LORD KITCHENER REVIEWS THE MILITARY SITUATION.

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2466, 20 May 1915, Page 5

LORD KITCHENER REVIEWS THE MILITARY SITUATION.

REPRISALS FOR THE POISONERS 300,000 RECRUITS WANTED FOR NEW ARMIES London, May 18. Lord. Kitchener (Secretary of State for War), speaking in the House of Lords, said that the British and French Governments had decided that tlie troops must be adequately protected against poisonous gases, by the employment of similar methods, to remove the enormous and unjustifiable disadvantage now existing. Lord Kitchener said he had called for 300,000 more recruits to form new armies. He paid a tribute to the devotion to duty and cheerful acceptanoe of hardships of thoso already in the new armies. Men engaged iu the production of war material should not volunteer, but he confidently appealed to the rest of the manhood of England to "come forward and take their share in this great struggle for a great cause." He was confident that in the very near future there would be a satisfactory position regarding the supply of ammunition.

The Landing on Calliooli. The news from the Gallipoli Peninsula, added Lord Kitohener, was thoroughly satisfactory. British, Australians, and New Zealanders, co-operating with the French, had effected a, landing in the teeth of great natural difficulties and skilfully prepared obstacles. The lauding was a masterpiece of organisation. ingenuity, and courage, which would be long remembered. Progress was necessarily slow, since the country was most difficult, but the Turks were being gradually forced to retire from positions of strength, though the enemy is being constantly reinforced. , Referring t-o the campaign in German South-West Africa, the Minister said that General Botha had displayed military ability of a very high order, which had conlirmed the admiration felt for him as a commander and leader of men. Tribute to the Canadians. Lord Kitchener paid a tribute to the bravery of the Canadians at Ypres. 'The order given them was one to try quite the finest troops in the world. The offensive at Aubers was in pursuance of plans concerhted by. General Joffre and Sir John French, and the forward movement of our brave Allies had been a complete success. The British attack had not been attended with the same immediate succcss, owing to the Germans' elaborate arrangements _to defend their lines after their experiences at Neuvo Chapolle; but the British effort, on May 15 drove back the enemy a distance of two miles. The action was proceeding. The British and French losses had been heavy, but the spirit and morale of the troops liad never been highor. In the Eastern .Theatre. Turning to the campaign in the Eastern theatre, Lord Kitchener said that a considerable concentration of German and Austrian troops in March and April south of Cracow developed into active operations against • the Russian Third Army between'-Tarnow and Gorlice to the Rostok Pass. This offensive was necessary owing to the Russian capture of the Uszok Pass threatening to give access to the Hungarian plains. , , Tho Austro-German offensive commenced on the night of April 26, and there was a desperate battle lasting several days. The German big guns overwhelmed the Russians, despite the greatest gallantry, and compelled them to fall back fighting, with their well-known tenacity. They retired to previously-prepared positions, and were now holding a strong line from tho Eastern Carpathians to Przemysl, thenco alone the San to the Vistula. The Russian counter-offensive in Bnkowina had driven back the AnstroGerman Army to Pruth. The German losses, killed and wounded, were undoubtedly enormous, while the Russians had captured many- thousands who wore not wounded.