PROGRESS OF THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2640, 10 December 1915, Page 4

PROGRESS OF THE WAR

It would be ea-sy to attach more significance than it actually bears to Mb. Asquith's statement in the House of Commons on tho subject of peace proposals. The Imperial Prime Minister has at all times treated this question with strict reserve, and maintained an uncompromising front which undoubtedly reflects correctly the great mass of public opinion throughout the Empire. He has now, in answering a Parliamentary question, made a slight departure from his past attitude by defining in general terms ih'e procedure which will be followed by the Allies in the event of peace proposals being submitted by the enemy, either directly or through a neutral country. Tho statement breaks no new ' ground, and makes no difference in the position so far as the central issues of the war are concerned. - In its formal indication that the machinery for negotiations exists, the statement may be intended to ' counter that form of German political agi-1 tation in neutral countries which seeks to make capital out .of an allegation that tile Entente Powers are ruthlessly resolved to keep the world- plunged in war, and that the Central Empires are not. It may be worth while to go as far "as Mr. | Asquith has gone with a view to placating pacifist opinion in ; neutral eouutries, and particularly in America, The fact. stands unaltered that no practical basis for peace negotiations exists at the present time, and that no such basis is likely to exist until the German armies have been hurled back in defeat from tho countries into which they have penetrated. Germany, no doubt, - s willing, and even anxious, to open peace negotiations at the present time, when her invasion of enemy territory is in all likelihood at its height, but the prospects of the Allies amply warrant them in scorning any proposals likely to be' based on these conditions. So Ion" as these conditions prevail, Gei° many inay_ be expected to spare no effort, by intrigue in neutral countries, to fasten upon the Allies the guilt and stigma of continuing the war: It waj no doubt with some such consideration in mind that Ms. Asq.uith made his reported reference to peace proposals, adhering strictly, _it will be noted, to the standpoint of proposals advanced by the enemy.'

There are conflicting reports today regarding the situation in South-eastern Serbia, but a comparison of Bulgarian and Allied reports seems to warrant the conclusion that tho Bulgarians, in framing their account of reccnt operations, have departed widely from the facts. They assert that they are driving the French down the Vardar Valley after a sanguinary battle, whereas the Allies report officially that a violent • Bulgarian attack at Dcmir-Kapu, on the Vardar, on Sunday last, was completely repulsed. _ From the locality of this battle it is evident that the Allies, after it had been fought, remained in occupation, at any rate, of all save the most advanced positions they had taken up in the Vardar Valley. Another report, not official, but probably quite as reliable as a Bulgarian communique, deals with operations as late as Tuesday last. It states that the Allies on Monday easily repulsed attacks on their positions cast of'the Vardar railway, where they occupy a limited area of Bulgarian territory, and on the following day counter-attacked and drove back the enemy, who buffered heavy loss. Accepting this accou.uK which follows upon.

i the official report of Sunday's battle, the position of the Allies is unimpaired, and they are conducting a vigorous offensive-defensive upon which the enemy has so far signally failed to- make any impression. « » « The Montenegrins meantime report that the invasion of their territory Imw been to some extent rolled back by vigorous counter-attacks, and the bare statement is made, in a London message, that the Germans, are invading Albania., This last reP ol 't> if it is true, materially alters the -general position as it has been Presented during the last few days. I lie bur den of the news has been that the further prosecution of the campaign against' the Allies in southern Serbia and against the herbs and Montenegrins on the west is being left to the Austrians and xmigaTians, whilq the Germans aro being withdrawn to othnr fronts, presumably to mate head against an anticipated liussian in. vasion of Bulgaria. If the Germans instead are free to doncentrate in any considerable strength against • zrv 1 * the Serbian army in Albania, a position much' less TOL°i Ura c Allies must exist. While further news is awaited, it is only possible to repeat what has been said before, that if the Allies a l e ? ofi ln a position to launch an elective counter-strQko in the Balkans which would relieve pressure j in all parte of tho Peninsula where r« y are at present engaged, it is ciimcuit to imagine their motive in maintaining an army in Macedonia which is neither able to render effective aid to the Serbs and Montenegrins nor, unaided, to accomplish anything of moment in its own immediate sphere' of operations. It was reported not long ago that the promised Russian stroke in the Balkans might be 'delayed for weeks, but there is an apparent danger that unless some- such aid is rendered speedily the Allied forces at present operating in the Peninsula detail a ' i ' ;a ar) d beaten in • • »' » « There is a wholly improbable report from Bucharest that Kumama has called up the 1.917 and 1918 classes of recruits, and has also mobilised naturalised and other foreigners of military age. It is possible that mobilisation is beine quietly extended - in Rumania, tnougji nothing more than a limited mobilisation has yet been' reported with any show of authority, but the ?!!i , ( r ntloncd S r neaks of'classes' of youths years under the • normal recruiting age. It is most-unlikely that such recruits would be calitcr upon until heavy losses had been inu'i!,a c l m P ai SP' It is equally improbable thai; Rumania would seek.to. extend the . obligation df foreigners E6rVlCe t0 ' unnafcuralised

* * » • Most of the news about Greece ro-clay is optimistic in tone and responsible people are said to be consent that_ a- satisfactory understanding will be reached as a "result ot the conferences of. the- Francoeek Commission. It seems rather more likely that a satisfactory understanding will_ be'reached, 'if at all, by_ the 'Allies pouring such forces into the Balkans as will enable them to set on foot a vigorous aggression, and at the same time make an end of the.doubts and fears' to which King Constantine' and his Government are ovidently -still a prey It is muoh to be' doubted whether a really satisfactory understanding will be reached in any other way. * » * • 1 While Kino Constantine is bewailing problems and "difficulties which might never have arisen had he aefcea with honesty and courage .instead °f resorting to"temporising, little if at all removed from treachery a very-different note is sounded by his opponent and erstwhile Prime Minister, M. Venizelos. The manifesto in which M. Venizelo3 ' an-| nounces that his party will not con-' test the forthcoming elections is a plain-spoken indictment of the King and of the policy for. which he is' supremely responsible.' No more striking answer could havo' bech made to King Oonstantine's complaints about the fashion in which his country is being treated By the a ntenta than this considered utterance of the one Greek statesman of the day who is entitled to be called Venizelos ascribes the diniculties and perils , confronting Greeco, not to any action by the Antente, but to the policy which iUNG Constantine has imposed upon his country by a flagrant violation of its constitution. It is an indictment so forceful that King Oonstantine's continueS' lease of power and continued, exclusion of M. venizelos from office can hardly, be accounted for otherwise than bv accepting in its full significance a statement lately attributed to King Constantine himself. -The mass of the Greek people, he is reported to have said, understood nothing of foreign policy. The best possible proof that they understand little of either foreign or domestic' policy is to be found in their passive acceptance of his arbitrary dictation and his exclusion of the one mail who is capable of wisely guiding and directing, the fortunes' of the Greek nation.

The fog of war rn-iy be veiling impoi fcant events in the theatre, but news in hand indicates only vaguely a stir of preparation and of lighting in some areas. The picture essentially lacks definition. It is admitted by the Allies that a struggle is still being waged for the possession of some .of the ground lately captured by the enqmy on the Champagne front, about 25 miles cast of Reims. * The scene of the present fighting is thus a portion of the front on "wnich the Allies advanced in September. Apart from the fact that it has been broken;. and is'in process of being rolled back, few details "are given of the German attack,. and there are no means of judging its magnitude and importance. The Germans themselves speak of » success which the Allies have failed to contest, but this general claim seems to be upset by tho more circumstantial Allied reports that a portion of ; the lost ground has been recovered, and that a struggle continues for the remainder.

On top of stones of a German concentration in Belgium, there is a report to-day from Berne of hea,vy massing of troops in Alsace, which has involved the closing of the German-Swiss frontier; It is stated also that the civil population of tho Alsatian town of Altkirch have been ordered to leave the place. Reports of this, kind often mean very little, ; but Alsace is one of the legions in which the enejny is more or less Open to' attack by l'fcason of the advantageous positions won by the French in the Vosgcs, particularly in the sou thy where hold heights overlook- -

ing the Alsatian Plain. The reasons for supposing that any major effort bv the Allies will ba postponed until the return of better weather have been often stated, but the desire of setting a limit to German activities in the Near East may induce the Allies to display greater energy on tho Western front during the winter campaign than they would otherwise be inclined to do.

The destruction of the French submarino' Fresnel by the Austrian squadron which raided the Albanian port of _ San Giovanni di Medua is explained to-day in an Admiralty statement that she was attacked when aground. It is added that the _ Austrians alleged that a big sailing vessel was sunk, but it was in fact a ship of only 30 tons. At this point tho Admiralty statement stops disappointingly short. There is an implied suggestion that the loss suffered by the Allies, apart from that of the submarine, was slight, but ■ tho enemy report, as it was received here, stated that five .steamers and several sailing vessels were sunk, and there is 110 specific contradiction of -ithis claim. .