PROGRESS OF THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2482, 8 June 1915, Page 4

PROGRESS OF THE WAR

♦ It is rather surprising l.linl, Urn Western Allies not. a I. Mic inoMiuiil, pursuing « I" 1 "' 1 ' active inpaign with ii view In relieving l.|i« liard-prcsscd Russians on llie o)ipiisitc front. I'lvery Ueruian nfl'ml, in onft locality represents an opportunity fill' a i;';ilnloi'-:ilrol<e in aiiollter, nncl' t.ho outpouring of (icnnini c.t.ronßtli in Oalirin durina tlio pm-t •uonth hat undoubtedly, been caw-

mous. As yet, so far as our news shows, the Western Allies can hardly be said to have exploited the potential opportunity thus affordod. The offensive in Northern France continues —some fisrthor French successes are recorded to-day—but although it entails fierce and deadly lighting it cannot be compared to tho terrible conflict raging in Gahcia. Lately it has shown a tendency to settle clown into a steady-going routine of compact local actions and assaults at various points on tho twenty-five mile front from Arras to Flanders, accompanied, of course, by fairly continuous artillery activity on both sides. During the last week or two German countor-iittiicks h&vc figured almost as prominently in the dispatches from the front as the persisted Anglo-French assault by which they arc provoked. It is likely enough that these conditions as far as they go represent a satisfactory continuation and development of the war of attrition, and that tho wear and tear of the continuous battle is imposing a more serious drain upon German strength and re-' sources than upon those of the Allies. It is less easy to believe that this steady-going offensive in Northern France represents tho maximum effort possible by the Western Allies at the present stage of operations. The figures quoted by Mn. Lloyd Geoege a couple of months ago regarding the British output or war munitions—showing that production was increasing very rapidly—and what is known of French production and resources, equally justify a belief that the Allies are capable of action on a much more ambitious scale. It must be supposed that in the ruling conditions for a good many weekfe past they have been working so well within the margin of their resources that they must have accumulated, considerable reserves of ammunition and other military material. It has been wisely said that in war prophecy and prediction are vain, but there is some reason to believe that in the Western theatre matters are ripening for such an assault on the Qerman frpnt as it has not yet sustained. The possibility is not invalidated by the more or less vague indications' now current that the Germans contemplate a renewed activity in Flanders. Probably' tho 1 Allied Commanders would heartily welcome such a development, for the Germans are wasteful in attack,_ and an attempt to repeat their Galician \ performance in the West, though it might postpone a big development of the Allied offensive, would not be likely in the end to prevent it. * * * Various reflections may be aroused by the 'Petrograd statement that a shortage of munitions, emphasised , in the fall of Przemysl, imposes J upon the Russian armies the necessity of standing upon the defensive ! until the shortage is relieved. Tho ■ most important should be a firm de- I termination in Britain and France to spare no effort to relieve the ne- i cessities- of Russia. The Russian 1 announcement is a striking product ! of tho new policy, now coming into : favour also in Great Britain, of ■ permitting the public to view the : less agreeable aspects of the war. It ! is possible that this policy of frank 1 disclosures, wisely developed, may ' delude and mislead the enemy much more effectively, than any policy of ' secrecy. At all events, , applied to 1 nations sound at heart, it calls into I play forces of enthusiasm and deter- - initiation, with an all-important bearing upon production for mili- _ tary purposes and upon recruiting, ' which the enemy will find it exceed- ! ingly difficult to estimate with any : degree of accuracy. The policy of ' taking the blinkers off has been ' strenuously advocated in Great Bri- ' tain since the war began, and it cannot be doubted that the results of its ' adoption will be good. * * * * ; Accepting tha Russian statement about munitions and the inability 1 of native industries to fully meet ! the demand as an admission after ; the event it is probable that the actual state of the Russian armies is ! by no means so desperate as the enemy may , perhaps be encouraged by the admission to hope. Handicapped as they are by inadequate ' equipment the Russian armies ha?o ' successfully resisted their well-pro-vided enemy during: ten months of ; war. In that period they have fought a long series of battles, some ' of them the most desperate of the whole war. The result for the Russians has often been local defeat, but " in the aggregate they are as far from being defeated as ever. Their west- 1 era territory is invaded, but they havo conducted a great invasion in ' t.heir turn, and even at this stage in the Austro-German drive in Galicia the Russians still hold some nine thousand square miles of that province and seem to be in no immediate danger of being driven back into their own territory. Already the Austro-German armies assailing the Russians in Galieia are operating with enormously extended lines of communication. With each further advance this disability and the resultant problems of transport will be accentuated. Any attempt to merely hold the Russians under these conditions would rest at best on a precarious foundation, and the resultant situatiou would be equally favourable to Russian activity in other sections of tho front and to Allied activity in tho theatre. * # * * Late details of the fighting in' Galicia indicate that the Russians have distinctly improved their position. Their forward movement on | the northern reach of the San towards its junction with tho Vistula, has mado some hoadway. A German forco in this locality was compelled to fall back a distance of eight miles towards the River Leg (on tho west) in order to assist a body of Austi'ians hard pressed by the Russian attack) apparently further to the south, anil was subsequently beaten off in a series of night attacks. I Some of the reported movements a.re diliicuit to follow on account of the mention of obscure. place names, but the Russians appear to have gained ground in Northern Galieia, both on the west bank of the San and further south, where the Germans are . entrenched ou the eastern hank of the river. Strenuous German attacks further east, towards the 1 Dniester, have also been driven back for the time being. Good news is irjven also of the campaign ill Bukowiiui, whero (.he I'ussians are again pressing forward, and havo crossed l.lie iliver Pruth towards the western ..ml of the erownlaud. a * * * l.irn.H is added tn-diiy to the official aiyoiuil'i of I'lits general assault upon the Turkish positions at the l/imliiiielki, luit messages from corii',spiindents mention, amongst other things, that British submarines have swept shipping frum the Sea of Marinoni, adding considerably to (he ditlieullies of the Turks in transriovt.iutf rt\infttiwu4nl& flijd euppiiefc to tho'GaliiDoli Peninsula.

The Anglo-Indian force operating at tho head of the Persian Gulf is evidently pressing the campaign with vigour. It lias now reached Aniarah, a town on the Tigris, IGO miles from the head of the gulf, and more than 60 miles beyond ICurna, where the Turks wero heavily defeated a few days ago. Further important captures of troops, transport, and material havo been made, the captures apparently including the wholo advance guard of the Turkish force, with its artillery and transport. * * * # After two weeks of war the Italian campaigns are still in an opening stage, which may be described meantime as auspicious. All round tho northern and north-eastern frontiers from Switzerland to the Adriatic the armies of Italy have pressed a little way into Austrian territory, iu some places battering down the Austrian frontier forts. Tho Austrians, however, are still everywhere secure behind their main fortified lines, unless towards the ■ northern end of the eastern front, which covers the approach to Istria. The Italians lately reported that they had crossed the Isonzo Iliver at Monte Nero, about 35 miles north of the Gulf of Trieste, and established themselves on a summit and slopes on the eastern bank. To-day an unofficial message states that an important battio has been raging since Thursday for the possession of Tolmein, a town, also on the eastern ] bank of the Isonzo, a few miles south of Monte Nero. It is added that the battle is progressing in fav- ' our of tho Italians This might ! imply, that the latter have crossed : the river at Tolmein as well as at Monte Nero, but a fact so important ' is not established by an unofficial • report. The fa-ctor which will very ■ largely determine the character of i the Italian campaigns in the near future is the strength that Germany : is able to throw into the scale. _ If [ Germany pours strong armies into the Trentino and assumes the offen- , sive, Italy will have to fight hard ] for the northern provinces, and , until the Austro-German invasion is , repelled her eastern campaign will ; be seriously obstructed, if not para- i lysed. On the other hand, if tho ] enemy elect to stand on the defensive in the Trentino, it shonld not I be impossible for the Italian armies ! to break through the Austro-German line on the Isonzo River and proceed ! to occupy Istria and lay siege to j Trieste and Pola. Upon this enter- j prise they are concentrating at the moment, but no doubt they are doing it with a watchful eye upon the Austro-German forces ill the Trentino. * * * * Though the Austro-Germans have been content so far to stand upon the defensive, it does not follow that they intend to adhere to this policy. For them the Trentino is an open gate into Italian territory; for the Italians the mountain frontier of thp | province is a barrier which they can ' sparcely hone.to carry by an imme- i diate assault. In the tentative open- \ ing operation of the campaigns' the initiative has been taken by the Ital- j ians, but so long as they hold the ! strong southern frontier of the Tren- < tino the real initiative rests with i the Germanic Allies. The Austro- i German decision is likely to be gov- i erned not so much by local consider- c ations as by considerations of wide < scope affecting the war as a whole. ' If they had to deal with Italy alone J they would _ unquestionably choose ' the alternative of aggressive action, ' and an invasiou from the Trentino | would follow as a matter of course. But they are verv far from being in t this happy position. Germany has a not yet succeeded in securely pen- r ning up the Russian armies even in Galicia, and sho has to reckon upon j the possibility of an, anti-German c Balkan League, involving a Rurnan- r ian invasion of Hungary. In the ( Western theatre she is confronted by c dangers not yet measured. lii the 1 circumstances she may very well s hesitate to detach the forces that < would be required to press an inva- < sion of Italy. I * * # * i Even opponents and critics of 4 Mr. Winston Churchill—a Numerous band—will be constrained'to ad- ( mit that he has stepped down from i the high office of First Lord of the t Admiralty without loss of dignity. < The speech in which he has sighalis- 1 ed his reduction meantime to a Ministerial position of minor importance was in some respects masterly and in none petty. Reserving" his own defence for a future time, ho set himself to checr on the nation in tbe prosecution of the war with an enthusiasm as hearty as if he still remained at the head of' the great Department which he has done so much, to keen efficient. It was only in claiming tnatthe Navy was splendidly efficient that Mn. Ohukchill struck anything resembling a personal note, and here he was fully entitled to do it, When all is said that can be said about the naval expedition to Antwerp and the attempt to force the Dardanelles by naval power alone, it must be admitted that as the political head of tho Admiralty Mr. Churchill ha-s a fine record of good service to his credit. His best defence when controversies now set aside come to be threshed out in future will be the state and readiness of the Navy at the outbreak of war. Meantime it stands undisputed that Mr. Churchill throughout his administration of the Admiralty was the able and constant champion of the strong Navy which the present crueial test has shown to be vital to the existence of the Empire. He upheld and defended the ideal of k powerful Fleet against opposition that often threatened to become overwhelming, and with final results that " give more than jesting value to his own quip, that the German Navy is ; a luxury.