PROGRESS OF THE WAR.

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2400, 4 March 1915, Page 4

PROGRESS OF THE WAR.

Mention of the Prime Minister's speech suggests the tremendous possibilities opened up by the firm and emphatic declaration to _ which lie gave utterance in relation to the complcto stoppage of all trade with Germany. A brief message to-day indicates the flutter into which business'circles in Denmark have been thrown, and the same concern must be felt by other neutral countries having trading connection with GcrKwn t V> Psyinb ppUuon wo arc t,olr) Mtiau&tea tw fchq fiction of Bfi.

tain and her Allies will wipe out the transport trade and isolate neutrals. This is only true'so far as it relates to their trade with Germany. Perhaps the most gratifying feature of Mb. Asiiuith's speech is the clear and convincing manner in which he places ■ the whole responsibility for the extreme measures which are being resorted to, on the shoulders of Germany. No room for doubt is left on that point. There is also a very fine ring about his pronouncement respecting talk of peace. "It is," he saicl, "Tike the twittering of a sparrow amid tbVstress of a tempest which is shaking the foundations of the world." Could anything be more illuminating than this, of the attitude of Britain and Fier Allies? It is a fight to a finish, and outside interference will not be tolerated. ,

It is pleasing to record that the strikers at the engineering works on the Clyde have decidcd to resume work. The Executive of the Engineers' Union appears to have been doing. its. utmost to persuado the men to return to work, but much valuable time has been lost before they could be persuaded to do so. Whether or not the very fine appeals' of Mr. Asquith and Me. Lloyd George have had any effect with, these particular men, it is certain that they will have struck a responsive chord in the breasts of the vast majority of British people in the Overseas Dominions. »*. # » In fighting an enemy who refuses to be bound by the laws and usages of civilised warfare retaliatory measures of an extraordinary character are absolutely necessary. The Allies' have now decided to "fight the devil with fire," to .use the apt phrase of an American newspaper. This does not mean that they are going to imitate Germany in her methods of piracy and assassination ; but it does mean that they are not going to allow themselves' "to be strangled in a network of juridical niceties," while the- enemy cares nothing for tho laws of God or man. The Allies are not going to slaughter innocent women and children, ■ nor do they intend : to sink merchant ships without giving their crcws a chance to escape. There are, however, other ways of answering Germany's foul blows. The legal subtleties relating to contraband will be Sej; aside, ■ and steps will be taken to prevent commodities of any kind from reaching the enemy. ■ The British Navy will put more power into its iron grip on Germany's throat. Though the Allies are not prepared to adopt German methods of savagery, they oan retaliate by harder nitting in other directions. The, bogus blockade of the German submarines is a poor and feeble thing when compared with the terribly real blockade which is being maintained with relentless, deter-, mination by the British fleet.

News from. Franc© and Belgium continues scrappy, and throws little light on the actual operations. We hear from day to day of a German attack repulsed or a trench gained or lost, but the only clear idea that can be gathered from the news that reaches us is that for the time being both sides are content to "go slow." At the same time whatever advantage has been gained appears to have been distinctly in favour of the Allies. It is worthy of note that the artillery of the Allies continues to demonstrate its superiority over that of- the enemy. How far this may be due to shortage of raw material in Germany or the inability of the workshops there to keep pace with the required output of guns and ammunition we do not know; but it is a very important factor and likely to become more so as the winter passes and the ground , becomes more favourable for the rapid moving of artillery. It is worthy of note that in his latest reports Sir John French remarks that recent happenings have increased the ascendancy of his' forces over the enemy. Incidentally tho British Commander pays a tribute To the Canadians composing, Princess Patricia's Reigimont, who -he says showed great. dash in some recent operations. * >* * » Further light is thrown to-day on the position of the German forces in Northern Poland and West Russia. It was difficult to reconcile tho stories of the defeat of the Germans who had crossed the frontier of East Prussia with the fact that at various' points between the Niemen and the Vistula they appeared to be still taking the offensive. This 6tate of things appeared' to suggest that the Russian victory at Prasnysz was purely local in its effect. A message which we publish this morning illuminates the situation somewhat. It seems that in their great rush across the frontier into Russia tho Germans in 'the North over-reached themselves. Possibly they, met with less resistance along the .line, of "the Niemen than was experienced elsewhere, or. it may be that tho Russian commanders' plans were designed to encourage them to trespass as far as possible. In -any case it would appear that in their headlong rush towards the Niemen the German troops fell into what looks very like a trap. They have not only found tho Russians much stronger than .they anticipated, but so situated as to be in a position to strike at their northern flank and place the main body of the invaders in deadly peril. It is to enable this force to extricate itself from its dangerous position 1 that the Germans, though ceaten, are still stubbornly contesting certain strategical points along the Russian side of the frontier. The Germans in fact are now suffering as the Russians suffered a week or two ago in their retreat from East Prussia.

A few crumbs are thrown to ns this morning from the dispatches of the British Commanders in the Falkland Islands battle and in. the encounter with the German battlecruisers in the North Sea. - Admiral Sturdee, who laid the trap for the German cruisers at the Falkland Islands, lots us know that the Gnoisenau, which was stated to have exhausted. its ammunition supply before being sent to the bottom, had been practically placed hors de combat- ere the shortage occurred. Prisoners from her state that six hundred of tli'i crew had been killed or by the time the ammunition was expended. Seeing that her total complement of men was about 750, there could not have been many left to work such of the guns as might have remained in working order. It is a testimony to the accuracy and deadly effect of British gunnery that the •slaughter should have been so terrible. Admiral BeattV's dispatches show that when chasing the German battle-cruisers his squadron rcachcd a speed of 281 knots an hour, and he pays particular credit to the engineers of the Nc.w Zealand and Indomitable, presumably because tk&y we leoognwocL

to bo the two slowest vessels in his fleet, Too often the engineering staffs are overlooked in apportioning the credit of naval achievements, yet it is often as much to their skill and courage that succcss is due as to the men who do the actual fighting above deck. Only two ships of Admiral Beatty's squadron wero hit in the encounter with the German Fleet, whereas the Germans lost the Blucher altogether and at least two or three of their battlecruisers were badly damaged. * * #

Since the above was written later messages have brought fuller details of the dispatches of Admirals Sturdee and Beatty. As told, the stories of their exploits, full of interest as they are. leave much to the imagination. The men of the Navy tell of., thrilling battles and brilliant feats of seamenship with less display of emotion or concern than the suburban resident evinces when narrating his ! a test narrow escape from missing his regular train.