PROGRESS OF THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2589, 11 October 1915, Page 4

PROGRESS OF THE WAR

It is no longer in doubt that.tho Austro-Germans have definitely embarked upon their long-threatened invasion oi Serbia. On the northern frontier they have forced tie passage of the Danube at Belgrade, and gained a footing on the south bank of the Save at several points further, west. They claim also that they have crossed the River Drina, which follows the north-western frontier of Serbia, but of this development Serbian reports so far received make no mention, This apart, German and Austrian messages in hand differ from those ■ of Serbian origin only in matters of detail and in regard to the progress made by the enemy. Tho essential -fact is established that the invaders have forced the Save and the Danube at various points along a distance of at least sixty miles and possibly on a considerably more extended front. Serbian reports, while admitting the penetration of the rivor lines, indicate that .the attackers suffered heavy loss, notably in the crossing at Belgrade, which is situated at the junction of the Save and the Danube. It is stated that the enemy advance guard at this point was partly destroyed and partly captured. ' The Serbians further report that enemy forces which passed'the Save were at several points, pinned to the southern bank: and suffered enormous loss, and that the struggle continues at other crossings. A German official messago, whioh states that the greater part of Belgrade has been taken andHhat the Serbians are retreating south, may seem to oarry an internal element of contradiction, but it is quite; probable that as a w ; hole the resistance offered'by the 'Serbians on their river frontiers is in the nature of rearguard fighting, and that it is their immediate aim rather, tp inflict disproportionate loss upon the enemy than to arrest his progress. ■_ The principal reason for entertaining this opinion is that the country adjacent ; to ; the frontier rivers is less adapted to a. sound defence than the mountainous country further inland in which the last Austrian invasion spent its force until it was rolled back in disaster.

Though the conditions of the present campaign differ materially from those' of the lafei invasion—notably as regards the presence'of German' troops in the invading army and the attitude of Bulgariathere is weight in the suggestion made the other day... in a London message that the Serbians are likely to take their stand on the lines' where they inflicted signal defeat on the Austrians nearly- a year ago. The Serbian . strategy in that campaign was admirably, adapted to the configuration of the country. Nearly the whole of Serbia is mountainous, but there" is a narrow strip of plain about thirty, miles in length ;vlongtho Drina, at tho northern end of the western frontier, and a,strip of similar country extends along the northern frontier, on the southbanks of the_ Save and the. Danube. This low-lying area is more or less broken ■ but much of it presents few obstacles to the passage of an army. "Behind tho belt of plain are foothills rising into the mountains, which fill most of the remaining area of the coiin--try. Tho railways follow the river valleys, the most important of all running down the valley of , the Morave to Nish (125 miles southeast of Belgrade), where it branohes. One line from Nish reaches Salonika by way of tho Vardar Valley, another runs south-east to the capital of Bulgaria, and ultimately to Constantinople,. and ! another runs up to the' north-west-em extremity of Bulgaria. The easiest approach to Nish from north is along the Moravo Valley with its main railway, but an army using this' route has to mako provision against tho danger of a flank attack by - Serbian forces advancing' through thfl mountain yalleys and passes on tho west. Meeting these conditions . last , year the Aus'trians attempted an enveloping attack from the,Drina, while their main body advanced south through the wide area- of hill and mountain country west of the Morave Valley. The campaign lasted from September until December, and its results are now familiar. The Serbians gave ground, to an extent before the Aus-. trian assault on the Hno of the Drina and also in the hills south of the Save and Danube. .The beginning of December found ajn Austrian force in position east of the Drina, and the main body opposed to the Serbian forces posted _on a precipitous mountain ridge, which stretches across country we§t of the Morave and at a distance of from twenty to forty miles to the south of the irregular northern frontier. *:# ' * *

In the Battle of the Ridges which followed, the Austrians fared ill. Their attacks upon the Serbian positions completely broks down, and the Serbian counter-stroke was overwhelming. Not many days had passed before the remnants of.the invading armies were in full flight across fcno river frontiers, and their losses amounted to not less than 80,000 men. Had the Serbs attempted in the first instance to hold these frontiers on the comparatively easy hill country in rear,' the outcome of the campaign would in all likelihood have been much less satisfactory. They were opposed to an enemy vastly better equipped, and the Austrians had probably at all times a- considerable advantage of numbers, though -General Potiorek (the Austrian Commander), before .t.lio Battle of the Ridges was fought, most unwisely " detaohed : about a third of his original force of some 300,000 men to reinforce tho armies fighting the Russians in the Car- ' # „

The magnificent success achieved by the Serbians last year must be attributed very largely to the manner in whioh they wisely reserved their strength until 1 they were in a position to use it with maximum effect."'■ In the campaign which has now .taken definite/ they are apparently pursuing a similar policy to the extent at least of giVing ground on their frontiers and falling back upon the much more easilydefended country in rear. The beginning of the Serbian retreat almost at the first impact of the Ausfcro-German assault is thus not necessarily rin unfavourable, sign, Wavnscl by ■ !<he. mwW® ~,fl Wis Austrian, % alto

be expected to bring a * powerful force to bear, but the Serbians are in much better condition to meet attack than they were at the end of last year. Their army is probably as strong as it was then in point of numbers, and very much better off in the matter of equipment. It is an array of whioh much may be expected.

A great deal will, of course, depend upon the new factors which have developed ill the Balkan .'situation since Serbia tidied conclusions with Austria, but these factors are not all unfavourable to the gallant little country which has put up such a splendid fight for life. The hostile attitude of Bulgaria' implies a standing danger that Serbia may be attacked from the east as well as by the Austro-Germans from the north and west, but this danger may yet bs neutralised. Reports in hand put the strength of the Entente force so far landed at Salonika at only 32,000 but it is stated that the landing is still in progress, and presumably the number named represents only a small proportion of the Entente force that will |io thrown into the .Balkans. From the Entente point of view;-the position will be unsound until such a force has been assembled in the Balkans as, with tho Serbian : Anny, will more than balance the combined strength of the AustroGerman Army of invasion and that of Bulgaria. Current reports about Greece take an optimistic tone. .It is stated that tho new Government; [does not resist tho operations of tho Entente in Greek territory, and that Greece will attack Bulgaria if the latter attacks Serbia. If these reports are reliable the problem of providing a sufficient force to overcome the German combination will be made much easier of- solution, but tho more fact that a Prime Minister known to be strongly inclined towards the Entente has been displaced from office in .Greece warrants a certain amount of suspicion.

■Present indications arc that in the main Greece will carry out her obligations to her ally, but the reported movement of Bulgarian troops from the- Greek to the Serbian frontier is possibly to be regarded as,throwing some suspicion upon Greece. The question will s only be put finally to the test when Bulgaria takes the decisive action from which she has so far refrained. It is reported to-day. that Bulgarian irregulars < made an. abortive attempt on the main railway from Greece to Serbia, but at time of writing there is no other news of any Bulgarian attack, though the effect-of the news generally is to suggest that a Bulgarian attack on Serbia is not likely to btf long delayed. It is noteworthy that_ Rumania is reported to have again refused to accedo to an Austro-Ger-ir.an demand that she should permit' the -passage of munitions to Turkey. Whether or not Rumania'intends to join forces with the Entente, there seems to bo little danger of her making common cause with tho AustroGermans. , . ■ ■'* * * . * News in hand concerning the two main theatres is uniformly good. In the Western theatre the Allies have ga'ined ground and\repulsed attacks with such exceptionally: heavy loss to the-enemy that strong emphasis is laid upon the fact in the official reports. In these. conflicts the Germans have sacrificed great waves and columns of men without recovering a yard of. tl)© ground they have lost. Instead, their front has been further penetrated." South of La Bassee the British during the last fqw days have pressed forward-for a distance of from*soo to 1000 yards. The French also have made further headway in the Champagne. It is the- happiest feature of the - report made by Sill John French that ho, is ablo to state that British losses, have been slight during tho period since October 4, in which .powerful enemy counterattacks have been repeatedly defeated with slaughter..

Encouraging accounts are given also of the Eastern campaign. So far as the northern section of the front is concerned the Eetrograd official report.indicates'that the Russians are at length able to cope with a pbwerful German offensive upon terms at least of equality. The Germans have to all appcarance been making unspai'ing efforts break the Russian line on the Dwina for weeks past, and. their progress is imperceptible. The circumstances go to support an opinion that the conditions of the campaign are being revolutionised by a steady increase in the tide of Russian supplies.