PROGRESS OF THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2421, 29 March 1915, Page 4

PROGRESS OF THE WAR

A specific indication of the probable character of succeeding months of war in the Western theatre is furnished to-day in a brief statement by Sir John French. Commenting upon a remark made by him in a repent interview (and apparently misunderstood in some quarters) that "he did not believe in a protracted war," the British Com-mander-in-Chief lays it down definitely that in his opinion the duration of the war will depend entirely upon the rate at which men and munitions are sent forward. If the rate is unsatisfactory the war will be pro-, longed. The corollary, of course ' is that if the necessary men anil munitions are forthcoming in good time a possibility exists of defeating the German armies and bringing the war to an end within a relatively limited period. This is much the most definite assurance on the subject that has been given up to the present time, and coining from such a quarter it naturally commands attention. In the position he has taken up, Sir John French completely discredits the view, still fairly widely held, that the Allied commanders are likely to elect deliberately to continue indefinitely the slow deadlock of siegewarfare. _ His frankly expressed disbelief in a protracted war points in the most explicit way to action, and action of a kind involvng a radical departure from the main features of the winter campaign. It may therefore be inferred that an indication of the future character of the war in the West—always provided that enough men and munitions are forthcoming—will be found, not in the slow-moving deathgrapple of the winter months, but in the thunder-stroke of Ncuve Chapelle, where British soldiers did the work of weeks in a few days, at terrible cost indeed, but not at greater cost (as "Eye-Witness" points out) than if the same .progress nad been made slowly during many weeks. The essential fact appears to be that if the Allied armies in the field are sufficiently strengthened they can not only strike a blow at Germany's heart, but can do it with the prospect that the war will thus be ended at a smaller cost in lives and in every way than if the stalemate of the siege-warfare, which in itself involves a terrible cost, has to be continued indefinitely. * » * * It is entirely appropriate that this pronouncement of Sir John French should come to hand side ■by side with the news that renewed efforts are being made to stimulate

the progress of recruiting in Great Britain. The immediate incentive is a recognition of the fact that enormous losses arc inevitable in a great offensive campaign. The men upon whom the early brunt of this campaign will fall were most of them enrolled months ago, but so long as the war lasts the necessity will exist of building up reserves to reinforce the armies in the field. As is always the case when a strong appeal for recruits is made in Great Britain, there has been some talk of conscription, but the voluntary system, with all its defects, has so far answered reasonably well, and the chanccs arc that the emergency will apply the necessary stimulus to re-

cruiting without making a resort to compulsion necessary. Tho statement made by Sir John French, a condensed but vivid presentation of facts, is in itself a stirring call to arms, and will no doubt have its due effect upon recruiting. » * * * So far as actual operations in the Western theatre are concerned, tho most important event reported today is a French victory in Alsace, at tho southern end .of the Western line. For weeks past the French have been fighting for the possession of Hartmannsweilcrkopf, a commanding hill which fronts the Vosges range at a point north-west of Mulhausen. They have now captured the summit of this eminence (although some of the slopes on the eastern side are still held by the enemy) and are therefore excellently placed for a further advance. More to the south, due west of Mulhausen, the French arc established at Cernay, a few miles east of the mountain range, but north of Hartmannsweilcrkopf they are still engaged in the mountains, and at last reports were slowly fighting their way down

a number of valleys, including that of the Fecht, which debouches opposite- Colmar. The campaign in Alsace is of much more than local importance, for the effective occupation of this province is an essential preliminary to an offensive further north, striking through Lorraine to the libine. Further fighting is reported today opposite the Lorraine border, in that section of the Western battleline which extends mirth-west from the Vnsges and Alsace, but very meagre accounts are given of it. Little more is said than that German attacks have been be.ileu off at various uoints, mast a{ them along

a line which extends from north of Verdun to the Lorraine border south-west of Metz. All that can be said, therefore, is that the Allies in this locality are maintaining positions in threatening juxtaposition to the German frontier. It is quite possible that the not very distant future may witness an advance in force into Lorraine, but such a movement, as has been said, would necessarily be preceded by the occupation of Alsace.

Confirmation is still lacking of the senii-oflicial account of a Russian victory in Hungary, south of the Carpathians, between the Uszok and Lupkow Passes, but an official message from Petrograd reports the capture of "an important and strongly fortified and armoured position in the Lupkow Pass," presumably the main defences of the Pass. Acccpting this as correct, it may be assumed that if the Russians have not actually gained a footing in the Hungarian Plain they hold the gate.

Heavy fighting continues opposite the eastern and south-eastern frontiers of East Prussia, apparently on fairly even terms, but the Germans claim that they havo defeated with heavy loss a Russian force which was attempting a raid 011 Tilsit, at the northern end of East Prussia. The Russians recently reported crossing the frontier i'n this region, and it seems not unlikely that they may have suffered a repetition of the experience that befell them recently, when, in their own expression, they "reconnoitred Memel." The German official account of the Memel engagement stated that tho Russians lost 150 killed and 500 prisoners, so that evidently it was an affair of minor importance, as battles have gone in the Eastern theatre. It is part of the Russian strategy to employ mobile troops at suitable points in annoying the enemy and compelling him to concentrate stronger forces in defence, and the recent operations at the northern end of East Prussia no doubt fall within this category. Tho Russians have suffered some loss in pursuing these tactics, but on the other hand they have drawn considerable German forces to the extreme north which might otherwise have been employed on the actual fighting front further south.

Instead of having met his end at the hands of Turkish assassins or otherwise, Marshal von der Goltz is alive and well. His latest appearance is at Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria, where, it seems, he has volunteered the statement that his mission to Turkey is ended, and that "ho foresaw the catastrophe whereof the Turks are the victims." This is a somewhat cold-blooded way of putting the facts, and one hardly calculated to advance the new mission which Marshal von der Goltz has presumably undertaken, of trying to secure the adhesion of Bulgaria to the Germanic Alliance. Itis difficult to imagine 'what other purpose would take him to Sofia, but with the cxamplo of Turkey before her eyes, Bulgaria would be guilty of an act of madness if she listened to his advances.

Several items to-day point to the probability of an anti-German landslide in the Balkans. Turkey _is plainly in extremis. The situation in the Dardanelles has undergono little change, and indeed the Turks have profited by. the respite afforded by a period of bad weather to repair and strengthen their defences, but the internal condition of the co.untry is pictured as one of developing anarchy, which may conceivably make impossible a continuation of organised resistance to external foes.. r JJhc - Turks themselves are reported to fear_ a Bulgarian onslaught as an addition to their 'present calamities, and if Bulgaria's intentions have been correctly interpreted, the fear of hostile activity on her part, which has hitherto restrained Greece and Rumania from throwing in their lot with the Entente, should very soon be removed. Available indications, in fact, point to developments which in the first instance would make a speedy end of Turkey, and in addition would considerably augment the forces arranged against the Germanic Alliance. The most promising feature of the situation is that Bulgaria oannot well afford to delay action against Turkey, lest that country should be brought to surrender without her aid, and when Bulgarian troops have once crossed the Turkish frontior with hostile intent, the most difficult aspects of the Balkan problem for the time being will have been happily solved.

' Interesting lighb_ is thrown today upon the _situation_ in Egypt by a message which mentions that the force of a thousand Turks whi'oh recently was easily beaten off when it made a demonstration against the southern end of the Suez Canal, contrived to carry off its wounded, and is now located at Kalaat en Nakhl, 75 miles east of Suez. It is evident therefore that the British contented themselves with driving off the demonstrators, and did not pursue them for any great distance. It is an incident throwing suggestive light upon the policy adopted by the British Commander-in-Chief in Egypt. Tho picture .presented is that of a well-ordered British army keeping watch and wajd upon the Canal, and allowing -the dismembered fragments of the Turkish army of invasion to wander almost at will through the hundred and forty miles or so of arid desert that separates the Canal from the Egyptian frontier, on the eastern side of the Sinai Peninsula. Considering that the first business of the British Army in Egypt is to guard that country and .the Canal, such a policy has much to commend it. A campaign through the desert in which the Turks are already faring so badly offers few attractions in any case, and there is also tho possibility that a portion of tho British force may have been withdrawn for service elsewhere.

High praise is given to the Australian and New Zealand troops in Egypt by the Cairo correspondent of the Daily Tdeyraph, and ho singles out the New Zealanders for special distinction in the remark that they are a pattern whereon all colonial troops should be modelled. This is in keeping with news of the estimation in which our soldiers arc bold which has come through other channels. Information received here indicates that Imperial officers regard the New Zealand infantry in particular as of the very highest soldierly quality—troops fit to go anywhere and do anything lhat soldiers may be cnlled upon to do. That (lie good all-round qualify and the excellent equipment of file New Zealand troops have on several occasions been the subject of favour-

able comment abroad is extremely gratifying in itself, and incidentally furnishes a crushing rejoinder to some carping criticisms which were vented in this country in connection with the organisation and dispatch of the Expeditionary Force. So far as the British Empire is concerned, this war has called forth soldiers of a new type and created now standards of soldierly quality, and that New Zealand soldiers should be rated so high is on that account all the more a signal distinction and proof of merit.

A cable message which we publish this morning states that Herb Liebknecht, a Socialist member of the German lieichstag, has been ordered to join the Landsturm at Lorraine. The message concludes with the grimly significant remark that his friends do not expect him to return alive. Dr. Liebknecht has incurred the grave disapproval of the authorities by refusing to repeat the shibboleths of the military caste, and for daring to criticisc the Government's war policy. What he has had the boldness to say many other Germans are thinking, but are wise enough to keep their thoughts to themselves. The Kaiser and his advisers have apparently decided to treat Dr. Liebknecht as David treated Uriah the Hjttite. David wanted to get Uriah out of his way, so he said to his officers, "Set ye Uriah in the forefront of tho hottest battle, and retire ye from him that he may be smitten and die. 1 ' Uriah was accordingly assigned a placc where "valiant men were." It is not surprising to read that when the fight was over some of David's people had fallen, "and Uriah tho Hittite died also." Some_ people in Germany apparently think that the fate of Uriah the in store" for Liebknecht the Socialist. Perhaps the Kaiser will console th'e dead man's friends with David's obvious, if not very sympathetic remark that "the sword dovoureth one as well as another." It is well known that a knowledge of Scripture is included in the many and varied accomplishments of the German Ejiperok.

Conspiracy of a comic-opera order seems to have been unearthed at Toronto, in Canada, where 200 Germans and Austrians were found drilling in a church with dummy riiies, but somewhat more dangerous possibilities are opened up in a declaration of the Canadian polico that an armed rising is projected by Germans and Austrians in the United States. Ample proof is to be found in tho American Press of the rabid sentiments entertained by a section at least of the GermanAmerican population, and a widespread conspiracy _ amongst these people might give rise to some awkward complications, including a possible menace to Canada. However, a very large proportion of the millions of Germans and Austrians in the United States are probably too keenly conscious of the benefits of American citizenship to take part in, any such crack-brained scheme as the Canadian police have discovered.