PROGRESS OF THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2515, 17 July 1915, Page 4

PROGRESS OF THE WAR

— 6 An important development in the French operations in Alsace is reported to-day. As the result of a dashing attack, and tactical movements which threatened to outflank the enemy, the Germans were compelled to evacuate Metzeral and abandon Sondernaeh, leaving the French in possession of a mile of iiew front. Metzeral has been most stubbornly defended by the Germans for a long time past. It is only three miles _ from Munster, an important junction on one of the only three trunk lines which run from Germany into France, across the frontier from .Strasburg down to Belfort, the other two being the line, from Strasburg, via Zabem, Saar-bu-rg to Luneville, and the line from Mulhausen via Altkirch to Belfort. There aro dozens of .railway lines running towards the mountain barrier of the Vosges from Germany in the east and from France in tho west, but all appear to stop short at the range, and frora their appearance were brought into existence largely for military, reasons. The trunk lines aro important for communications ' and supplies. The seizure of tho Metzeral-Soiidernach front therefore is an important phase of the operations on Oolmar, about fifteen miles i;o the north-east. The French have now to hold the front so brilliantly won, and we may expect to hear of desperate German counter-attacks in this region in the near future. # « . .* #. The splendid resiliency of Russia is again indicated this morning in the message of the Minister of Agriculturo respecting tie harvest. It is indeed satisfactory to .hear of tho magnificent harvest that has been reaped by our Ally even while the war was at its but what is still more gratifying is the high and buoyant spirit disclosed under the heavy burden of recent losses and reverses. Russia,. we are told, is ready to continue the struggle for years, and is able also to provide any necessary reserves for the Armies of her Allies. Could anything be finer than this confident outlook on the future in face of tho trials and difficulties of to-day? Tho latest news from Petrograd regarding operations in the field is still somewhat dubious. A German report claims tho capture of Prasnyz, in Northern Poland. There had been fierce fight ing here some we;ks ago, and the Germans were thin routed and driven back to the East Prussian frontier. Now if they are to be believed the movement against Warsaw l;orn the North-west has been recommenced, and has advanced' almost to the extremo limit of the point at which it was ohecked some months ago. Until we have definite new 3 from Petrograd, the situation is likely to oause uneasiness.

The recent successes of tho AustroGerman forces in Galicia are stated to have encouraged the Young Turks to decline to make adequate.concessions to Bulgaria, and_ negotiations between the two countries have been broken off. This makes pleasant on'ough reading from one point of view. A rupture between Bulgaria and Turkey is what the _ Entente Powers have hoped for. Little confirmation of this, however, is to be found in a late message, which states that the Turks are hurriedly transporting troops along.the Adrian'opleConstantinople line for tho reinforcement of the forces on the Gallipoli Peninsula. If Turkey were on the eve.of a rupture with Bulgaria she would hardly weaken her forces stationed near Adrianople, for that is the direction in which sho would have to look for attack from Bulgaria. Moreover, if Bulgaria came into tlio struggle Rumania would probably follow, and there would bo another enemy on the northern frontier of Turkey. Tho removal of troops from Adrianople certainly might mean the abandonment of the city and country surrounding, with tho intention of retiring on the Chatalja lines, and making a last dosperatc stand in defence of Constantinople. This has been hinted at before, but it would practically mean the end of Turkey in Europe. What seems moro likely at the moment is that the Turks believe they liavo no immediate occasion; to fear Bulgaria iu)d l,i.|iiniin(H| which rcbjvw li wy

Expert opinion on the value of the German oilicial communiques, especially those relating to tho operations on tho two main theatres of tho war, has in the past credited the authors with a general regard for the truth. _ To-day, the French AVar Staff officially challenges the accuracy of one of their 'recent communiques, and this is the second official contradiction within a comparatively recent period. Of course thei'e are always two ways of regarding an incident on the battlefield. What one belligerent would describo as a strategic retirement, his opponent would extol as a defeat, but the discrepancy between the French and tho German communiques in regard to tho operations iii dispute amount to far more than that.' For • example : The_ Germans, referring to their operations at Souchez, asserted that they had pushed on 650 yards beyond tho Cemetery, and captured the Cabaret-Rouge, taking 218 prisoners; in the Bois-le-Pretre region they claimed that four French attacks had collapsed with great loss. Tho French Staff gives the lie direct to both assertions. "It is untruo," they say, "that the Germans captured the Cabaret Eouge, and it is also untruo that they repulsed us at Bois le Pretrc. We repulsed them." Inaccuracies of this kind cannot be described as a belligerent's point, of view; they are gross distortions, circulated with intent to deceive— whom? The German public, and those neutral States whose vacillating war policies are keeping the diplomats in tho Balkans awake at nights.' Apparently, both tho .German piiblic and the neutral Balkans have been promised a decisive str.oke in the West, but its fulfilment has not yet begun to materialise. Hence the comviuniques. It is on the whole a bad sign from the German point of view. •

The announcement that the 'Austrian Government has handed the United States Ambassador at Vienna a Note to his Government, calling the hitter's attention to the" large supplies of munitions which arc being sent to Britain and her Allies, while Austria and' Germany are completely cut off, raises an involuntary smile, not only at the futility of the protest, but at the obvious push behind it. Both Austria and Germany would bo very glad indeed fo> give a blank chcque to the American munitions factories ' for war material, and the one thing that prevents thera from doing so is the British naval blockade. Howover,'this aspect of the question has already, been sufficiently stressed. The new factor in the situation is the appearance of Austria in the role .of complainant. For ten long weary months she has suffered', in company with Germany, from the disabilities of which she now complains. Why has this protest so long been deferred 1 A • protest so vain and so long-delayed' invites suspicion. It is not unreasonable to suspect that Germany has put Austria up to it. Germany has gone as far as she dares in the direction of irritating the American nation—as witness ner apology for her attack on the Nebraskan—and has now arranged for her Ally to fire her bullets. This seems to be the long" and short of the matter. e » # K If American .newspaper opinions are any real test pf American public opinion it is not difficult to' understand why the Austro-Gcrman. Alliance is anxious concerning the neutrality of the United States. With what sort of feelings,would tho Kaiser and his intimates read the following brief but emphatic leading article from the Courier Journal of Louisville: Tho Herr Doctor Derhburg's room is better'than' liis company. If an honest man ho was a most mistaken man; if merely an organiser of the German Colony in America and an ngerit of tho Ger-' man Spy System, he was the enemy, not tho friend, of his countrymen in America. ■ He could help no cause. He has. preatly hurt' the cause of Germany, let him go and ho damn'd to him, and .now, as ever, to Hell with the Hohenzollern and the Hapshurg! The London Times, in republishing the article, described it as "a. mpdel of style, ■ compression, and 'fierce neutrality.'" We might add that it expresses, with much force some .very widely, held sentiments. 1