PROGRESS OF THE WAR.

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2403, 8 March 1915, Page 4

PROGRESS OF THE WAR.

A broad survey of the war news for the week-end must give general satisfaction. From all directions save one the" news is distinctly good, the one exception beiilg the manner in which America is taking the Allies' policy of blocking all imports into Germany. Germany apparently in the eyes of these good people in the> United 1 States can outrage international law and commit pillage and piracy tond murder, ana yet must be treated by the Allies as though she were aa honourable foe who had done none of these things. She can sink peaceable merchantmen at sight and murder the passengers and crew, but if the, Allies retaliate )jy blocking, so far aB lies within their power, supplies for the German people from outside sources, then American opinion, we aro told, leans against Britain and her Allies. What is suggested is, in effect, that the Allies should tie their hands and handicap themselves in this life and death struggle while Germany does, exactly as she pleases in defianoe of all the laws of civilised warfare. American opinion we suspect will on reflection adjust, itself to a more common-sense view of the situation.

| * * * » Turning now to the actual operations, chief interest is for the time being centred in the effort to force the passage of the Dardanelles. A report from' the Admiral in charge of the fleet carrying out this task shows that tho latest bombardment has been effective, and that considerable damage. has been done to the Turkish forts at the most critical point in the Dardanelles—that is to say, at the Narrows. This probably is the hardest nut the fleet have to crack to win through, for the passago here is not only very narrow— bom{j about a mile in width—but is well suited for defensive purposes. Tho big 15-inch guns of the Queen Elizabeth appear to have proved verv effective at this point: It is a little puzzling to know why a now and first-rank fighting ship such as the Queen Elizabeth should be sent out and risked in a task ox this description, which uiight. well be left to older vessels} but possibly, it is &u

experiment which may have a bearing on the Admiralty's plans for the future. The moral effect of sending such a vessel must count not only with those who are afforded evidence of her enormous superiority over any of tho enemy's ships; but also because of the proof it gives of Britain's confidence of her dominance in the North Sea. Did any doubt exist on this latter point then the Queen Elizabeth would never have been sent to the Mediterranean. * * * *

That the Anglo-French Fleet will successfully accomplish its task appears to bo now taken for granted evon by the Germans. It is stated that some of the Dardanelles forts— presumably those high up the narrow strait—are being depleted of their guns, which are to be placed on islands in the Sea of Marmora. A few days ago a message stated that tho Princes Islands, which lie some little distance off Constantinople, were being fortified in anticipation of the British Fleet getting through the Dardanelles and attacking tlie capital, and possibly this is tne des-. tination designed for tho guns. It is somewhat pathetic to read of the appeal of the Turks to Berlin tod Vienna asking for naval assistance. We have heard so much of the tremendous development of the German Navy, that they may'bo forgiven if they cannot understand why it continues to shelter behind the defences of Wilhelmshaven instead of taking charge of the high seas and aiding its Allies. Or it 1 may be that tho Turks had hoped that the Austrian Fleet might brave the terrors of the Anglo-French Fleet and come to their assistance. The answer to their appeal, however, should enlighten them as to the'true-position. They were told not to despair, but to remove their capital from Constantinople to the Asiatic portion of their territory. A message to-day mentions that some 50 German officers have been dispatched from tho fighting lines in France to take over commands in the Turkish forces. According to all accounts the Germans are by no means -popular amongst the Turks just now, and the reception of these officers may not prove wholly flattering.

To add to the general gloom of the outlook for Turkey yet another British Fleet has appeared on the scene. This is the British East Indian Fleet, under Admiral Peirse. Exactly what vessels now constitute this fleet wo cannot profess to say, but afc the beginning of the war. it comprised the old battleship Swiftsure, the light, cruisers Dartmouth, Fox:, and Pelorous and a few smaller vessels. It is possible that it has been strengthened by the.inclusion of vessels from the China squadron. Admiral Peirse'.s squadron has been bombarding military positions along .the Gulf of Smyrna. The position ci &Ee Turks is indeed an unhappy one. They have been badly beaten bv the Russians in the Caucasus in the north-east; their expedition in the south-west against Egypt has been driven back; their forts on the Dardanelles have been battered, and the Allied fleet is gradually forcing its way towards the nerve centre of the Empire at Constantinople; and their military positions along the west coast of Asia Minor are now receiving the attention of a fresh fleet of warships. And behind these movements is the menace of an invading army which under cover of the warships may be landed at any moment at some vital point.

From Russia comes confirmation of the successes in Northern Poland and in the region of the Carpathi; anß. Von Hindenberg, the German cotumander, the idol of the German people, has during the past month lost over a quarter of a million men. This is a heavy blow even to Germany. The fighting around Prasnysz alone is stated to nave cost the German Army nearly 30,000 killed. An astonishing piece of news is that which intimates that the defeated German forces in Northern Poland are retiring on Thorn, the stronglyfortified German town a_ few miles across the frontier. Thorn is somie 90 miles almost due west/of Prasnysz, and it is difficult to believe that the Germans engaged at Prasnysz have retired in this direction or for bo great a distance. Probably what has happened is that the defeat at Prasnysz has compelled a general retirement along the German line in the region immediately to the west and south-west of Prasnysz.' Still it is a striking evidence of the effect of the renewed Russian offensive. The story from the Carpathians is equally encouraging. The Austrians there have been making desperate efforts to break through the Russian lines probably in anticipation of what may happen with the coming of the spring should the Tsar's troops control the passes of the Carpathians. The Russians," however, ( now hold the upper hand. Spring, says one message, has already- arrived and with its advent the Russian battle lines are moving irresistibly towards German soil. It does not do to be too sanguine. The battle lines have moved forward and back again many times, but the outlook is very encouraging. _ Time should have been on tho side of Russia.

* * ■ * tj. Events in the Western theatre are 110 doubt full of interest and excitement if we only had the details, but 'wo do not get them. Now and then some stirring story reaches us, but it usually relates to some isolated movement, and throws little light on tho general situation. The siego nature of the warfare now proceeding in Erance and Belgium necessarily is a slow process from the point of view of visible progress made. Each day may see something done towards the accomplishment ol some great strategical or tactical movement, but without the key to the situation the progress made may seem trifling and unimportant. So it is that the scraps of news that reach us from' the fighting lines in France and Belgium convey little as to the general situation beyond the fact that the Allies are carrying out to their own satisfaction the. task they have set themselves to accomplish. We may at any time now hear of big happenings in the West —especially if the Russian advance' continues, for it will be the business of ■ the Anglo-French-Belgian forces to keep the enemy so fully occupied in the West that he oanriot spare a single man to assist to stem the tido of the Russian advance in the East.' * * * *

An American-Dutch liner, tho Noorderdijk, appears to have fallen foul of a German submarine in-tho English Channel and to have put back to port in a damaged, condition. > Until the facts are known it is idle to speculate as to what may have happened to her, but a- few incidents of this nature may assist to bring America, Holland, and some of tnc other neutral countries to a more sympathetic appreciation of the Allies' attitude towards the piratical policy pursued by German submarines against merchant' shipping. It

is satisfactory to note that a French cruiser appears to have accounted for another German submarine in tho English Channel. If as stated in tho message three shots hit tha submarine in question then it is quite safe to assumo that she now reposes at tho bottom of the Chan-' nel. Submarines havo no chance if once hit. # * » . *

As was only to be expected, Germany has made the most of the strikes in Britain, and quotes them as an evidence of degeneration. It is a fair argument, and will not bo without weight. Conditions in many, however, are not so harmonious as tho authorities would haW tho .world believe. Wo had news of rioting at different times, and thera is a further instance reported today from Cologne. Apparently in' this case the troublo was due to a shortage of potatoes, and in the rioting which ensued many women and children were injured by tho police. There are Other signs that Germany is feeling the pinch of a shortage o£ foodstuffs. Whether it is due entirely to scarcity or to the rigid economy , insisted on by the military, authorities in order to conserve tha supply availablo time alono "perhaps will show.