PROGRESS OF THE WAR.

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2408, 13 March 1915, Page 6

PROGRESS OF THE WAR.

The suggestion that Germany is actively preparing against a possible attempt to land British troops _ on the northern coast of Belgium would seem to imply that the recent successful raids of British airmen have set the Kaiser thinking. If airmen can destroy railways and gun positions and submarine docks at Ostend -and Zeebrugge, and if British warships can for days on end, in spito of enemy submarines, bombard the German forces along the Belgian coast, why should not the airships and warships successJully cover a large landing party of British troops? The Germans might well argue from their own experience that frontal attacks on the positions of the opposing forces throughout France and Belgium arc too terribly costly to hope to "succeed, and a flanking movement by land being impossible, the only hope for the Allies embarking on a Berious offensive would be a flanking movement by sea. The one possible step of the nature would be to land a force in Belgium at- some point to the rear of . the main German lines. Hence by this process of reasoning we reach the possibility of a British expeditionary force threatening the German flank by sea. It is an attractive picture from the Allies' point of view, but even under the most favourable circumstanoes it would be a tremendously risky undertaking and could only be .carried out with sqasoned troops.

Meanwhile the Allies continue to progress. "An Eye-witness," who writes regularly from the fighting lines in France, while recounting the success of the Allied _ artillery and the great nervousness its deadly accuracy has occasioned amo'ngst a section of the German troops, gives a very necessary warning against under-estimating the fighting qualities of the enemy. No doubt he is prompted to issue this warning by the attitude of a great many peoplo in Great Britain who have even now failed to realise how very formidable an enemy Germany is. These people take it for granted that Germany is bound to ho beaten, and underrate the nature of the task ahead of the Allies. Their attitude is harmful not only in discouraging recruiting, but in lulling the people generally into' a false sense of security, which if it becamo at all general might have a serious effect in hampering the efforts of the Government anc! the military, authorities. However, returning to' the fighting lines in France aad Belgium, tne news is highly, satisfactory. Tho ground gained by the British at Neuvo Ohapelle haß been retained in spite of desperate German counter-attacks, which were repulsed with ' heavy losses to ■ tho enemy, and the French have made a further advance in the region east of Reims, while holding thoir positions elsewhere. * # * * A late message gives further details of recent fighting in the Champagne district. Tho struggle there plainly has been of a very severe nature. Ten thousand German dead were counted as the result of the week's fighting, and two thousand prisoners were taken. Tho French have made distinct gains in this region, and their efforts have also served the purpose of preventing reinforcements being sent to General von Hindenbero in the East.

Extremely obstinate battles are continuing along tho battlcfront in the East, and there are signs of another great struggle developing to the north-east and north-west of Prasnysz, near the East Prussian frontier of North Poland. Definite news as to the actual result of the lighting_ in this region is at time of writing meagre. In the south, however, that is to say along the iiuc of tho Carpathians, we arc told

that all the Austrian attacks have been repulsed. It is noticeable that at this point despite the reports of frequent reverses the Austrians continue to act on the offensive. It may be assumed, therefore, that they are in considerable force and have some special motive in pressing forward so desperately. Possibly they fear the effect on Russia of a further retirement. More than ever is it clcar to-day that Rumania is on the verge of joining with the Allies, and the retirement of the Austro-Hungarian forces beyond the Carpathians would be a fitting moment for the Rumanians to come to a decision.

An effort is being made by Germany to discount the bucccss of the Anglo-French fleet in tho Dardanelles. An official Berlin message states that the result of tho bombardment has been negligible; that several of the Allies' ships have been damaged, especially the Queen Elizabeth, that a French cruiser has been put out of action, and so on. The answer to this sort of thing is to bo found in the appeals of-tho Turks to Germany for assistance; in the attitude of Germany itself as disclosed by its acceptance of the fall of Constantinople as inevitable; and last but not feast in the fact recorded this morning that the AngloFrench fleet has now secured such sn ascendancy that two large cruisers were able to spend the night in the Dardanelles assisting and protecting the mine-sweeping vessels. Another German message, presumably designed to specially impress tho Balkan States, recounts the defeat of a British force by the Turks in Mesopotamia. A small British force (presumably Indian troops) has been operating with some little sucocss between the Rivers Tigris and Euphrates, but so far as is known this is quite a minor movement. The German story p'robably ha-s no' more truth in it than the fable of a successful Turkish attack, on the Suez Canal; and even if it were true that this British force had met with a reverse in Mesopotamia (and there is not any confirmation of the story _ from any other source), then it is likely to be a very small affair. A message to-day states that the Turks are dismounting the guns at the forts of Constantinople, in order that they may be in a position to declare that the city is unfortified. Presumably they hope by this means to save the city from bombardment by the Allied fleet. This is not so unlikely as it might seem, for the guns could be used elsewhere—in tho Dardanelles, for instance, where a large number have already been destroyed by fne shells from the Anglo-French warships. A late cablegram, based on a communication from Mn. Martin Donohoe, tho well-known war correspondent, throws further light on the demoralised condition of the Turks and the hopeful nature of the outlook for tho Allies in that quarter.

The leanings of tha King of Rumania towards Germany and Austria have hitherto proved a serious obstacle to tho realisation of the desire of his people for active intervention in the war on the side of the Entente. The war feeling has, however, been steadily growing in strength, and it now seems that the Kino realises that-it would be dangerous to persist in his opposition. A cablegram which we puulish ih another column states that he has announced _ that ho _ will act in accordance with the will of the nation, and that he will go with 'his people when the moment for action comes. That moment appears to be drawing very near. The latest indication _of Rumania's intentions is the decision of Parliament to empower tho. Government to proclaim a state of siege whenever the necessity arises. M. George Diamandy, whoso brother -is Rumanian Minister at Petrograd, recently informed the Paris correspondent of a London journal that Rumanians believe that the time has arrived for the realisation of their ethnical and territorial hope 3 as far as Austria-Hungary is concerned, and that this can only be done by military action on the side of the Entente. The aims of Rumania are easily explained. She desires to extend'her boundaries so as to include those parts of the Dual Monarchy which are inhabited by Rumanians. There are 3,500,000 Rumanians .in Austria-Hungary, the majority of whom are subjected to the oppression of the Magyars. The present war provides a great opportunity for the redemption of these exiles who now dwell iJ Transylvania and tho neighbouring counties of Hungary. * * * * The report that Germany is offering Trentino to Italy as the price of neutrality, if true, goes to show that she has no scruples about sacrificing Austria to save herself. At present the Kaiser, is not prepared to hand . over Trieste also, though J he seems to be willing that this_town [should be made a freeport. We are not told what Austria has to say about the proposal, but it is a wellknown fact, that Trentino and Trieste are predominantly Italian in race and sympathy. From the point of view of nationality Italy also has claims to a stnp_ of v\ extern Istria'. If she throw in her lot with the Triple Entente all these places would probably be added to ner territory. Italy now occupies the islet of Saseno, opposite Yalona, and if Austria-Hungary should collapse she would endeavour to secure the whole bay of Valona, and a protectorate over Albania. I r ™~ tino, Trieste, and Istria form the "Italia Irredenta'' which Italy hopes to regain when the new map is made. Their redemption has for many years occupied a prominent place in the programme of the Italian Nationalists. Germany s latest offer may be taken as an indication of the intensity of her anxiety to prevent Italy from joining the Allies, but public opinion isvgradually forcing tho Italian Government to take sides with the Kaiser s enemies. ■ _ „ . * * *. # - The Prince Eitel Frederick has turned up at Newport, U.S.A. lhis is the German armed oruiser which ran away and escaped when Admiral von Sfee's ships were destroyed in the Falkland Islands fight. Since then she haß managed to sink some of tho Allies' merchant vessels in the Atlantic, and incidentally an American vessel, tho William Fryre. It is characteristic of German methods that the Commander of the Prince Eitel Frederick should have preferred to sink even an Americanowned vessel rather than go to tho trouble of jettisoning her cargo of wheat, which he treated ss contraband. He would have been quite justified in seizing the vessel and 'destroying her cargo, bub in sinking her he has added another to German acts of piracy.' Washington, wo are told, is irritated over tho incident— that is