PROGRESS OF THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2738, 5 April 1916, Page 4

PROGRESS OF THE WAR

French and German accounts of the recent fighting at Verdun are not in perfect harmony, but the essential fact seems to stand undisputed that, in spite of costly and unsparing efforts on their part, entailing a prodigal sacrifice of hves_, the Germans have made no material headway since they captured the village of Malancourt a day or two ago. A Berlin communique seeks to impart importance to some slight gams of ground effected by,the Germans on Sunday last ill the area east of the. Mouse, between Douaumont and Vaux, but French reports, describing this fighting in much greater detail, indicate that the line in this quarter remains substantially as it was. That a severe strain was imposed on the defence is not denied. In the bombardment which preceded their infantry assaults, the Germans .ploughed up the ground of the French positions with twelveinch shells, and the infantry'assaults, when they came, were made in formidable strength. But _ the French met the enemy thrusts with a i\ilendidly stubborn resistance, and in places with counter-attacks, for which they olaim a considerable measure of success. The final Tesulfr seems to have been that the enemy gained the remaining houses of the village of Vaux—a great part of the village had been in his hands for weeks—and one corner of a wood immediately west, or west by north of the village. * * * »

As tho battle is developing at present the Germans are concentrating chiefly upon attempts to break into tho French defences at the opposite extremities of a northward-facing section of front, about twelve miles long, which is divided by the Eiver Meuse into two roughly equal portions. Malancourt is at the western extremity, and the'other extremity 'touches the area, between Forts Douaumont and Yaux, which has witnessed the heaviest fighting covered by reports in hand. If they could drive home one or both of their flanking attacks, the Germans would compel a retirement of the whole twelve-mile northern front, but French reports' are definite in declaring that on both the flanks which have been so heavily assaulted the essential defences are sound and intact. The general claim gains colour and support from available detail news. As reports stand, the enemy has not succeeded in improving his position in the Malancourt area since capturing that village; his further attacks have been repulsed. Much the same appears to bo true at the moment of the Vaux sector, the other. extremity of the twelve-mile northern front. Indications are that the enemy is still/ firmly'held in this quarter after achieving gains of ground which in themselves are insignificant. Time only will show how far these conditions are stable and likely _*o last, but that tho enemy has achieved so little after such costly and determined efforts already says a great deal for the valour and tenacity with which the French are defending their lines. °** ■ * #

A report jusfc. received tells of sorao further minor fluctuations of front in which an clement of give and take appears. West of the Meuse, about half-way between Malancourt and the river, the French hare retired from the north to the south bank of the Forges brook, a small tributary of the Meuse. This looks rather like an adjustment of line made necessary by the loss of Malancourt. East of the Mouse the {French have gained ground in successful counter-attacks. They have recaptured the western portion of the village of Vaux, and driven the enemy to the outer conlines of the nearby Caillctte Wood, of which he had occupied one corner.

The' Allied Conference at Paris seems to have displeased the Gprman Press, and it has drawn from the semi-official Cologne Gazette some general observations upon the war which are not without interest of a kind. Feeling, evidently,, that tho historic gathering at Paris and its outcome must be depreciated and minimised somehow, the Gazette remarks that the Conference cannot change the fact that the English arc unable and unwilling to sufficiently help the Fvonch, England's Army, it adds, cannot liberate the French

from their present plight, much less attempt to drive back the Germans. Finally, the Gazette declares that it is impossible to bring Germany to defeat by economic pressure. As a statement of the German case and of German hopes this is singularly weak; in fact, it is not so"much making out a case for Germany as giving her case away. first thought it awakens is that if the French were in the desperate plight implied, it would hardly be necessary to lay_ so much emphasis upon the resisting (as against the offensive) power of. the German armies, and the alleged ability of ] Germany to -withstand economic pressure. Attempting to face both ways in this fashion, the Cologne Gazette inspires a suspicion that it does not really know which way to look for comfort, and such a state of mind in the semi-official German organ _ deserves a certain amount of i attention.

Such wild and unqualified generalisations as the Coloyne Gazette has advanced are foolish whatever way they tend, but there are certain definite aspects of the war outlook at [ the present time which go far to warrant a hopeful estimate of Allied prospects in the decisive struggle which by common consent is now approaching. In the first plac<), tho French have never given sucii uni mistakable tokens of unßf oken ctrength and spirit as they are giving at the present moment. It is admittedly a perfectly open question whether the Germans have reached the limits of achievement at Verdun. But even if they are able to make | considerable headway from the point now reached, they may find themselves'at the end of their endeavour worse instead of better off. With tho past experience of the war and what is known of the past and present relative strength of the belligerents for guidance, we may safely accent the view that tho French are fighting a defensive battle at Verdun as a matter of deliberate policy and choice. There is no warrant, for misgivings as to their present plight. As to the future the task of smashing the resistance of the German armies and subjecting them to crushing defeat obviously opens up problems about which little can be known in advance. But it is meantime a fact with a decidedly hopeful bearing upon future prospects that the Germans are squandering tens of thousands of lives in an offensive in which their prospects of decisive advantage seem infinitesimal. We know, not as a matter of conjecture but definitely, that the Allies are not putting forth anything like their full strength in coping with tho enemy offensive. All ..visible evidence warrants the statement that the Germans have never embarked .upon any major enterprise with poorer prospebts of decisive success than in the assault of Verdun. That they are persevering in this apparently, hopeless enterprise suggests strongly that they feel it necessary, at all costs, to anticipate the concerted offensive for which the Allies are maturing their preparations. Clearly the Germans are gaining little by their present costly efforts, and it is impossible to imagine why they should .continue these efforts iunless it is assumed that they look forward with appreherfsion to a war of defence,

JtucH the most illuminating comment yet made upon the state . of tension existing in Holland comes from the Paris Matin. Holland, it ••emarks, knows that she has nothing to fear from England, but there has been much talk among neutrals of an Allied offensive in great force, as a sequel to the Paris Coference, and it is likely that Holland has' examined the indirect consequences to her of such an enterprise. This is strictly reasonable, and affords a plausible explanation both of the military measures .lately taken in Holland, and of excitement in _ the Dutch population. One possibility which Holland is bound to consider is that if Germany is forced to retreat in the Western theatre to her own frontiers,'; she may attempt ,to secure, her right flank by driving north through Holland to the sea. As a matter of seif-preservation, Holland is bound to take precautions well in advance against any move of this kind by Germany, and it is very probable that she is doing so. \

Further dealing with the recent Zeppelin raids are chiefly interesting in the indications they afford of the improving efficiency of the British anti-aircraft artillery. It is true that some pf the airships apparently ventured to fly low, but doing so they met .such a storm of five as compelled them to depart at speed, and in some instances to drop their bombs at random as an aid to rapid ascension., One German _ report upon the raids has been given the lie by the British War Office. Another awaits similar treatment.

A very fine spirit is displayed by the Prime Minister of Serbia, who no doubt speaks/with full authority on behalf of his nation, in the statement that the Serbian Army is eager to fight again, when and in whatever direction it is sent. Undoubtedly it is by placing themselves unreservedly at the disposal of the Entente that the Serbs will best promote their own ultimate interests as well as assist the common cause. It would not have been altogether surprising if they had urged that the reconquest of Serbia should bo the first enterprise attempted by the Allies in the Balkans, and had insisted upon reserving themselves for that enterprise. That they have done neither one thing nor the other proves that their tragic misfortunes have not fihein of the ability to take long views. Serbian and Entente prospects in the Near East are materially improved by the decision which M. Pasitch has made known. It means that, instead .of being tied down to an inevitable programme, the Allies are -free to employ a powerful force unhampered by political considerations, and solely with an eye. to military results. The prospect of effective action against the enemy in ihe Near East .is in this way .notably improved, and M. Pasitch is evidently one of those who believe that such action will not be long delayed.