PROGRESS OF THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2701, 22 February 1916, Page 4

PROGRESS OF THE WAR

_ Daylight air-raids upon ffie Entrlish coast represent a form of enterprigs in which the Germans thua ur hav8 v eogß«ed very, timidly and

tlvsy are not shown to have improved materially upon their past performances of this kind in the raids upon the Norfolk coast, at Lowestoft, and the Kentish coast, in the neighbourhood of Walmer, reported to-day. Four seaplanes were engaged, two in each of the areas selected for

attack. There were no casualties at Lowestoft, and news in hand shows' that little material damage was done. At Walmer some damage was done to buildings, and three persons were killed and one wounded. Having accomplished so much, tha raiders got clear away from the British machines by which they were chased. This may seem a somewhat unsatisfactory termination of the affair, but it is really not surpris-, ing.' On the contrary, it must be recognised that it is a matter of extreme difficulty to devise efficient defensive and counter-measures to such fleeting raids as those upon the Norfolk and Kentish coasts presumably were. It is likely that the Germans have aeroplanes as fast, or nearly as fast, as the best possessed by the Allies, and few things more difficult could be imagined than to catch swift aeroplanes flying at speed to the English coast, dropping a few bombs there and then hastily >leparting.

Facts to he noted in connection with the latest raids are that the German machines did not venture beyond the English coast, and that the areas in which they dropped their bombs lie within easy distance of the Belgian ports which are in German occupation. Walmer is only a little over 60 miles away from Ostend. The journey from the Belgian coast to Lowestoft is somewhat longer but is to be traversed in an hour, or little more, by a swift aeroplane, Probably, though at the moment there is no definite statement to this effect, the raiders approached thenobjective flying at a. great height. So long as they do this, and are content to limit their attacjc to areas in the immediate neighbourhood of the coast, they are really facing no very serious danger. The big point in their favour, assuming the condi-' tions stated to be'satisfied, is that they , almost necessarily have a long start of any British aeroplanes setting out in pursuit. Unless they are seen and intercepted by aerial patrols en route, or on approaching their objective, the raiders have to reckon only upon the pursuit of aeroplanes rising from some of the English coast stations. # it

The margin In favour of the raiders must, of course, diminish as they venture to descend from high to lower altitudes in order to do more effective i bomb-dropping or to pass over tho inland areas of England away from the coast. In either case the effect would be to give the defending aeroplanes more time to rise in pursuit, and so improve their prospects of intercepting the raiders and bringing them to action. Raiding Lowestoft and Walmer, the German airmen seem to have acted on the principle of "safety first" and last. v Their achievement was a swift approach to the English coast, some hurried bomb-dropping, and a hasty retreat. In these and their few previous daylight raids 011 England, the Germans have shown no desire to emulate the bold deeds of French and British airmen who have repeatedly _ flown far within the enemy's lines and stooped to within a few hundred feet of an objective to discharge their deadly cargo. Bold tactics of this character, besides defying enemy gunfire, invite and challenge pursuit. The! German aviators who have visited England in daylight are evidently anxious above all things to evade pursuit,, and so long as they make this their chief aim it will not, of course, be easy to catch them. Improvements in aerial scouting and in methods of communications may ultimately make it possible to weave a net for their capture, but meantime consolation must be sought in the fact that such limited and hasty raids arc not likely, except by chance, to achieve results of any great importance. On available evidence the damage done in the latest raids was insignificant as compared with that done in a normal visitation of the night-raid-ing Zeppelins. Had the enemy aeroplanes ventured sixty or seventy miles further west, to Lonclon, there might have been another story to toll, but attempting so much it is likely that they would not have returned.

* * t Some further particulars of the raids are given in a War Office dispatch just received,.which shows that at Walmer the Germans so far departed from the policy of caution as to descend to a height of 350 feet. The aeroplanes which visited Lowestoft after circling over the town for a few minutes rapidly rose to a great height and departed. More daring was apparently shown at Walmer, but there also the raiders made off well in the pursuing British machines. Descending as low as they did at Walmer, aha venturing further inland, the Germans would have given the defending aeroplanes an excellent chance of cutting them off. As it was, the raiders kept an open line of retirement by venturing no further than the coast, and in these circumstances a brief start served them as well as a longer ono would have done.

An opinion that great events are astir, or pending, on the Flanders front is to sonic extent strengthened to-day, though news on the subject is meagre. The German threat against the Ypres salient is emphasised in the announcement by Sin Douglas Haig that while the enemy has been repulsed in attacks elsewhere he has seized an unimportant advanced post south-east oi Boesinghe, that say, at about tho point where the salient turns into the battie-front oh the north, 'the German version of the matter is: "We stormed 350 yards of British trenches on the Yser Canal. Attempts at recapture failed." This, seems t<> bo an occasion on which it is necessary to somewhat discount the British report. In so critical an area it is at least doubtful whether any position can be regarded as really unimportant. It is established, at all events, that the Germans in their rcccnt assaults havo gained some ground both south and north of the salient. They are concentrating to some extent against the "neck, in which a salient is most vulnerable, and the probability stands that they arc developing, or contemplate, n still more powerful assault. •

More evidence on the subject is to be found in the report of a Gcrnnn Attack upon the Yser Canal at Steenstracte, P> little way north of Boosinghe. The attack, though defeated, was evidently pressed with great determination. Stoenstraete will to remembered as a scene of desperato fighting in the great battle on tho Yser in the spring of last year. Il \vas in,this area that the Germans for u, time gained a footing on Lhu western side of tho canaL

To what extent the Russian victorv at Erzerum is to influence the war must depend largely upon action in other theatres, which has yet to take visible shape. But while there is' some rather extravagant comment and speculation on the subject today, tho prospects opened by tho victory arc not less bright than they have been. Quite apart from speculative comment, there is a body of news amplifying the story of the Russian achievement aiul telling of the progress of the pursuit, which has now been carried into areas far beyond Erzerum. Accounts of great captures of artillery and prisoners speak for themselves, but some details of the pursuit deserve particiK lar attention. It is mentioned that the Russians have carried by assault Mush and Akhlat. These places are about 80 miles south of Erzerum. They lie some 40 miles apart, Akhlat at the north-western corner of Lake Van, and Mush due west. On this section of the front the Russians are striking south, and definition is thus given to the statement made in a communique yesterday, that the rurks_ are retreating in various directions. Simultaneously with their movement to the south, the Russians are pursuing another body of Turks west from Erzerum, and apparently a move is also being made north and west towards Trebizond, the Black Sea port which was recently bombarded by Russian warships. Allowance must always be "made for the fac„ that_ in the disorganisation of the Turkish eastern armies, which has resulted from the fall of Erzerum, the_ Russians may extend their pursuit into areas they are not at present capable of holding. Some sort of return sweep may conceivably be witnessed when t.he Turks have reorganised and reinforced their beaten armies, unless, indeed, action by the Allies else whore makes such a reorganisation and reinforcement impossible.

But at the moment the whole effect of the news is that the Russians are setting themselves to master and occupy the Armenian plateau, north, west, and south of Erzerum. -Particular interest attaches to the threat against Trebizond. If the Russians can seize and operate this port their transport difficulties will be materially relieved, so far at least as their northern forccs in Asia ■ Minor arc concerned. The movement south i# way of Mush and Akhlat, also promises interesting developments. Ninety miles south and west of Mush is Diarbekr, the site of the richest copper-mine in Turkey, and it is to_ this place that some of the Turks in the region, arc retiring, while others are retreating upon Kharput, a hundred miles west of Mush.

Nothing more is claimed in the Russian dispatches than that the army of the Geand Duke Nicholas ought to be fihnly established on the Armenian plateau beforo the Germans and Turks are able to reorganise their broken array. To Ihia end the Ghand Duke has taken up his quarters at Erzerum, and his troops are swiftly extending their area of occupation. So muqh depends, as has been said, upon the extent to which the Allies elsewhere second the great blow struck by the Russians in Armenia that a revtain margin must be left open in considering future possibilities. Tho statement of that the fall of Erzerum leaves Asiatic Turkey exposed to Russia is not warranted by visible facts. 'Even the more modest suggestion, in a messago from . Petrograd, tbat the fall of the fortress is likely to compel the Turks to restrict themselves to the defence of Turkey must await the test of events. It is obviously in this direction, however that events _ are pointing. The Turkish defensive organisation has been shattered in a vital section. With Erzerum, Armenia has 'been lost, perhaps irretrievably, and it is likely to put a strain on Turkish resource* to hold the Russians in cheek in their extended area of occupation.

It is- now to be : seen how the Allies a• P this condition of affairs, and on the whole the outlook promises well. • There is no need to traverse all the messages on the subject in detail, but one or two outstanding items may be noted. Along with further statements that Rumania is likely to intervene, it is suggested that the Russian concentration in Bessarabia will enable Rumania to pay chief, attention to the Bulgarian frontier. An army of 130,000 Serbs, drilled and at Corfu, is said to be miy to reinforce the Allies on the mainland, presumably at Salonika, The outlines are thus indicated of an offensive campaign -against vhich the enemy would in all likelihood be hard put to it to make head. Whether the Allies intend to take action on .the lines indicated, tha Russians in Bessarabia, the Rumaruans, and the Allies at Salonika, striking forward simultaneously, remains to_ be seen, but. unmistakably the Russian stroke in Armenia doe* much to pave the way for action on these lines, and so raises a probability that it will be taken. It is, ?[ co . luse > a factor of importancn that the preoccupation of the Turks in their eastern provinces is likely result in releasing a proportion of the British troops now in Egypt. When the Allies havo taken powerful and concerted action in the Balkans, it will be time enough to talk'about Asiatic Turkey lying exposed to a Russian approach from the east.

The futility of American diplomacy has not often been better exemplified tha'n in MR. Lansing's bo lated protest against the Ameniati atrocitics. • When a great part of Armenia lay under Turkey's heel, America had nothing to say. Now that, victorious Russian armies are sweeping through the stricken land with every prospect of setting a poriod to its woes, America inter' venes with words. Even so, tho words, as Mr. Lansing is cju'eful to explain, are unofficial." Why such a shadow of intervention should have been set in contrast to the actual and purposeful intervention of the Russians only the American Government can explain.