PROGRESS OF THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2430, 8 April 1915, Page 4

PROGRESS OF THE WAR

Except in the region east and south of Verdun few developments of importance on the Western front are reported to-day, but Sib John French's review of operations since March 22 shows that the British have made some slight progress at points which have recently been subjected to heavy German assaults. This is notably the case near La Bassee, in Northern France, where some German trcnches have been captured. Every gain in this quarter is a step, even though it be a small one, towards the reduction of Lille and the strong fortified line which covers the principal German line of communications along the Meuse and the main trunk railway connecting Belgium and France For the rest the British Commander-in-Chief reports a stir of minor activities along tho whole front, in which the Germans have generally .been worsted. In the Woevre district, east and south of the fortress of Verdun, the French appear to be making steady headway towards Metz and the borders of Lorraine. In the northern part of the Woevre district they have a strong base at Verdun, where the encircling entrenchments 'have now been advanced to a distance of twelve miles from the town. Progressing from Verdun they have captured a villago and heights commanding tho valley of the River Orne, which flows eastward towards Metz. They have also gained additional ground in tho wooded country further south, where they are opposed by a German force lying east and wast across their line of advance.

Once again th-j invasion of Hungary is an accomplished fact—on paper. This time the authority is the Rome newspaper Tribuna, which lias received a telegram from Vienna stating that a great battle has been proceeding at Saros, in Hungary, since Sunday last, and _ that tho Austro-Gcrman foices are in retreat from Dukla to Eperges, having already lost fifteen thousand men. Saios is an extensive district lying south and west of the Dukla Pass and Eperges, a town on the Hungarian Plain, >s thirty-five miles south-west of that pass. Thus, if the report is true, the Austrian defence of the Carpal,hians at these points has collapsed, and the Russians, established 111 Hungary, are in touch with an'extensive railway system radiating through the country, and notably north and west into Silesia. It will be. wisn. tiowever, to await confirmation of this momentous ne.vs, and as yet the confirmation has not been supplied in Russian communiques. It is true that these official reports speak of fighting north of Bartfeld, which is a Hungarian town twenty miles north of Eperges,and a dozen miles south of the main Carpathian range, but fighting in this quarter was reported weeks ago. Roads from Bartfeld run north across the mountains into Galicia, and fighting north of Bartfekl does not necessarily imply that the Russians have passed the mountains and entered Hungary.

Very little seems to have been done as yet towards clearing up the critical situation created, in _ Macedonia by the lawless activities of Bulgarian bands which attacked the Servian and Greek frontiers. A message from Salonika declares that Bulgaria is prepared to give Servia satisfaction tor the invasion of her territory, but another message summarising a Bulgarian Note to Servia suggests that Bulgaria is more inclined to temporise than to promote a peaceful settlement of tho questions at stake. The Note alleges that 6000 Turkish refugees who had been ill-treated in Servia crossed tho Bulgarian frontier and later recrossed it, only to be massacred by Servian frontier, guards. It is added that the insurrection (presumably of the Turkish refugees) is increasing, despite the efforts of the Bulgarian frontier guards, who are endeavouring to protect the Servian posts. Although the population of that part of Macedonia in which tho raids have occurred is riven by racial feuds and animosities, which have led in the past to much guerilla warfare, tho Bulgarian story on the face of it is somewhat improbable. At all events it is in direct conflict with the accounts given by Servia and Greeco of the raids upon their frontiers. In each case it was stated that the raids were made by Bulgarian irregulars, some of them wearing military uniforms. Either these reports were false or the Bulgarians have given an entirely inaccurate explanation of the raids, and whatever the truth may be the conflict of testimony does' not promise well for continued peace, between the Balkan nations in tho immediate future.

Meantime extraordinary revelations concerning Graeco-Bulga-rian relations and dealings between Greece and the Entente are credited to M. Venizelos, ex-Prime Minister of Greece. The story as it stands is so obviously _ designed to provoke and antagonise Bulgaria, that if it did not come from Athens it might bo supposed that it had been concocted by the German conspirators who have doubtless been responsible for stirring up trouble in Macedonia. It is to the effect that after M. Venizelos had abandoned the idea of a Graeco-Bul-garian agreement, France and Britain offered to each send a division of troops to Macedonia to forestall the danger of a Bulgarian attack, in consideration of Greece assisting Servia. It is hardly necessary to examine a story of this kind in detail, for it is as little likely that such an offer would have been made by the Allies as that M. Venizelos would have let the fact become known had the offer been made.

TnouGH the Balkan situation presents many complications, it has long been evident that the first and greatest of all is uncertainty as to what Bulgaria may do. So far as Greece is concerned, the dominant party, headed by M. Venizelos, undoubtedly desires a firm understanding with Bulgaria, and there are strong reasons for believing that lUiireuiia is equally sincere in a similar desire. Tho benefits that would accrue from such an understanding are obvious. Bulgarian cooperation, once assured, tho whole of the Balkan nations would be free to pursue the schemes of territorial aggrandisement upon which their hopes are set, Rumania at the expense of Austria-Hungary and tho other countries at the expense of Turkey. Regret at the prospect that the- Macedonian disturbances may lead to further friction, and even possibly to war, between the Balkan nations will be intensified by the reHection that developments of this kind will merely plav into the hands .of the Uermaaic Alliance and ia uo

way assist' any one of the countries immediately concerned. Meantime, however, it is pretty safe to assume that men like M. Venizelos will work whole-heartedly for co-opera-tion between the Balkan nations and will tako no part in stirring up useless strife and discord between them.

The latest success of the Union troops in German South-West Africa is the capture of Warmbad, tho southern capital of the colony. Warmbad lies 25 miles north of the Orange liiver and 150 miles inland from the AVesc Coast, so that evidently it has been, captured by a column acting independently of that which recently occupied Aus, afU-r advancing along the 70-mile railway which strikes inland from the coast at Luderitz Bay. Warmbad is not in railway communication with other parts of the colony, and the southern region in which it lies, like tho coastal belt through which the Union forces are advancing at several points, is arid ana poorly watered. It is probable, therefore, that the northern advaneo from Warmbad mav be slow.

Mention is made in a telegram from Australia to-day that news cf the arrival of the Maori contingent in Egypt was cabled by Captain Bean (the Australian official correspondent) .on March 31. •It is added that at a great review of Australian and New Zcahn'cl troops the Maoris were considered by some spectators to have the most splendid physique, not so much in height as in onormous breadth and soldierly bearing. Those who saw the Maori contingent pass through Wellington, prior to its embarkation, will agree that these commendations are thoroughly -well 'deserved. So far as appearances go the members of the contingent were worthy descendants of their fighting forefathers, and no doubt when opportunity serves they will prove their worth.