PROGRESS OF THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2469, 24 May 1915, Page 4

PROGRESS OF THE WAR

In Galicia a mighty battle is raging along tho line of the River Sail, and the Russians have so far lost ground that it must bo regarded as an open question whether they will be able to maintain their present front. At the same time the position does not lack hopeful features. The leading details of tho battle, so far as it has developed, are very clearly outlined in to-day's messages. The principal fighting area for the time being is between Przemysl and tbe Vistula, where that river constitutes the northern boundary of Galicia. This is a distance of about eighty miles. The German main attack seems to bo concentrated meantime on the San, northward from Jaroslav, which lies itself 18 miles north of Przemysl. There ha-s been very heavy fighting on other parts of the three hundredmile Galician line, but on tho sector north from Jaroslav, the Germans have concentrated troops and artillery in enormous strength, and havo so far attained their object as to force the passage of the/ river on a fairly extended front (a dozen milfle or more in length) north from Jaroslav. Here the Russians seem to have found it impossible as yet to stem the onset of the Germans, and a late message describes the latter as having made some further progress opposite Sieniava, twelve miles north of Jaroslav. On the other hand the Russians claim important success on the western bank of tho San on both flanks of the main German attack, north towards the confluence of the San and Vistula and south in tho direction of Przemysl. In Southern Poland, immediately north of the Vistula, the Russians have made still more definite progress. From Opatow, twenty miles west of the confluence of the San and Vistula, they have advancod another 15 miles to the westward. Though tho distances to be covered are considerable, this may ultimately develop into a turning movement directed against the flank of the advancing German armies in Galioia, but meantime another Russian objective is suggested—the Radom-Kielce railway, which runs south-west through Poland, ultimately reaching Silesia, where that province joins Poland and Galicia. * * * » Przemysl does not seem to have been seriously attacked as yet, but the enemy has, been beaten back with loss in efforts to advance through tho marshes of the Dniester, south of the fortress, and pierce the Russian line which here sweeps east and south towards Eastern Galicia. At other points further south-east of Przemysl the Russians _ havo also been successful in repulsing: attacks, but one dispatch speaks of a great battle near Stryj, 60 miles _ east-south-east of Przemysl, of which the issue is still doubtful. Tho comparative immunity so far enjoyed by Przemysl goes to suggest that the fortress artillery was left in fairly good condition by the Austrians when they surrendered the place to the Russians. On taking possession the Russian G'om-mander-in-Chicf announced that some 900 guns had been captured, most of them in good condition, and that it was hoped to recover others which the Austrians had thrown into the river, but short of an actual test it is doubtful whether information will be allowed to escape as to how far the fortress is fitted, in armament and supplies, to stand a siege.

Some of the accounts given by correspondents at Pefcrograd of the great battle in Galicia- must be accepted with a certain amount of reserve, if only because they deal so confidently with matters concerning which it will obviously be the policy of the General Staff on either sido to observe sccrecy. At the same time they no doubt present some sort of rough-and-ready picture of what is going on. It may or may not be true that the Russians and Austro-Germans eacli have 1,500,000 men ou the three hundred-mile Galician front, but very great forces are undoubtedly engaged. Statements that the Germans have four thousand guns in action and that they have concentrated half a million men on the principal lighting sector must await confirmation, but may be accepted meantime as indicating that an attack is in progress such as has not often bcqn witnessed even iiv this war. If it is true that the Germans have transferred crack corps from France in order to press the offensive in Galicia they arc playing an extremely desperate game. Lnir events, not alone in Belgium and Northern France, but at other points on the Western line, have insdc it. p cactirally impossible for tho Germans to weaken their.

forces on that front, but it is just possible that they have risked translerring t,omo veteran corps from "West'to East, filling their places in the West with some of the later levies.

It need not be doubted that the Germans have_ organised thoir present offensive in Galicia on a scale not approached since they attempted months ago to smash tne Russian armies west of Warsaw. Accepting tho parallel there is no need to be despondent about Russian prospects. West of Warsaw tho Russians, after a long retreat, bore the ultimate shock of the enemy's assault with wonderful fortitude, and not only kept their lino intact, but .inflicted such enormous losses upon die enemy as put further attacks in that region out of the question. It is ciuite probable that a similar turning point has been reached, or is being approached, in tho present great battle in Galicia. Since the Russians reached the line of the San the battle has completely change.! in character. Up to that point they gave ground rapidly before the enemy, but now they are grimly contesting every yard. In days furious lighting they havo lost, it is true, a section of the eastern bank of the San, but elsewhere they have gained ground, and it is perfectly reasonable to hope that in tie shock of this great impact the German offensive w'ill expend its force, without attaining its ultimate objective, as every German offensive against the Russians has done up to the time. Already tnere are suggestions that the Germans are finding it difficult to maintain a full tide of munitions and other vital over the long lines of communication which now Btretch Behind their attacking armies, and the suggestions are strictly reasonable.

Another factor no less important is the heavy sacrifice of life which invariably attends a German offensive. It is estimated by the Russians that in the first three days' fighting on the Dunajec, where tho Germa-n offensive opened, their own casualties totalled 26,000 and those of tho Germans 60,000. There is no reason to question the general accuracy of the estimate, for careful' based upon the best available evidence, havo repeatedly discovered equally disproportionate German losses in both the main theatres. It is not denied that the_ Germans and their Austrian allies are still subjecting the Russian line in Galicia to a tremendously heavy strain, but it must he equally true that an even heavier strain is involved in maintaining the attack and a cost in lives which the Germans and Austrians can illafford. Ground lost or gained counts in itself for comparatively little in a war of this kind. Tho Russians have lost a great deal of ground during the last three weeks, but their fighting powers apparently are not impaired, nor is there any indication that they are likely to be. Winning west of Warsaw, tho Germans would have obtained such a hold upon the Polish railways as must have paralysed the Russian campaign. Even if they dislodge the Russians from the San tney waT achieve no such decisive result, and will still have to look forward to a series of great battles. The Russians meantime are pursuing their immediate object—that of killing and disabling the greatest possible number of the enemy's troops at the least possible cost to themselves —even more actively than when they wore assaulting the Carpathian line and- maintaining a stationary front opposite Cracow and Silesia. In addition, by drawing powerful German forces so far from their base, they are assisting to create circumstances exceptionally favourable to a decisive blow by the Western Allies. There will indeed be some, ground for misgiving if the German offensive in Galicia does hot shortly draw an appropriate retort on the opposite front.

No one will pretend that the responsible authorities entrusted with the conduct of a great war should be immune from legitimate criticism, and it is undoubtedly true that some of the criticism levelled at the Imperial Government since the present war began has been fully justified, and has served a useful purpose in tending to produce increased efficiency. On available information, however, no such justification can be offered for the scare-mongering attacks mado by the Daily Mail and other newspapers of the Harmsworth group upon the Imperial Government, and particularly upon Lord Kitchener in his capacity as Secretary for War. In the messages so far received the strictures of the Daily Mail have cither been omitted or credited in error to another newspaper, but the general character, of the attacks is made sufficiently plain. Messages during the last few days have also shown that a leading part in the campaign of detraction has been played by tne London Times, another newspaper of the Harjiswortii group, which was formerly regarded as setting standards of journalism, not only for the British Empire, but for the whole world, but has lost that character since it passed into the hands of its present proprietors. In so far as they are disclosed, the attacks upon Lord Kitchener and the Imperial Government are at once so vague and so ill-supported as to suggest that they must have been inspired by some very different motive than T a reasonable regard for the public interest. Political or personal animosity perhaps provides the key to the situation.

The newspapers, which Save passed general strictures upon the Imperial Government and displayed such assurance in questioning Lord Kitchener's qualifications, co not seem to have brought to light any facts calculated to improve the efficiency of the national organisation for war. But in sofar as they have sucoecded in creating an impression that discord and inefficiency exist . where efficiency and unity should obtain, they have painted a picture of which the enemy will undoubtedly make full use, and to that extent they have rendered the enemy a service which will perhaps earn his gratitude. It has not been concealed that a situation has arisen at the Admiralty which necessitates an adjustment of control, but leaders and members of the normally opposed political parties are working so loyally to remedy this difficulty, and also to constitute a stvong National Government, which will bring the best governmental talent of the nation into lino, that there is no reason to fear that the interests of the Empire will suffer. At such a time as this to spread alarmist and unfounded stories regarding the of the war and to cast doubts upon the capacity of the Secretary for War cannot bo too ~bU'tmgly coudomned. If anything

were needed to show how little the campaign was justified it would be found in the storm of reprobation which it has provoked in Great Britain.

Lord Kitchener, at all events, has not lacked defenders, and prominent among them must be numbered Post ; a political opponent and honest critic of the Government, This journal dismisses as unfounded the assertion of its scare-mongering contemporaries that Lord Kitchener will starve the Army of high explosives, and no doubt there is as little foundation for the rest of the so-called criticism they have trumped up for sensationmaking purposes. Nothing is more certain than that Lord Kitchener commands the confidence and support of the nation in his supremely arduous and responsible work. Tested heavily as it. has already been that confidence has proved to'bc not misplaceci. Under his administration the British forces in the main theatre and in other campaigns have put up a record of successful resist-' ance against odds, and bold attacks crowncd with victory, which already makes the story of this war the proudest chaptcr in British military annals.

No very startling development appears to have_ occurred during the last few days in Northern France, north and south of La Bassee, but both British and French nave made some further progress, and all progress against the strong defensive chain established by the Germans in this region must be regarded as important. The French have had a notable success in capturing the last spur of a hill at Notre Dame de. Lorette (north of Arras) so obtaining complete possession of a commanding position which the Germans have tenaciously defended for six months past. In Flanders German attacks on the Allied line have not ceased, but the fighting in {hat region has dropped considerably in the scale of magnitude. A decisive local engagement was fought on Thursday, on the eastern side of the Yser Canal, north of Yprcs. Attacking at night the Germans at first i penetrated the French lines, but were afterwards driven out. They lost j 500 dead and )!50 prisoners, so that in this one Bootless attaclc their total casualties must probably have totalled over two thousand.

The principal news from the Dardanelles is of a considerable battle which arose from determined Turkish attacks upon the lines of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps inland from Gaba Tepc, Little more is told about the battle than that the Turkish . casualties numbered 7000 (including 2000 killed), and those of the colonial forces 500. This is official news. A Greek message speaks of an engagement "near the neck of the peninsula," in whioh the Allies were supported by the guns of the Queen Elizabeth, while the Goeben, in the Sea of Marmora, supported the Turks. Strictly speaking, the neck of the peninsula is the Isthmus of Bulair,, cut tjie message possibly refers to the battle in which the Australians and New Zealanders were engaged since they are posted upon another neck of the peninsula extending from Gaba Tepe to Maidos. The G6eben, in that case, would be nearly thirty miles away in the Sea of Marmora and out of range,_ but she may have ventured some distance down the Dardanelles. In the southern area of the peninsula the Brifijh and French forces have joined hands and made a considerable advance, but from the fact that the point reached is not named, it may be assumed that Achi Baba, the present main objective, was still in the bands of the Turks when the official message was dispatched, in the middle of last week.

* * . * . • Active enterprise is still being displayed by the Russian fleet in the Black Sea, It is reported to-day that on Thursday it covered the landing of troops east of Eregli (on the coast of Asia Minor, about 130 miles east of the Bosphoriis). Landing and loading places were destroyed, the point of attack probably being a coal port.

News that the officers and men of submarine El 4 have been decorated (the commancfer with the Victoria Cross) for gallantry in destroying Turkish gunboats and a transport recalls the fate of the Australian submarine AE2, which was the consort of El 4 in her bold dash through the Turkish mine-fields. lie cent messages stated that both craft had raided info tho Sea of Marmora, but while El 4 has emerged, scat-bless AE2, facing tho same risks, perished witli_ the loss of a considerable proportion of her crew.