PROGRESS OF THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2624, 20 November 1915, Page 4

PROGRESS OF THE WAR

.References in the House of Lords to the Gallipoli campaign constitute an item of news which it will be best not to take at its face value until evidence is afforded which makes any other course impossible. It must bo said, however, that LpiiD Hibblesdale and others responsible for dragging into the daylight the alleged fact that Sir Charles Monro had reported in favour of withdrawing from the Gallipoli campaign appear to have acted with amazing lack of discretion, and shown little regard for the welfare of the men who have put lip a magnificent fight for the Empire in the battle-scarred peninsula. It is not unknown to tne enemy that the question of abandoning or continuing the campaign has been open for some time, Dut as a matter of elementary prudcnce profound secrecy Bhould nevertheless have been maintained as to the nature of Sir' Charles Monro's report. Lord Ribblesdale's statement that the substance of the report was matter of common knowledge seems to be tantamount to i a grave charge against the Ministers an'd War Office authorities to whom knowledge of the report should have been confined. A better • knowledge of the facts is necessary, however, before the blame can be apportioned, but obviously the position as it stands needs clearing ■ up. Evennow, though some of the news in hand suggests that Sir Charles Monro's decision may have been reversed, it is not certain that it will not be acted upon,, and if it is the brief discussion in the _ Lords amounts to a warning for which the enemy will no doubt be duly grateful.

One thing which would _ have justified the publicity given in the Lords to the position at Gallipoli, would have been the withdrawal of tlie troops before the discussion took place- Reports of fighting in the vicinity of Krithia as late as Tuesday last show that this condition has not been Satisfied. The hope remains that Lord Kitchener may have formed an opinion contrary to that of Sir Charles Monro, in which event the discussion in the Lords may serve to delude the enemy wth false hopes. At thi: same time ho is likely to- take heart to some extent from knowing ■ that withdrawal of'the Allied troops has been recommended. Whatever the actual position may be, the unwisdom of making known the contents of Sir Charles • Monro's report is apparent, and apparently inexcusable. Somo justification may exist, as, for instance, that the enemy is being elaborately deceived, bu't from what is known of British methods and practice such an explanation does not appear very probable. The most reassuring thing about the publicity given to Lord Ribblesdale's remarks is'the fact that the censor had ho thought it worth while could have prevented them receiving publicity. As he allowed them to go forth to the world we must'assume that they do not count for much.

When all is said it is uncertain whether tho' Imperial authorities intend to. abandon or continue the Gallipoli campaign, but evidence available at the moment goes to indicate that the last-mentioned course has been decided upon. It must oount for something that the attack on the Turks is still being maintained. Clearly, if a withdrawal 'is intended, it should _be carried out with the least possible delay. Now that the Serbian railways are in enemy possession, new sources of supply are open to the Turks, and if tney have not already strengthened their • artillery; and their defensive organisation generally, on the Gallipoli Peninsula, it must be expected that they will do., so very shortly. Lord Kitchener has not been many days .in the Eastern Mediterranean, but in such circumstances as exist it may. be taken for granted that he will act with prompt decision, and unless measures for withdrawal are set on foot very shortly there will be strong ground for believing that no withdrawal is intended-

Available details of the action fought a few days ago in the southern zone of the Gallipoli Peninsula mako it plain that the British troops 'engaged scored a pronounced success. "Krithia nullah," named as the soene oF tho attack, does not afford a preoise guide as to locality, but the Turks' were at all events attacked in their positions towards the western flank of the Aehi Baba ridge, and were dislodged from their trenches on a front of 300 yards. The oomparison of casualties shows a big balance in favour of the attackers. Seventy Turkish bodies were found in the captured positions, and 30 other Turks were killed in the mine explosions whicH preceded _ the British attack, while the British losses in killed and wounded totalled 80. The action was evidently a small affair as comEared with some of' the battles that avc been fought on the Peninsula, but its details afford clear proof that the Allies are still in a position take the offensive.

A later message than those which have been touched upon embodies a definite statement by Lord Lansdowne that Lord Kitchener's decision in'refcronce to the Gallipoli oampaign is not yet known to tho Imperial Government, with the addition that the development of events in the Near East does not depend Bolely upon the British Government, but involves the interposition of tho Allied War Council. There is also a- rather hopeful speeoh from Mr. Bonar Law, which forms a bright spot in the day's news. .

There is still more shade than light in the Balkan situation, though further reports of projected action by Italy in Albania hold out some promise of improvement. The Serbians in tho south-western corner of their country are being-driven back upon the Greek frontier. Some relief may be afforded by the Allied reinforcements who have been sent to Monastir, but the burden of current news is that_ the hold, of the Serbians upon their scanty remaining territory is precarious. As a whole the news is consistent with the opinion expressed by tho Times correspondent at Rome that the only hope of saving tho remainder of the gallant Serbian Army rests upon the landing of an Allied force in Albania.

Much interest, therefore attaches to reports that the of Italian participation iri tho Balkan campaign was considered by the Allied War Council at its recent meeting in France, and the Italian Staff is inspecting Durazzo, presumably with a view to making it a base of opovationfl, Tho litutetit! rm jslretyk established at ,VaJcaAj. aa-

important port in Southern Albania, but Durazro is perhaps preferred as lying much further north, and therefore much nearer to Montenegro, which has apparently not yet been penetrated by tho enemy, though they aro attacking on the. north-eastorn frontier. Tho conditions of. an Italian advance through Albania would bo no lciis complex than those attending othor sections of 'the Balkan campaign. £hcVe are no railways, and transport would be solely dependent on roads traversing mountainous country. So long as Montenegro succeeds in repelling invasion lines of communication through Albania would be fairly secure against attack from the north, but the Albanian population is reported to bo hostile, and the position in the south is complicated by , uncertainty regarding the intentions of Greece. Suspicions of that country ■ are heightened to-day by asseitions that she is negotiating with Turkey, and it is stated also that Greik troops are occupying Southern Albania.

Means are at present lacking of testing the story that Djemal Pasha, who led the last attack on the Suez Canal, has been converted to the cause of the Entente, and is stirring up the Arabs in its interests, .but it it is true it will not be tha first timo that a Turkish Pasha has similarly changed his coat. _ Liability to defections of this kind is one of tho penalties attaching to the kind of government that exists in the Ottoman Empire, and if Djemal Pasha has fallen foul of his recent associates he will not lack means of spreading disaffection among the Arab tribes. The Committee of Un}on and Progress and its German associates appear to have a tolerably firm hold upon events at' the heart of the Empire, but the same authority does not hold equally good with the fanatical tribesmen whom Djemal Pasha is said to bfl inspiring to revolt. It is remarked by Mr. John Buohan, in his history of the war, that in the Tripoli campaign the Ai'abs were scandalised by tho infidelity of the Young Turk officers. These latter talked about Islam, but their conduct showed no love for Islam. The origin of the Committee, too, is not likely to bs overlooked by the pure-blooded tribesmen. In Its case the title "Young Turk" has only nominal value. _ Enver Pasha is half a Pole, and his leading colleagues since the deposition of Abdul llamid have been largely men cf mixed and alien race, Jews, gypsies, and others, upon whom the True Believers of Islam look with scant favour. It is not impossible that Djemal Pasha is working upon the susceptibilities of the Arab tribesmen by inviting tliem to revolt again.st the Young Turks in the name of Islam, but more definite evidence of tho fact is, of course, required than "he report at present in hand. The fidvantage that the Entente would derive from an Arab revolt against the Turkish Government will be realised by a glanco at the map. It would mean that if tho Turks attempted to renew their attack on the Suez Canal a long line of communications at' present tolerably secure would lie open to Arab raids.