PROGRESS OF THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2458, 11 May 1915, Page 4

PROGRESS OF THE WAR

Extracts from the leading columns of the London Press show that the achievement of the Australians and New Zealanders at the Dardanelles has not been overlooked at the •heart of the Empire, but official information as to the progress of the campaign is still scarce. There is indeed an official communique from Constantinople, but very little attention nee'd be paid to it. Its burden is that the Allies are making no headway, and that the military movements of the Turks, in the Gallipoli Peninsula, have not been interfered with. If there is any substratum of truth in this at all it probably means that the Turks still retain possession of the more important roads—as no doubt they do through the greater part of the peninsula. For the rest there are several unofficial messages which tell of very interesting developments. They cannot he accepted unreservedly, but no doubt are more or less founded on fact. The most interesting message of all declares that the Russians have landed an army on the Black Sea Coast of Turkey, but it is of little value in the absence of confirmation. Landing on this coast the Russians would be able to strike directly at Constantinople, meeting the enemy under no such difficult circumstances as arise from the hilly nature and strong fortifications of the Gallipoli Peninsula, but the difficulty will no doubt be to land a sufficient body of troops to make an effective demonstration. If the Russians succeed in landing an army the pressure upon the forces assaulting the Dardanelles will, of course, be very greatly lightened.

Other unofficial reports state that the Allies, as a result of heavy fighting, have captured heights dominating Kalid Bahr (at the southern end of tho Narrows on the European side). One of these positions is said to be a high hill seven miles northeast of Cape Holies This wears an air of probability because the hill is only a little way north-east of Krithia, from which place the Imperial forces landed at Cape Ilelles were officially reported, some days ago, to be advancing. It is stated also that Ihc fleet bombardment, has so far developed that all I he forts save one at Nagara (at the head of the Narrows on the Asiatic side) have been destroyed. A Bulgarian report suggests that troops have been landed within 'range of the forts in the Isthmus of Bulair, at the inner end of the peninsula. The whole of these nartionlars must await, confirmation i but j»nbabLy. nu sucil reservation

need be applied to a dispatch from a Times correspondent at Mitylene, or thereabouts, who states in more general terms that the Turks, though still retaining some of their strongly entrenched positions in the fifteenmile long section of the peninsula from Cape Helles to the head of the Narrows, are surrounded by the Allied troops. He states also that under the double pressure of the land attack and the fire of the warships the defence of the Turks is weakening and t-Jfct the ultimate capture of their positions is certain. On the wholo it is quite reasonable to believe that the Imperial and colonial forces are well on their way towards the conquest of the Narrows, an event which will no doubt be the prelude to a concentrated assault by the Fleet upon the wider and less heavily fortified section of the strait lying boyond. Meantime reports that three thousand Turks have been taken prisoner and that ten thousand, wounded in the last two battles, have reached Constantinople, suggest that the enemy have suffered oven more hravily inan the British and French forces which have captured a series of important positions at no light cost. * * * * Matters still appear to be going rather badly with the Russians in Western Galicia. A German message published yesterday, read in conjunction with an Austrian message to-day. indicates that the Russians have been thrust back over a distance of nearly twenty miles along a great part of this section of their front, and that if they still hold the Dukla. Pass they hold it with force-3 that are in some danger of being _ isolated and cut off. Theinformation is of enemy origin, but in the absence of Russian comment or contradiction it cannot on that account be entirety set aside. The most important claims advanced by the Austro-Germans relate to the fighting areas in the near neighbourhood of the Dukla Pass on both sides of the mountains. They assert that they have driven the Russians back from the approaches to this pass on the northern side of the mountains and also thatihe Russians holding positions in 'Hungary in the valleys of the Rivers Ondawa and Laborc, have been forced back to the main ridge of the Carpathians. The two rivers named run south on either side of the Dukla Pass. The course of the Laborc coincides, for a distance, with that of a railway which passes from Hungary into Galicia by_ way of the Lupkow Pass, 18 miles south-east of the Dukla Pass. If these enemy stories are anywhere near the truth Russian forces posted in the mountains, in and on either side_ of the Dukla Pass, must be in' a position of some peril. * * * * Though the Dukla Pass is not traversed by a railway it is one of the most important passages through the Carpathians. Not only does it afford a wide and easy road but it it no doubt essential to the Russians if they are to use the railway running through the Lupkow Pass immediately to the east. Loss of the Dukla Pass is thus likely to arrest for the time being their invasion of Hunthough there is no definite indication that they are as yet feeling serious pressure at any other part of the mountain line. * * * * At the northern end of their West Galician front, where the River Dunajec enters the Vistula forty miles north-east of Oracow, tho Russians appear to be still holding- out on their original line, There is thus no immediate prospect of the left flank of their positions in Southern Poland, along the line of tho River Nida, being uncovered.. Even if they are forced to fall back from the Dunajec at the Vistula, as well as further south, the latter river will probably afford them a strong defensive line to link up the front in Poland with that in Galicia.

Accepting the available news as correct, the Russians have evidently encountered a serious check, but it does not follow that the outlook is on that account gloomy or even that their strategical plans have been very seriously deranged. It is no new thing for Russian armies to be flung back by a heavy German concentration of men and artillery at a given point, and the comfort of the situation lies in the fact that these sudden outpourings of German strength have usually led to results distinctly disappointing from the enemy's point of view. The great attacks on Warsaw, after colossal battles hacl been fought, settled down into stalemate on a line far short of that objective, Similarly one German offensive after another from East Prussia has frittered away without definite or decisive result. There is no reason to suppose that any better fortune or more useful result will attend the latest stroke in Western Galicia. Injthe initial impact of great armies, at a point selected by the enemy, the Russians are always at a disadvantage, partly because of indifferent lines of communication and partly because of their inferiority in heavy artillery. As the_ a-rmies are placed in Western Galicia the handicap of communications is less pronounced' than it was in Poland, but the factor of superiority in heavy artillery remains a very potent one in favour of the Germans. The state of affairs in Western Galicia certainly suggests that the shock tactics of the Germans have once again been crowned with temporary success, but if past experience provides a guide this offensive will peter out as others have done. The Russians have shown that in spite of transport problems they are quick to follow up the retreat that has so often been the final phase of a German offensive. It is in no way straining the facts to say that the Russians, fighting a stubborn rearguard action in Western. Galicia, may be just as usefully serving their own cause and that of their Allies in the West as if they were marching south through Hungary. Their ultimate aim is to invade both Hungary and Germany, but it is first of all necessary to wear down the forces of the enemy to the extent which will mako invasion of these territories possible. Probably the wearingdown process will continue just as effectively in existing circumstances as if the Russians had been able to maintain their lino in Western Galicia and proceed at once with their invasion of Hungary.

Whether or not the German concentration against the Russians in Galicia is immediately affccting tho situation in the West, the Allies in the latter theatre appear to have taken the offensive at several points in a fashion which has already resulted in important gains. In particular the British First Avniy Corps is attacking on a nine-mile front, which, at its northern end, is about eight miles distant from Lille. Th<s front, extends from Festuberfc (three milci veil and uaxtk of Lit Ba&ee) L

north-cast of Bois Gronier (eight miles west of Lille), and Sir John French roporta that progress has boon made towards Fromelles, a road-junctioa about a milo and a half advanced from the line of attack. Neuve Chapelle is also included in the line, being situated towards its southern end. It is not unlikely that the attack now begun may amount to a very important second instalment of the work which was so splendidly begun at Neuve Chapelle, but meantime news goes little beyond the fact that an attack in force has been launched upon tho approach to the great fortress-town which is so important to the Germans as a strong buttress in the fortified chain guarding their main line of communications along the Mouse.

The Allied also appear to have made marked progress north of Arras, and at Carency they have captured two, and in some places, three lines of German fortified trenches along a distance of four miles. Claims by the Germans fcliafc ■ they have captured positions east of Yprcs are contradicted by a report from Sir John French dealing with events on the same date as that on which the German message was forwarded from London. The Com-mander-in-Chief states that German attacks east of Ypres were repulsed with heavy loss and that the British line has been firmly established. The one point at which the British forces seem to be still in difficulties is Hill 60, south-east of Ypres, where the Germans have again recently profited by the use of poisonous gas, and still hold portion of the position. _ The reports make it evident that if gallantry alone had been in question the hill would have been safe in British hands, but poison has thus far saved the Germans from a complete defeat. As a whole the messages from the Western front today indicate that movements are under way which should lead to developments of the first importance.

The Berlin report that Libau (the Russian naval port in the Baltic) has been occupied by the Gernians is neither denied nor confirmed today, but a- German official message states that: "Owing to the strong forces at Mitau (the region 120 miles north of East Prussia, where tho Russians yesterday reported that they held the enemy in check) our detachments withdrew." This possibly means that the Germans are retreating to their own territory.