PROGRESS OF THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2764, 6 May 1916, Page 6

PROGRESS OF THE WAR

■ » ' Now that the Imperial Government has made the plunge, general compulsion is apparently being accepted in Great Britain as a. matter of course. The Military Service Bill, imposing tho obligation to serve on all fit men of-military age, whether they are married or single, has passed its second reading in tho House of Commons with only 36 "votes cast against .it, • Nearly three times as many votes were cast, in the test division, against the first Military' Scrvico Bill, which applied compulsion io single' men. The vote in favour, of that Bill, was also larger than lias been cast for- the present' measure, but it may be taken for granted that no really determined opponents of general compulsion refrained from voting in the division which is reported to-day.' It is'likely that not a few opponents of compulsion share the opinion expressed by Sin John Simon, that', tho present' Bill follows logically upon the one which was passed in January, and that opposition to the departure contemplated is rapidly dwindling away in facc oi, the 'Government's action. There is much reason to' doubt whether this opposition" ever had any really representative quality. ' Compulsion has been loudly denounced by doctrinaires in. Pai> liament and in allegedly representative Labour assemblies, it has never been shown that it is Opposed or disliked by ,any large number-of the general public whom it concerns. Tho justification pf compulsion is

that every decent man is and should bo willing to take his part in tho common' task of- fighting for his country, and that compulsion is the only way in which the task can bo fairly apportioned. Like every other measure of State., regulation, compulsion involves an ..interference with the liberty of the -subject, but instead of being unjust it is the only just method of dealing with the problems of scrvicc which arise in war. It is absolutely just, provided always that it is general, and injustice enters only' when it is ma do less-than general. -.

The present trend of events in Great Britain is an object lesson-to all hesitating politicians with great affairs to handle in time of war. The only effective criticism which is being levelled at the Imperial Government is that it has delayed unduly in proposing tho one .riieasure which will enable the nation' to put its full weight into the war. To this chargo there docs not seem to be any answer, but indications at the moment arc that Britain will now be able to get on with tho war, assisted by a-considerable clearance of the political misunderstandings and infelicities which have done a good deal to hamper its past efforts. The adoption of general compulsion ' in Great-Britain means a notable and very real accession of strength to tho Allies. Not only will it solve ■the most serious recruiting problems at a stroke, but tho moral cffect on friends and foes will.be immensely important. To our Allies the step Great Britain is taking will be an additional guarantee of victory." To our enemies it ttill' be an additional guarantee of defeat.

Foe the reason that the Western theatre may at any time witness a blaze of conflict which will dwarf even the Battle of Verdun, 'interest attaches to anything in the news that can be regarded as in the nature of a portent. The day's news contains one or two items which may be classed in this category. /They are not perhaps of any very definite value, but they contain an element of suggestion. A statement made incidentally by Me. Asquith, in speaking at : tho annual meeting-of the Belgian Belief Committee, looks like. a . promise of early action. He said, it is reported, that ho hoped the -Allies would soon relieve the Belgian people from their present tyranny., This is a statement of which too much might easily be .made, but at this -stage, and in the light of recant events, it is just possible that .it contains, a,.bint that the Allies, are on the eve of a great offensive stroke. . Items..like those which tell of a great movement and concentration '-of German; ti'oops : iri Belgium and 0n..-the Mouse cannot .be taken at their face .value, and the same applies to an unofficial report that the civilian population is quitting Metz,-. It need' not.-'be doubted,' •however, that .the Germans';are .bestirring themselves in thfc Western, theatre; and making all possible preparations to resist attack. Day by day i t becomes Jess-. likely ', that they will risk another. x ofiensive..in the West, and'they must, of course, expect to be attacked. Whether or not ithe Allies intend to make' a bid this year for decisiye victory it is tolerably certain that .the year will, bs one .of unprecedented'conflict.

Another..reference, to-the war by'a British Minister,, is re-ported'to-day v/hich deserves attention.ln one passage of his' Speech Service 'Bill, -. Lloyd , George dealt with .the necessity of attacking the' "enemy in greatly superior numbersi . The striking feature of' this passage is the very guarded tone taken by the Minister of Munitions in speaking about the improvement llussia has effected in. her military, organisation';, since .;' the disastrous days of-last year/' Russia's comparative failure last year, he said,'was "due-to lack of equipment, and although there had been an improvenyjnt, until llussia' was able to fully equip her men it-was essential that France and Britain should-put every available man into the field forthwith. Head literally, this means that France and. Britain must put •forth their full l strength, not in any hope of early victory, but in order to keep the enemy engaged and relieve pressure on Russia until that country in turn is. able to exert her full powers. If this'is'..'the position, and quite possibly it is, tho day when the Allies will sweep victoriously through Belgium may bo somewhat imore distant than the remark attributed to Mr. • Asquith njight seem to suggest.

It would be unprofitable to pursue speculation on these lines much further. With so much hidden that affects the major issues of the .war there is nothing for it but to patiently await developments. But it is a fact to be kept in mind that-the" strength and' standing of Russia ,must to a very important extent govern and determine-the activities of "the • Western Allies ' this year. Powerful offensive action by Russia on her southern front would in all likelihood have the effect of bringing in Rumania and paving the way for action by the Allies in and through the Balkans. With" the war developing on these lines the AustroGcrmans. would be reduced to defensive tactics on all fronts, and the end would be in sight. It will not bo in sight, however, until Russia is in a condition to co-operate with her Allies in " full vigour and strength. We have had assurances on this point, from Russian- Ministers and'others, which seem to warrant a more hopeful estimate of Russia's present strength than is,indicated in Mil. Lloyd George's remarks, but only v time and events bring the truth: of the matter Vo light. •'

Where actual fighting is concerned no exceptional development' is' disclosed on tho 'Western' front at timo writing. At Verdun the French retain tho initiative, and tho Geririans admit a loss of ground on the slopes of Dead Man's Hill. They report also tho failure of .-a-British .attack north-west of Lens,-but British official reports: indicate tTiat rccent activities have hcen confined to minor raiding attacks on the enemy's lines, and that they have achieved a fair measure of success.

That Germany's monster airships are ill fitted to stand the bui'fetings of wind and weather is once again exemplified in the fate of L2O, wrecked and destroyed oa' tho coast of Norway. Whether she was damaged in the first -instance" by British gunfire seems to be uncertain, but bad weather alone may"easily have been the cause ofher destruction.-It is not the first time .a. Zeppelin has come to- such an end. Jj2o, it is said, was aii airship-of'the largest-size Her length, 050 ft., equalled that nf the super-Dreadnought Queen Elizabath., She, was thus nearly a hundred feet' longer than the battleOriiiser NeiiY Zieiland'. Much" has

been said recently about the rapid increase of the' Zeppelin fleet, -but it is doubtful if the total number is very large. It is not .merely n: matter of building' the Zeppelins" them-, selves. Each of the ships has to be provided";with a shed, and a shod capable of, holding a mammoth like the L2O is not' to be constructed either cheaply or very rapidly. It i| stated, too, that Germany has adopted the plan of maintaining some sheds in Belgium in which the airships shelter only when taking in fuel for a voyage to.', England At other times they are housed in sheds in Germany not so easily approached by Allied aviators. By using the a'epot sheds in Belgium, the airships are able to carry a greater weight of explosives than if they had to carry fuel for a, longer journey. This' policy involves .an additional call upon labour aiuf building materials, and further •'limits : tlin possible numerical strength of the Zeppelin fleet.

It is reported from Salonika, not I officially, that the French have occupied Fiorina, a place on the Greek frontier adjacent to the railway which _ runs across it to Monastir. This, if true, is very important. It would imply that tho'Allics a'ro making ready for a forward move. ■ The Monastir railway is not a very, good line of advance into Serbia,-hut it will be the natural policy of the Allies, when they take the. offensive, to attack the enemy simultaneously at a number of points, so as to divide his forces, and with a view to'Rtriking at hip' communications. F ; rom fins, point of view the Monastir railway is important. _ The occupation of Fiorina would imply also that Greece is either well under controlof is taking a more reasonable view of her relations with the Allies than she was reported to be doing recently when the passage of the Serbian Army over the Greek railways was under discussion.