Thank you for correcting the text in this article. Your corrections improve Papers Past searches for everyone. See the latest corrections.

This article contains searchable text which was automatically generated and may contain errors. Join the community and correct any errors you spot to help us improve Papers Past.

Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image

PROGRESS OP THE WAR

Attention .is gripped to-day by the blaze of battle on the southern section of the Russian front, from

the Pripet marshes well south into Galicia. Enough evidence is now in hand to demonstrate that the Russians have deliberately ' forced a great battle upon the enemy and that the fighting reported during the last day or two, at first uncertainly but now definitely and in some detail, stands ip a class distinctly apart from encounters which have at times occasioned fluctuations on the Eastern front without leading to any permanent or important change in the general situation. The news in hand is news of a great battle, or series of battles, of which the immediate'•objects are at least partly visible. At a broad view tfle Russians are assuming the offensive on that section of their front where they are at a minimum disadvantage in regard to communications. It is equally true, and even more important, that they are forcing battle upon tho enemy in an area where he has long relinquished any attempt to advance and where lie is therefore anxious to husband his resources to

the utmost possible extent in order that his power may bo greater in other war areas.

To say, as may be said with a great deal of confidence, that a concentrated offensive in. Southern Russia and Galieia no longer finds a place in the Austro-German war

plans, is equivalent, to saying that a minimum of fighting in this area would best suit their plans. Stalemate in this area would be greatly, to the enemy's advantage. While his defensive lines hold, tho Russians arc,excluded from the greater part of Galicia, and the Austrian southem armies in Bukowina are in touch with the Rumanian frontier. The great assault launched by the

Russians means that instead of permitting tho enemy to continue undisturbed the ,quiet defensive campaign in Southern Russia- and Galicia which would be so much to his advantage, they arc concentrating agiiiuati him- in tlwie uveas ii grenfc uarfc af thoir nsme offensive flower,

As a result the enemy is immediately under the necessity of using up his reserves on a front where he has neither advantage of position nor hope of improving his general prospects. That they should be able to compel the enemy to fight a- great battle under these circumstances means that the Russians arc at last making a powerful bid for the recovery of the initiative they lost many months ago when the developing power of the Austro-German offensive compelled them to concentrate upon the defence of the Vistula line, which has since passed from their hands. f> » * Though lie fights this great southern battle without hope or prospect of positive gain, there need be no delusion as to the necessity the. enemy is under of doing his utmost to stem the Russian onset, which can only mean meeting it with every man and gun he can spare from other areas of conflict. It would undoubtedly pay the enemy best to use the bulk of his strength in the Western theatre and in keeping the Russians engaged on the northern section of their front, but if he fails to hold the Russians in the south—in Southern Russia and Galicia—their success will mean the first great step towards recovering what they have lost in the war. The Austro-Ger-mans turned the Vistula lino by a drive through Galicia. They cannot afford to permit even the beginning of a retrograde movement without doing everything in' their power to prevent it. As a more immediate effect of the continuance of such defeats as the Austro-Germans are now suffering on the southern section of the main front, it inay be noted that the enforced withdrawal of their forces from the vicinity of the Rumanian frontier would undoubtedly exorcise a vitally important influence upon developments in the Balkans, where, in spite of all that the enemy has gained, great issues still hang in suspense. * * * # Read in their immediate import, accounts of the Russian southern offensive tell of action on a most impressive scale. Disregarding, for the moment, the heavy fighting that is in progress in the north, in the Baltic Provinces, the fighting front in the south upon which the Russians appear to be chiefly concentrating is well over two hundred miles long as the crow flies and considerably longer when account is taken of its irregularities. It extends from the southern fringe of tho Pripet marshes to the Rumanian frontier. The Russians have forced the passage of the River Styr in the vicinity of Chartorysk, on the 'Southern edge of the great marshes which now divide the Eastern battle-front into two main sections, and Chartorysk is 180 miles in a direct line north of Ussetchko, in Galicia, where the enemy has been driven across tho Dniester. Progress has been made by the Russians also on portions of the fifty miles or so of front south from Ussetchko to the Rumanian frontier. A message • just received states that the enemy has been dislodged from positions near Czgrno-wit-z, the capital of Bukowina. Czernowitz is some 10 miles west of the ' north-western corner of Rumania. This long line, from the Pripet marshes to Rumania, includes considerable stretches of dead ground, where lack of communications prac- ' tically precludes tha_ concentration of strong forces by either side, but as' a whole the operations are of great magnitude. The line is to be held or lost as a whole, and one of the prizes at stake is possession of those areas in Galicia and Bukowina which command, or cover, the. llu-. manian frontier, according to the point of view of the combatants. » * * * , It has been mentioned that heavy fighting is in progress in tho Baltic Provinces as well as in the south. •Russian reports in hand make no mention of the northern battles, but the Germans admit the temporary penetration of their lines north of Lake Drisviaty, that is to say, south of Dvinsk, on the Petrograd railway. The northern campaign has a very important bearing upon events in the south. The' determination with which the Germans have for months past pressed their offensive in tho Baltic Provinces, while contenting themselves with defensive tactics south of the Pripet marshes, admits of only one inference. It is the aim of their strategy in' the East era theatre to compel the Russians to concentrate their principal strength on the northern section of the front. Several considerations justify such a policy, of which the most important arc that a successful Russian offensive on the southern section of tho front would bo likely not only to sway events in tho Near East, but to herald the turning of the tido in the Eastern campaign as a whole. It is a _ factor of importance that the Russians arc at a less serious disadvantage in. the matter of communications in the south than in the north. In tho south they even enjoy a certain advantage since they are in comparatively close and convenient touch with depots of supply and have a lateral railway behind a great part of their present attacking front nearer at hand than the nearest railway similarly backing the enemy's lino. On a great part of the front north of tho Pripet marshes, on the other hand, the enemy has almost a monopoly of good lateral communications. » * * * That the enemy, for tho reasons given and possibly for others,' has sought to confine the principal Russian aetivities to the northern section of the front is not more evident than that his attempt ha's failed.. Formidable assaults upon thk Dwina line, from the port of Riga to Dvinsk, did for a time impose a serious tax upon the Russian strength and for months the fate of Riga and Dvinsk seemed to hang by a thread, but the tide of war on this front has now definitely turned. The Russians havc_ not only opposed a successful resistance to the enemy's utmost efforts in the Baltic Provinces, but for weeks past have beon themselves upon the offensive, 'fliey have gained ground to a limited extent, and an.adeciuato explanation of their' not attempting to do more is to be found in the present events in Southern Russia and Galicia, where they are able to concentrate in attack to so much better advantage than in the north. « * * * The Russians have most obviously selected the location of the great battle on the southern front in spite of all that the enemv could do to prevent them by engaging them heavily elsewhere. They are in the happy position of fighting with great rewards in visible prospect, while the enemy fights with no positive gain in prospect and with no better prospect in sight than that of holding his present ground at an expenditure in men and material which could be made elsewhere with more hopo of profit. Since they arc now in a jposifcion .to wlout an urea fur A&tmsjxa, /wersims it is likely. that

the Russians will also set the pace of events. Here it would be wise not to take too much for granted until unfolding events have made tlm situation clearer. The Eastern theatre has witnessed some dramatic changes of fortune and in the past passages of the war ground has been rapidly taken and given by the contending armies. Nevertheless it would be unsafe to assume that the Russian onslaught on the Austro-German southern line immediately heralds some such great forward drive as both the Russians and their enemies have accomplished in the past. Forcing the enemy to concentrate on this front, the Russians are already achieving positive results of very great importance both to themselves and to their Allies. In seeking to develop the initial advantage they have gained they will necessarily bo governed by more than local considerations. Tho benefits of compelling the enemy to concentrate on the southern section of the Eastern front will only be reaped in full measure if he is attacked, not on this section only, hut also in those areas in East and West where there is already a grave call upon his reserves. This implies concerted action in which the Russian southern offensive will figure as a detail, though a detail of very great importance.

Meantime the position, as it is visaffords every ground for satisfaction. Tho Russians have gained important successes in attack and they have compelled the enemy to expend his strength freelv in counter, attacks which seem to have brought him no compensating advantage. According to one report the Russian military authorities estimate that the Austro-German forces from the Pripet marshes to Rumania number a million and a half. Tho Russians are unmistakably exercising a powerful influence upon the development of the campaign and therefore of the war, and it will not detract from their achievement, nor will its effect vanish, if a lull should supervene upon_ the present period of intense activity on the southern front. Menaced as he is on : this front, the enemy must take corresponding measures in defence, and this is a matter of decisive import whether or not the-_ offensive which has alreadj achieved material results immediately heralds a forward sweep of the Russian southern armies.

General Sarrail's action in arresting the Consuls of enemy countries at Salonika has given rise to an _ interesting situation in Greece which holds possibilities. The Government, it is reported, is embarrassed by a threat on the part of the Central Empires that they will withdraw their representatives unless full satisfaction is obtained from the Allies for the arrest of the Consuls. If this report is accurate the Central Powers arc giving Greece the choice of war on their side or against them, and it is perhaps unlikely in the circumstances that they have proceeded to such extremes. Meantime evidence' that the. Allies are in full command of the situation is afforded in news that- they are continuing numerous arrests of Germans. Another report that thirty Allied transports are landing troops near Kavala, which awaits confirmation, also implies, if it is true, that the Allies are on a firm footing with Grecce and assured at least of her continued neutrality.

At the moment there is no news of important developments on the Western 'front, hit some striking indications are given of the superior power of the Allied artillery. It is mentioned, for instance, that a German long-range gun which shelled Nancy was immediately silenced, a satisfying bit of evidence that the Allies are at all points better provided than the enemy in the factor of artillery. Sir Douglas Haig reports also that the Germans exploded a mine near La Bassee, but did not attempt to occupy the crater, presumably because the Allied gunfire made the feat impossible. These are details tending to show that the account given by Mr. Philip Gibbs of the respective artillery strength of the contending armies is no fancy picture. He tells of a howling gale, ushering in tbe New Year, wnich was outdone by the roaring of the British great guns, to which the Germans made a feeble reply.

Besides the dispatches which have been touched upon there is much interesting matter in the news to-day. Reports of <v widespread belief in America that Germany is nearer to defeat than Britain imagines speak for themselves. The grounds upon which the belief is founded are familiar, but the extent to which Germany has_approached a financial and military collapse can hardly be a matter for confident assertion. In England the resignation of Sir John Simon from the Cabinet is the one definite exception to news which implies that the Government will be firmly and very strongly supported in its adoption of the principle of compulsion where the enlistment of unmarried men declining to enlist voluntarily is concerncd. Sir John Simon is not avery important member of the Cabinet, and his resignation is chiefly to be regretted as a departure from the unanimity which the occasion demands. Belated but interesting reports supplement the accounts previously given of the ovacuation of Anzac and Suvla Bay. Incidentally they dispose finally of enemy assertions that the Allies abandoned great quantities of stores in serviceable condition.

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/DOM19160104.2.25

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2660, 4 January 1916, Page 6

Word count
Tapeke kupu
2,359

PROGRESS OP THE WAR Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2660, 4 January 1916, Page 6

PROGRESS OP THE WAR Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2660, 4 January 1916, Page 6

Help

Log in or create a Papers Past website account

Use your Papers Past website account to correct newspaper text.

By creating and using this account you agree to our terms of use.

Log in with RealMe®

If you’ve used a RealMe login somewhere else, you can use it here too. If you don’t already have a username and password, just click Log in and you can choose to create one.


Log in again to continue your work

Your session has expired.

Log in again with RealMe®


Alert