PROGRESS OF THE WAR LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2623, 19 November 1915, Page 4

PROGRESS OF THE WAR

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Even the events bf the Serbian campaign, though it has lost none of its critical features, are overshadowed to-day by serious news regarding Greece. Until recently it has been considered probable that Greece would of her own choice maintain neutrality, and even that she might ultimately throw in her lot with the Entente, but events in Serbia have altered the whole position, and the opinion is now very general that King Uonstantine is merely awaiting a favourable opportunity to follow up one act of treachery by another. Matters taking this turn, t it is the one promising feature in a situation otherwise ominous that tho Entente Powers are apparently discarding the gentle policy they have hitherto pursued in their dealings with the Balkan States, and taking such stern moa-mn-ep with Uveaca ua th« occasion demands. According; fco one bhjss&eo,

I Greece has been definitely warned on behalf of the Entente that the AngloFrench Fleet at Malta will make her pay dearly for any act of treachery, | and it is reported from London that j a stop has been put to the loading of Greek merchantmen at English ports- These measures represent a promising beginning of a more effective policy than the Entente has vet brought to bear upon the complex problems of the Balkans. Well-in-tentioned, but short-sighted diplomacy failed to outweigh German bribery and intrigue in Bulgaria, where a timely application of force might have succeeded. Whether it is too late to make the argument of force tell in Greece time alone will show, but if the existing situation is half as grave as current reports make it appear, no other argument is likely to be of the slightest use.

A retreat into Greece of the SerboAllied forces in Southern Serbia would bring matters immediately to a head, and current news of the campaign certainly does not make the prospect of such a retreat more remote than it has _ lately appeared. It has been recognised for some time —definitely since-Greece withheld the aid she had pledged herself to render to her ally, Serbia—that no final dependence could be placed in the honesty and good faith of King Constantine, but while there was a prospect of the Allied army making good its foothold in Southern Seroia, self-interest appeared to afford a sufficient guarantee that Greece would persevere" in a policy of neutrality. As matters are now developing, there may soon be AustroGcnnans and Bulgarians instead of Entente forces on the northern Greek frontiers, and since the inclinations of t-hi" ruling party in Greece are not in dispute there is no need to em£?ias'se " le S»"avity of the position, rho army is mobilised, and tho present Government is a pliable tool in tho hands of the ICino. Unless there is an unforeseen recovery in the Serbian campaign, the best hope remaining to tho Allies will be that of overawing Greece by the employment of thcil' sea-power.

The threat of naval attack is one which Greece least of all States can afford to disregard. Such- wealth as she owns is concentrated' in the cities and towns around her coasts, and she is thus in the highest degree vulnerable to attack from the sea. King Uonstantine's manifest desire to share the fortunes of his brother-in-law. the Kaiser, is sufficient proof of his belief that the Austro-Germans are destined to_ win the war, but even holding this belief, he cannot ailord to regard with equanimity tli; prospective devastation of the Greek coasts and destruction of Greek sea-borne trade, which treachery to the Entente would presumably involve. However unquestioning his faith in Germany's power on land may be, King Oonstantine is well aware that Germany can render him no aid at sea except by means of her submarines, and German submaiines thus far have failed to achieve decisive results in any sea. lhe Greek fleet, it may be noted, is too weak to be a serious factor in opposing suoh a force as the Allies can assemble for an attack upon the Gicek seaports if the need should arise It includes five battleships, none of Dreadnought type, and three of them dating back to 1889 and 1890, one armoured and one light ciuisoi, about a score of torpedo craft, and two submarines. The battle-cruiser Salamis was under construction for the Greeks at Stettin uhei war broke out, but was taken over by the Germans.

Messages to-clay would seem to suggest that Lord Kitchener has not yet visited Grcece, and that earlier reports which stated that he had done so were inaccurate. Considering the general tone of the news a report that King Constantine lias expressed a wish to see Lord Kitchener is an encouraging sign. It is possible that the British embargo on Greek trade, either actually imposed or threatened, has operated with salutary effect. However, it is evident; that Greece must be regarded with, profound suspicion. The reports describing a popular demonstration outside the French Legation at Athens probably correctly indicate public feeling in the city, but tho fact cannot be ignored that M. Venizelos, the leader, of an elected majority in Parliament, has been set aside by tho King apparently without any marked disapprobation being awakened in the country at large.

Official reports state that the Bulgarians lost 4000 men in their reoent battle with the French in Southern Serbia, as against comparatively slight Frenoh losses, and that the Bulgarians in the locality of the battle have fallen back, but as a whole news of the campaign shows that the position is more critical than ever. While the Allies have rej.ulsed frontal attacks, the Serbs fighting on their left flank, towards the western frontier, are reported to be in desperate plight, and to be losing ground. A breakdown in this region means an open road for the Bulgarians to Monastir and the Greek frontier, and as a necessary consequence a general retreat of the Entente forces from Southern Serbia.

There are renewed reports that Italy intends to send an expedition to the Balkans, and obviously Italian intervention, taking the form of an advance through Albania and assistance to the Serbs in holding tho western fringe of their country would be most timely. It is probable that there is no other way in which useful assistance can be rendered to the Serbs for some time to come, and it is on that account all the more likely that Italy is actually taking action. Tho current reports on the subject, however, like others that have preceded them, are unofficial, and must await- confirmation.

There is no break in the good news from Russia. Some small gains of ground by the Russian troops are reported in the area west of Dvinsk, and details of the success lately won against the enemy in Southern Russia show that it was of considerable importance. Enemy forces numbering something like GO,OOO men were employed in an effort to reach an important section of the long lateral railway which the Gormans have been attempting for months to master. The defeat of this enterprise was the more notable since the enemy had the advantage of advancing along a railway, and so suffered a minimum of inconvcnicncc in regard to supply.

An effort is being made in the Wairarapn, says our Carterton correspondent, to raise funds and material for erecting a building at the Tnulicrenikau Camp for the Y.M.C.A. Tho marquoo at present in use nt the camp is frn< quently put out of use by tha winds which prevail tbeve-

The Telegraph Office advise that during tho temporary suspension of tho reek-end servico via Pacific, telegrams for the United Kingdom may be accepted under the T.W.P. classification. Sucli telegrams must bear a registered posting fee of fivepence, and will bo posted from Montreal. It is anticipated that they will reach their destination in from ten to twelve days. The Defence Minister has received :i telegram from General Godley, stating that Colonol R. Heat-on liliodes, M.l\ (who is investigating tho Postal and ■supply arrangements for tho New 'Aculanders at the front) had left for .Egypt 111 Wednosday. His visit had been most useful, said General Godley, and he trusted that, in the iutoreste of the forces, Colonel Rhodes would also bo 6ent to Malta and England. When the steamer Makambo passed through the New Hebrides 011 her last Island trip, states the Sydney "Daily Telegraph/' the volcano 011 Tanna Island was in active eruption. Denso clouds of very fine dust were being emitted from the crater, spreading over the adjacnt islands and out to sea for miles around. There was a great scene of enthusiasm when the Tenth Jteinforcemsnts left Auckland for Trenthaan on Tuesday last. Describing an incident of tho departure in Wednesday's "Herald," a writer says:—"Yesterday, a small woman, carrying a very large infant, struggled to keep pace with the niarcliing men. She was falling back, however, her distress very eviden/t, when a working man spoke to her. "Tryin' to kop up with 'em,' missus RV he asked. "Well, give us the lriH." And the little woman, thus assisted, was able to march along near some one in the ranks. Elsewhere, the top of a black bonnet ; violently agitated, and a feeble ory, indicated that' a very old lady was vainly trying to attract the attention of one of tho recruits swinging rapidly by. "Which one is it?" asked_ a man, standing near. "The tall one, in the brown suit," said the old lady, indicating 0. healthy youth with very red hair. The bystander was inspired. "Hey, Carrots," he called. Tho auburn-haired one, wearing the bittor, resentful expression of tie habitually baited, tinned as if he had been stung. But he saw the old lady, and slie was made liaipy witli a bright smile and a cordial wave of the hand. Durinn; the month ending November 10 the Health Inspectors made 83 investigations after infectious disease,. 116 disinfections. 65 sanitary inspections, and 65 revisits. The infectious diseases were as under, the 1914 figures being in parentheses:—Scarlet fever, 64 (23); diphtheria, 17 (6) ; enteric fever. 2 (5); tuberculosis, 4 (16). Totals. 87 (50). Worscr Bay School and one Government Lite Office had been disinfected. A donation of sixty volumes of the Sketch" for hospital patients, from Mr. Thomas W. Pilcher, was accepted with thanks by the Hospital Board yesterday. It was decided at tho board meeting yesterday that tho hospital sections fronting Revans Street should be placed m tlih market for leasing. Tho question of a fencing is to be held in abeyance. The Mayor yesterday received the balance-sheet for the concert given by tt-o Wellington Orchestral Society in l ! 6 -, Tol S l o,l ' September 15, in aid ot the Patriotic Funds. The total receipts came to £52 9s. 5d., but after expenses had been met a sum of only £!) 15s. 9d. was left for the Mayor's l'und. lhc Town Hall was given free for the concert.

A new regulation under the Local Bodies Loans Act, 1913, is gazetted ic piovides that tho term of any loan to ' a local authority may be for 421 j ears, and sets out the instalments payable as interest and sinking fund ■UKJse -are at the rato 0 f £2 13a. per cont. per half-year.

At next week's meeting of the Wellington Harbour Board, Mr. Sinclair is to move: "That the chnrgc for dumping wool (other than hemp or tow) be increased by threepence per bale." As an addition to the resolution passed by the Harbour Board on October 27 increasing the wharfage on wool, Mr! Oobbe intends to move at tho next meeting of the board:—"That this additional wluirlage shah be removed when tho price of hoop steel used in dumping falls to £12 10s. per ton."

tJ? n edn , e , sda yevening, at 15G Lambton Quaj, Mr. 1. Ladd, an ex-member ol the Koyal Mgmeers, gave his second lantern lecture on Ceylon, under the auspices of tho Amateur Photograpluo Society;. Tho mountain city ol Kandy was described with its wonderful ancient temples and buildings, rare slides being shown of tho interior ol the temple. Auarajanapura, the ancient city that covored some 16 square miles, the ruins of which were discovered by a party of engineers, one of wnom was Mr. Ladd, when putting through a railway, was also shown and described. The tea, coffee, and cocoa industries were fully illustrated mid described. . A vote of thanks to Mr. Ladd concluded a most interesting evening.

The new Australian Minister for Home Affairs, Mr. King O'Malley, who formerly occupied the_ same position, has been quick to revive 6ome of his former methods of keeping the staff of his Department moving. He reached his office, at 8.30 on a recent morning—half an hour in advance of ordinary Departmental starting time; and, as was his custom when previously political head of the Department, he signed the attendance book in common with all the officers and clerks. He has given instructions that a red ink bottle is to he substituted for thi black at 9.5 a.m., so that employees who are late will have a vivid reminder of that fact.

The serenity of the New South Wales Legislative Council was ruffled one night lately by an unprecedented situation, in which the President, Mr. Flowers, figured a 6 the saving grace of a quorum. The Fair Rents Bill was under consideration, and tho representative of tho Government, resenting an amendment to clause 13, pressed for a division. The unlucky number 13 had brought trouble 1 to the Council. The voting showed that there was not a quorum, the numbers being 10 and 3. The Chairman of Committees (Mr. B. B. O'Conor) left the chair, and reported the. situation to the President. Then, taking his seat in the Chamber, Mr. O'Conor brought tho number of members' 1 to tho required quorum. Counting tho House, the President announced, Jo an accompaniment of laughter, that there was a quorum. He then retired, and the Chairman of Committees resumed his place at the head of the table. Once more tho,bells were set ringing, and again it was found that there were only 13 members present —the unlucky number. The situation was saved by the President, who took his seat in tho Chamber—making 14 members—and the division was proceeded with. It is said that there is no record of a similar incident in the records of the Council.

There was an interesting incident in oonneetiou with tlio dispatch of the Auckland section of the Tenth Reinforcements. The men, ovor 240 in number, were drawn up behind the Drill H;ill to be photographed, when one recruit accidentally dropped four pennies. Ho picked them up and tossed theis into an open space near tho camera. "For tho Soldiers' Queen," be said. Immediately there eamo a perfect hail of pennies. Two sergeant-majors in tile line of Tiro simply bowed their heads raid covered their faces, while the photographer danced excitedly around his valued camera and tried to protect his lens with bis hat. The shower of coins only ceased when the supply of copper was exhausted, and tho ground was ptrewn with pennios. Hie sergeantmajors afterwards picked up asi—equnl to 27b, 1

An invitation has been extended to thto Mayor and councillors of Wellington to bo present at a private inspection of f.he tepid swimming baths, in the Boys' Institute buildings, Tasman Street, at 8.30 to-night. Mr. Luke intends to be present, and hopes that as many councillors as can will avail themselves of the opportunity of inspecting theso baths, which must become an adjunct to Iho City, and a source of enjoyment lbr many. 11l order to stimulate the recruiting movement, Captain Donald Simson has been invited to deliver a briof addresß at the Basin Reserve oil Saturday afternoon. While in Honolulu, Mr. Bert Royle, d representative of the J. C. Williamson Company, Ltd., met a scientist who has made a special study or the racial problem in America's island dependency. The conclusion to which lie came was that the averaee Hawaiian-Chinese half-caste was bv far the best ot the half-breeds. Careful observation showed that this kind combined the cheerful optimistic nature of the former with tho honesty and nersetl!° latter. On tile other hand half-caste Japs were less reliable, iJr. Royle says that the scientist in question forwarded an instructive set or photographs and records bearing on bition t0 tlle San Francisco Exhi-

.4 ® eet ™6 of Mayors of Miramar and iiiastibourne Boroughs and tho chairmen of the Upper tiutt and Jolrnsoiiville lowa Boards was held at the iown Hall yesterday to elect one of their number to represent tho four bodies oil the Hutt Road Board of Control. Mr. ■it ni chairman of tlio Johnsonvilla lown Board, was elected to the position. j Frc-deric Villiers, the war correspondent, whom report -Bays is to visit Australia and New Zealand next year to lecture on the war, is now 63 years oi ag?. Although ho has not figured prominently in the present greatest of aJI wars, there is probably no wa>r correspondent living who could equal his experiences. Ho was engaged in troublous Serbia as far back as 1876, and was with the Russian army when m w^ s „ wa '. rrill g with Turkey in 1877. Ine fallowing year saw his tent pitched in Afghanistan, and he was at the far mous battle of Tcl-el-ivobir in 1882, and saw the "fuzzios" break a British square at T-amai the same year. He accompanied, the Nile expedition in 1084, and witnessed the battles of Abuklea and Gubat Mie next year. In the ooutli African War he was attached to the Australian forces, and in 1904-5 S'-n Pi', ss '? Japan in clinches, otill following the crimson pathway, ho • Va lnn'i le SP 01 " 8 ' 1 Army in Morooco in 1900, and was attached to the ItaJian forces in the fighting in Tripoli four years ago. So that of war and warriors ho knows something. His value as a war correspondent was enhanced by Jus facility as an artist.

. The Wanganui Borough Council, acting on tlie recommendation of its i'maaoo Committee, has decided to intorn all the single men in its employ tha.t they must either enlist or relinquish their positions to married men requiring employment.

T u ,!? to J| , IS P ar e"ts, Trooper J. IU. Qumlaii makes mention of the Hospital Slap Mabeno, which shows, how much tlie Dominion's gift is appreciated by tho soldiers at the l'ront. happened that Trooper Quinliui was among tn a first batch of wounded to be lifted from Gallipoli by the Mataeuo, and in his letter ho says this of his experiences on the ship: "The doctors ana nurses could not do enough for us lite ship was fitted up like a palace, and is the best gift the peoplo could possibly have given. The Australians .met lommieswere loud in their praises, ■uid reckoned this New Zealand must oe some country."

Ihe boys engaged in the wood-work classes at the schools in the Wellington district have, m a spirit of patriotic enthusiasm, taken up the self-imposed task ot making splints for wounded solders. The suggestion that something of this sort might be dono.was mado by the secretary of the board (Mr. G. Jj. btewart), and ihe instructors and the boys took it up with energy, which has produced, and is producing, effec'■iv° result. Sample splints wore procured and copied, and the work of the Iwys lias been approved by SurgeonGeneral Henderson. By next Tuesday it is estimated that the boys will have turned out eighteen dozen leg splints, and a very large amount of corrugated material for finger splints and other similar purposes in various lengths and widths, constituting a complete slock for the hospital snip Marama. . This practical adaptation of tueir previous instruction has infused a now spirit into the boys, and they carry out the work with a keenness that'is really splendid. The results of their work will be on exhibition at the Eduoation Boards offices on Tuesday and Wednesday next, and a large attendance of patients and others is anticipated.

Yet another effort is to be made/ tomorrow to provide cheer for our soldiers fighting at the front. The movement is known as Gallipoli Day, and is being organised by the Associated Amateur Sports Bodies, and the proceeds will oo devoted to providing tobacco and sweets for the "boys" at Gallipoli and Samoa. An excellent arrangement lias been made with roputable firms in London, and every man will receive sufficient tobacco to make 120 cigarettes and Vib. of chocolate and barley sugar. The delivery will be guaranteed in liermetically-sealed tins, •and the Y.M.C.A. has offered to see that the gifts are delivered.

Lieut.-iDolonel A. M. Myers, Officer Commanc'ing tho Motor Service Corps of New Zealand, made an inspection of tho Wellington section iii command of Major Bullock last night, in one of tlie Harbour Board sheds. The cars were all lined up, and Colonel Myors made a careful inspection of evcryosc-. Hie corps were then exercised in squad drill and semaphore signalling. Addressing the parade Colonel Myers expressed his satisfaction with the muster and the keenness evinced by members. Ho felt assured that by making themselves efficient in map-reading and topography they would develop into a useful unit, and be able to render good service to tho Defenco authorities. Major Norton Francis and Captain Beauchamp Platts accompanied Lieut.Colouel Myers as Staff officers.

A statement regarding tho number of enemy submarines captured or destroyed was invited by Mr. Middlemoro in tho Houso of Commons on September 30. Tho following reply was made by Jlr. A. J. Balfour, First Lord of the Admiralty:—"l understand, and I sympathise with, tlio dosiro expressed by my lion, friend, and I entirely agreo that a mere statement that a German submarine lias been destroyed need not convoy valuable information to tho enemy. Tho difficulty I feel in satisfy, ing my hon. friend's curiosity lias a different origin. . It arises from the inovitablo margin of doubt which attaolics to any attempt to estimate tho numbers of enemy submarines destroyed, and the consequent impossibility of giving accurate statistics. A submarine, it must bo remembered, is not like an ordinary vessel. If the latter sinks it sinks for ever. Thero can be 110 error as to its fete. With a submarino this is not necessarily true and wo liavo every gradation from abs'oluto certainty through practical assurance down to faint possibility. (Laughter.) Facts like theso are not fitted for statistical statement. (Itenowed laughter.) Wero tlio Admiralty to confino itself to enumerating casos of absolute certainty wo should undoubtedly bo understating tlio truth. If wo were to includo all tho casos of reasonable possibility wo illicit be exaggerating tho truth— (laughter)—and no dofonsiblo lino can bo tlmwn between thoso two extremes " (Prolonged laughter.)