PROGRESS OF THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2476, 1 June 1915, Page 4

PROGRESS OF THE WAR

Verv profound and far-reaching considerations arc iivolved in the reported intention of Germany to proclaim the annexation of Belgium as from May 5. This was reported on May 8, and it is rather surprising that nothing has been heard from Holland regarding the matter until to-.day, when a statement by tho Dutch 'newspaper Ilandchblntt appears. The IJanddMatt says that if Germany annexes Belgium during the war, Holland would regard this action as a casus belli, inasmuch as the act of annexation would extinguish Holland's independence. Without going into involved questions of international law, any thinking peison can see that there is to Germany something very much more valuable than simple possession of territory, in a change of status in Belgium from an occupier to that of an owner, even if that ownership be self-asserted, and temporary. 'The German occupation of Belgium does not imply the exercise of sovereign rights such as, for example, would affect such questions as the navigation of the Scheldt. Tho presumption of sovereign rights by Germany—which rights would be conferred by annexation—would, of course, be disputed, but even the temporary assumption of possession would place Holland at a disadvantage on the Scheldt, and tender it difficult for her to dispute any violation of her neutrality. The Scheldt flows through France and Belgium, and enters the sea through a Dutch province. Germany's right to use the river to the extent to which Belgium used it under treaty could only be conferred by the annexation of that country and the assumption of her rights. This means that Germany would have accc*s from Belgium to the jSiorth Sea. by wav of the Scheldt. It would give her sea access to Antwerp and a protected naval base for her submarines and small craft. Holland is not likely to look calmly upon an act of annexation, not endorsed by treaty, which would enable Germany to claim, and for the time being, to enforce, those rights. * * * *

ReqardED only from the standpoint of ground gained and the rate of advance per day, the Allied offensive in Northern France is a comparatively humdrum affair. In a fortnight s fighting on the four-mile front from La Bassee to Neuve Chapelle, the British have forced tho Germans back for a distance of about a mile, and are still slowly gaining ground. French forces further south, probably considerably more numerous, have made a similar advance on a' somewhat more extended front. Looking only at the area, won this is only one degree removed from the slow deadlock of the winter months. But it has to be remembered always that the Germans are being attacked here on one of the strongest sections of their front, consisting not merely of strong entrenchments, but of a series of fortified positions intended to rcsis„ every possible attack. _ The Allies have attempted nothing in the shape of a grand assault, but in weeks of unceasing attack they have none the less demonstrated their superiority over the enemy. Fighting in their selected defensive positions, and with all their resources at ready call, the Germans have been unable to withstand the constant wearing pressure to which they have been subjected. They havo been defeated in numerous local engagements, dislodged from a number of fortified villages and other strongholds, and provoked repeatedly into launching the wasteful counter-attacks which assist so greatly to make their normal casualtyrate so much larger than that of the Allies.

Having accomplished so much, the Allies could no doubt have accomplished a great deal more if they had cared to pay the price. Heading the stories that arc coming through of the prowess of French and British soldiers in 'the battles of the past few weeks, it can hardly be doubted that by the necessary concentration of guns and troops tho Allies could at any time pierce the German line. That 'such an enterprise has not yet been attempted is probably due 1 to the fact that tho Allies can hettcv afford tlian their enemy to play a, waiting game. It has by this time been made fairly plain tliat the Western Allies aim at. accomplishing tho defeat of the German armies not by any sudden stroke of battle but by the working out of ,1 comprehensive policv which takes effect meantime in building up their own strength and wearing down the strength of tho enemy. Reccnt cableprams have indicated that there is dissatisfaction in some'quarters at tho' slow progress of the Allies in ■Northern France, and that the critics in question regard the offensive as a poor substitute for what should have been a decisive assault upon the German line. Confessedly or otherwise, however, this criticism is directed, not at the praiseworthy achievements of the Allied armies, but at the deliberately adopted policy of their commanders. Long ago official French communications stated in so many words that the grand offensive would be opened only after every possible preparation had been made, and with this attitude the British CoMMAX-Dsn-iKi-CinEF is no doubt in full sympathy. The offensive in Northern France is of very great importance in itself, but the culminating effort of thc_ Allies may still be comparatively distant.

Further light upon the battle in Galicia shows a position if anything improved from the Russian point of view. As things stood when the situation was touched upon yesterday, the Russians were gravely menaced immediately north and immediately south-east of Pnctuyslj they had' heavily defeated the enemy on the banks of the San in Northern Galicia (oO miles north of Pnemysl) and were holding their own on the long front which extends east and south towards Bulcowina, except near its junction with the outer Pr;:emvsl defences. lhe German offensive showed'a distinct tendency to narrow down into an attempt to encircle Prxemysl on the north and "on the south. ' In later messages (some 01 them published yesterday) this tendency is confirmed and cmpliasied, but with the gratifying addition thai the formidable AnstroGennan assault mouth-east of Pn.emvsl has been rolled hack with hcavv iusws to .'.lie enemy. The

I position to the north, where the Austro-Germans on the eastern bank [of the San are striking south and east from Eadymna (10 miles north of _ Przeniysl) remains uncertain. This is the danger-point for the time being. Up to (he present the Russians have found it impossible to effectively ward off the smashing assaults of the Austro-German artillery and massed columns on this section of the front. Evidently they are giving way very slowly, but unless they can hold their ground north of Przeniysl their victories further north, and to the southeast, of the fortress, will hardly avail to finally stay the progress of the Austro-German drive. A Berlin official account, states that the Gdrman troops are drawing nearer to the north front of Przeniysl, and so far as the Russian messages deal with the subject they confirm this claim.

Except on this gravely threatened 1 section of their front the Russians - appear to be everywhere either liold- . ing their own or gaining the upper 1 hand. There is no news of further e fighting 011 the lower (northern) • reaches of the San, towards the Yis--1 tula, bul; besides beating back tho x enemy at Husakow, _ south-east of 1 Przeniysl, the Russians have at--1 tacked further along the front toj wards Bukmvina. They seem to a have been particularly successful in 1 the neighbourhood of Strvj (where, - according to a recent Austrian ac- , count, the Russian line was pierced) j and further south and east. , * * if * While- the fate of Przeniysl hangs ) to some extent in doubt, _ it is beE yond question that in their persisti ent battering assaults upon the Rus--1 sians in Galicia, the Austro-Ger- - mans are pouring out their resources i at a prodigal rate and in a fashion • they should have cause to regret be- ; fore the war is many weeks older. 1 It is certain that their forward i thrust has already lost much of its ; initial impetus.. Concentrating > their forces on the task they may ' succeed in capturing Przcmvsl, and ■ this would no doubt compel the Russ sians to retire a further distance to i the east. This, however, offers 110 • prospect of decisive advantage to the , Germanic allies Each for- ! ward is purchased at the cost of : hard fighting, and their defeat at Sicniawa and on other sections of the front shows that they cannot weaken their' forces at any point save at the imminent lisk of losing the ground they have fought so hard to win. Like the traveller in Goldsmith's poem, the Austro-Gcr-mans are condemned to "drag at each remove a lengthening chain." In their case it is a lengthening chain of communications over which reinforcements, ammunition, ancl supplies, must be transported with ever-increasing difficulty. Meantime the elasticity and vigour _of the Russian resistance show 110 sign of giving out. The armies of the Tsar have been defeated time and again since the Austro-Germans attacked and broke their line in Western Galicia, and they have lost a lot of ground, but they are fighting now as doggedly as ever, and but for their inferiority in artillery would probably long since have rolled their enemy back to his starting point, if not beyond it. It is impossible to predict with confidence that the Russian armies in Galicia will not be defeated again, and lose further ground, before the Austro-German stores of power give out, but there seems'to be no present prospect of their being forccd backto a position where they could be held in helplessness. Until that point is readied, the Austro-Ger-mans in their grand offensive are simply pushing against a spring which will rebound, when the tension is released as it ultimately must be. * * * * A Petkoohad official message, purporting to explain the manoeuvres which resulted from the first definite check offered about ten days ago (on the line of the San) to the Austro-German offensive, falls to some extent short of its purpose. The broad fact is clear, however, that on being checked the AustroGermans narrowed their principal attacking front, and sought by a concentrated battering of the Russian line north and south of Przeniysl to burst through and outflank the armies they could no longer drive bodily before them. It is quite frankly admitted 111 the Russian official account that the issue is still uncertain, though there are "favourable signs"—cbubtless the Russian successes on some portions of the fighting front, which have already been referred to. 'One or two details in the official message give an impressive picture of"the magnitude of the Austro-German effort. For instance, it is stated that hundreds of thousands of infantry and a thousand guns, were employed on a fifteen-mile front north of Przeniysl. Another arresting statement is that some of the German infantry regiments have lost three-quarters of thoir effectives. Estimates of ; the total enemy losses in the Gab- . cian offensive must be received with some doubt, because they are not , likely to have been compiled as yet . with any degree of accuracy, but a - week ago it was estimated that the total had mounted to 200,000. Yi'he- 1 ther or not this is ovor the mark it ' is certain that the Germanic allies l are losing tens of thousands of men, j expending vast quantities of am- . munition, and wearing out hun- , clreds of guns, in ail enterprise that- ] in the cud is likely to profit them 1 very little, and probably will not 111 1 the slightest degree reduce the pres- 1 sure bearing upon them in the 1 Eastern theatre. ! * * * * !

The Italians are reported to be still strengthening their position in Austrian territory the frontiers of the Tvrol and on the approaches to Istria. They claim also some further successes in artillery duels, but their own accounts show that they have not yet' attacked the enemy on his main defensive lines on any section of the front. On the Eastern front, north from the Adri J a,tic, are posted along the east bank of the Isonzo lliver, a few miles iusido their own territory, and in places they still hold positions on the western bank.

As account given by the Paris Temps of a conference of the Young Turk Party, held after Italy's declaration of war, suggests that the sinking of the battleships Triumph and Majestic may have bad more important results in Turkey than even Germany calculated upon. As the story goes, lUxvee Pasha, finding his colleagues inclined to consider the advantages .of submission to the Allies, contended flint Turkey's only salvation was to throw ill her lot with Germany, whose submarines Ivkl considerably embarrassed I lie Allies. If the eonfcrciiw really took place, and this argument was cm-

ployed, the sinking of the British battleships must have made rather a striking sequel. As it is, however, the story rather wears the appearance of having been constructed after the event.