PROGRESS OF THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2703, 24 February 1916, Page 4

PROGRESS OF THE WAR

It would be much easier to understand the policy pi the Germans in the Yyestein theatre iit the present time if it could bo Assumed that they still had such great reserves to draw upon as to be able to contemplate an offensive upon a grand scalc. Their widely scattered local attacks might then be regarded as' intended to mask preparations for assault upon a greater scale. But the weight of evidence is that the Germans are in worse case than they have ever been, owing to the way in which tho balance of strength has turned against them, to abandon the shelter of their fortified lines and attempt to force a decisive battle. Tho lino of action they have lately followed is therefore somewhat, puzzling, and admilis of nu i very certain conclusion as to tho ob-

jeefc aimed at. Another _ great assault upon the Ypres salient would he understandable, because in that area the enemy may conceivably hopo to achieve results of considerable value by -action on a more limited scale than would be involved in a general offensive. If the Germans could contrive to flatten the Ypres salient there would be a moral effect to be reckoned unon, and ill addition the Allies would'be deprived of a position which may be useful as tho starting point of an offensive movement later on. It is not so easy to see what the Germans hope to gain by the renewed resort to scattered attacks which is disclosed in the news to-day. There is-no mention at the moment of any further attempt to break into the Allied lines in the Ypres neighbourhood, but new local attacks have been launched on other suctions of the front, notasly at Givenchy (south-west o} Lens), north of Verdun, and in Alsace, near the Swiss frontier.

In Southern Alsace the enemy attacks seem to have been repelled easily, but in the other areas mentioned they were developed in formidable strength and achieved not altogether insignificant results. North of Verdun something in the nature of a continuous battle appears to be in progress. In one assault in this area the Germans penetrated to the , French supporting trenches, and though they .were driven back for a distance, remain in possesion of a section of the front line. Later attacks ,in the Eame neighbourhood are reported to have completely failed. As reports go it was against the French positions in the Bois do Givenchy that the Germans launched the most important and formidable attack of their latest series. An immediate explanation of their activity in this region is to be found in anxiety for the safety of their communications. When the Allied offensive in Northern France last year was brought to a halt the French were practically in touch with the last defences of Lens, which -is a highly important railway junction, situated about midway between Arras and La Bassee, and the position has not since been materially altered. Attacking the French at Givenchy tbo Germans presumably hoped to extend and strengthen their defensivo organisation around Lens. Tb'c circumstances of their attack make it unlikely that they had any' mqro ambitious purpose -in view. Formidable as it was it was developed on a very limited front, a trifle over half'a n-ile long, and it is necessary to attack on a much more extended .front, in order to achieve moro than local results.

Within its limits the attack on the Givenchy positions was evidently pressed'with great power and determination. Shells were rained in such volume upon the French trenches that those of the first line were completely wrecked. In their subsequent (assault the German infantry penetrated the French i supporting trenches, and o? these they still retain sonic sections. In its leading features this local battle seems to Lave been a miniature Neuve Chapelle, but the French artillery, as well as that of the enemy, was husy, and reports emphasise the losses sustained by the enemy under the fire, of the French guns. It is possible that the Germans have little cause for congratulation in their success, which amounts at best to the establishment of a small pocket ifi the French line. There is nothing to show that they attempted 'to spread the attack north or south. It ia mentioned, indeed, that the Germans exploded a mine at Roclincourt, a few miles south of Givenchy, but tho crater was occupied by the French. *f ft *

A message just received indicates that further French positions north of Verdun have been penetrated by the enemy, at the cost, it is stated, of considerable losses. The defences of Verdun have been thrown out in a widely-extended range of powerful ]/:ld fortifications, which are presumably not yet seriously affected. The Allies for the time arc leaving attack to the enemy, and in the outcome have suffered some nibbling _of their line. It cannot be assumed in this account, however, that tho in•itiative in the Western theatre has again been grasped By the enemy. There is no doubt that the Allies are in a position to retort heavily upon the enemy for the attacks they have lately endured, and their abstention meantime from such action can only be ascribed to deliberate policy. It is very possible that the enemy aims "at drawing prematurely an assault which the Allies' do not intend to launch until they are ready to'act, not in the Western theatre only, but in other areas of' war. Meantime, though the enemy is shown to havo gained some ground, it does not necessarily follow that he is materially better off as a result of his recent attacks. If his Josses have been, disproportionately high in comparison with those of the Allies he may even lie worse, off.-'

There has been no netffi for weeks of activity on the Isonzo front, where the Italians seem to have best prospects ol breaking through to an invasion of Attsfcria, but a communique from Rome to-day reports a renewal of the offensive in the mountains cast of Trent. Tho Italians are pressing forward in the Sugana Valley, and have captured and consolidated positions commanding Borgo, which place is about 18 miles away from the city of Trent, but less than half that distance from the outlying forts.

All reports agree that the Russians are vigorously extending their operations in Armenia. The latest development is tho sea transport of troops to the Black Sea coast, 70 miles east of Trebizond, presumably, to the minor port., of Antina. This place is only sixty miles distant from the Russian port _of Batain, which is a railway terminus. Meantime the Prussians are reported to be rapidly closing in on Trebizond, and possession of this port wouid further reduce the transport problems of their Armenian campaign

The brilliant success and extension of the Russian offensive lends double significance to the report fbat reinforcements' are still being wnt to Salonika, and that the latest draft includes a body of colonials, perhaps Australians or New Zealandcrs, though it has been suggested at times that Canadians also are likely to be employed in the southeastern campaign. It is not at all unlikely that the shattering dcfoifc inflicted upon the Turks in tl>eiv eastern provinces has already m<ido it. possible to transfer to Salonika some portion of the British fork's lately retained for the defence of Egypt- .. .

Details of the destruction of a Xappclii! in the area • south'weet of Verdun afford imures'sive cvidonco

of the developing efficiency of antiaircraft artillery. The airship .'was a naval Zeppelin of the latest type, and it was destroyed by ail incendiary shell when flying, in the hours of darkness, a l , a height of over 6000 feet. This was a very fine performance on the part of the French gunners, am' it holds a promise that Zeppelins will not much longer );c able to fly with impunity over Paris and London.

Extreme views are expressed by Coloskl' IkIHNGTOX in a "stocktaking" article, some 1 extracts from which were published as late \iews 'yesterday. He contends in brief that the numerical superiority of the Allies is not enough for a cleeisive victory, and that it is discounted by tho_ uneconomical distribution of their forccs in distant theatres. Confident dogmatism of this kind has a certain plausibility, but the military correspondent of the Times is in fact pretending to speak with finality upon questions which are essentially open. _ The subject of Germany's remaining reserves has' been frequently touched upon, and it need only he recalled at the moment, that Colonel Repington credits the enemy with much larger remaining resorves than other oxperts of high standing. In regard to the distribution of the Entente armies it is plain;that Colonel Hepington's opinion is diametrically opposed to that of the men who are conducting thi) war for the Entente. The two great altcrnatn'os of concentrating to the utmost possible extent and making use of such secondary opportunities as arise, no doubt • afford scope for a wide divergence of opin-t ion, but the extreme view stated by Colonel HijpiNGTON looks much less plausible and convincing now than it did some months ago. When the Serbian Army was reeling back under the concerted attack of the Aus-tro-Gormans, and the treacherous Bulgarians, and the Entente for the time .was powerless to aid its Ally, prospects of effective action in th<* Near East looked poor enough, but since then the situation has been transformed. A good deal depends upon such as yet undetermined factors as the decision of Eumunia for or against intervention, but even if Rumania elects to remain neutral, there are reasonably good prospects of cutting the German communications with Turkey and bringing that country, and perhaps Bulgaria as well, to submission. If, Rumania declares for intervention the greater urospnet will be opened of an immensely powerful assault upon the weakest flank of the Central Empires.