for life, 70 per cent, bad been incapacitated by blows on the head from' rifle-butts. • Percentage analyses of the casualties in the present war are not at hand, but basing our estimates on the figures which 'are compiled from the. casualty statistics ol the RussoJapanese war, an approximate estimate may be made. The experience of the campaign in Manchuria showed that of the total number wounded 14 per cent, remained at tho front; 38 per cent, returned to the firingline later; 5 per cent, died in hospital; and 43 per cent, were invalided home; _ Making due allow-' ance'for the difference in the tactics employed .in the present war, and for the more general destructive effect of artillery fire, it is computed that 14 per cent, of the total wounded remain in the field; 12 per cent, return to the front in a week; 12 per cent, return in two weeks; 7 per cent, die in hospital; 10 per cent, are invalided for a month; 15 per cent, foi'itwo months; and 3p per ccnt. as unfit for further service in the field. A noteworthy feature of the casualties in the present war is the number of head and feet wounds from shrapnel, and another remarkable thing is the large percentage of recoveries from most hopeless-looking injuries—a splendid testimony to the efficiency of the Army Medical Corps and the excellence of its field hospital equipment.

Of very considerable interest and importance is the announcement that the steamer Dacia has been captured by a French cruiser. It was stated at the time of the sailing of the Dacia from New York that she would probably provide a test caso concerning the right to transfer interned German steamers to the American registry. The steamer was purchased by Mr. Bkeituno, an American citizen, and it was stated that he proposed to use-it for the purpose of carrying cotton to Germany. . Notwithstanding a protest from the British Government the American authorities permitted the Dacia to sail, taking the risk of being captured. Tne Allies formally notified the United States that they objected to the transfer of interned vessels belonging to belligerents from their original registry. The capture of the Dacia will probably lead to a legal pronouncement on a highly important point in international law.

A modest little item hidden away in to-day's cablegrams recalls the exploit of H.H.A.S. Sydney resulting in tho ending of the days of the Emden. It will be remembered that the Emden had sent a couple of boats' crews ashore to destroy the cable station at Oocos Island, an'd these men were carrying out this task when tho Sydney hove in sight. The Emden bolted and left the boats' crows on the island to shift for themselves. This they did. They seized an old sailing cutter, the Ayesha, a leaky, dilapidated craft, eommandeored a good supply of provisions from the cable staff, and wnilo tbo Sydney was chasing the Emden they made off and disappeared. Now they have turned up at Damascus after, it is safe to predict, _ many adventures. Thc.v may arrive in time to sharo in the final stand of the Turkish ilMt,"''pT'ob"ably at Constantinople. * *. .# * A Spanish politician has thought it necessary to inform the Press that he considers that Spain is peculiarly lifted by reason of her position and history,, to act as mediator between

the belligerents. Other people ter ' gard the United States as the ideal peacemaker, but the relations between Germany and America are ai present somewhat' strained, and German newspapers have recently, declared that American mediation would not be acceptable. The manner in which this peace talk" breaks oul from, time to time in different jifaces gives the impression that it is oeing prompted by some interested party.. The Allies are certainly in no mood to pay much attention to suggestions as to mediation. They, have mado it abundantly clear that they will have nothing to do with anything in the nature of a patchedup peace. Germany has made a ' desperate bid for world domination, and she knows that the alternative ia downfall. Until that downfall is complete it would lie madness for the Allies to allow themselves to be I diverted from their great purpose. They must _ go right on untif the enemy is decisively defeated. There can be no "drawn game." Quite recently the Russian Duma passed a resolution expressing Russia's inflexible determination to carry on the war until Germany's aggression has been overcome and the liberty of Europe'secured. This, of course, means a fight to a finish.