PROGRESS OF THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2765, 8 May 1916, Page 4

PROGRESS OF THE WAR

The destruction of Zeppelins has been proceeding apace lately, and now it is reported officially that two have been accounted for in as many days. One was brought down by British naval craft off the SchleswigHolstein coast on May 4, and another by British- and French warships at Salonika, early on the following morning. 'This makes a.total of five Zeppelins destroyed during the last few weeks. One was brought down by French gunfire near Verdun; another, after being damaged by British guns, fell in tho estuary of the Thames, and a third was wrecked on the coast of Norway a few.days ago. There may be another 1 addition to the list presently, for a Rotterdam report states that L 9 was ; sighted by fishermen in the North Sea, flying very slowly and apparently badly damaged. The Zeppelin destroyed off the Schlcs-wig-Holstein coast was L 7. Something like twenty of the big airships have been destroyed since tho war began, and though there has been time to make_ some of these losses good, the rapid rate of destruction recently attained has probably materially weakened the air-fleet by which the Germans set so much store.

Two light cruisers of the Arethusa type, thc_ Galatea and the Phaeton, divide with a submarine, tho credit for the achievement on tho Scbleswig coast. Few details are given as yet, but Admiral Jellicoe mentions in his report that the airship was apparently employed in scouting duty. From this it may be inferred that she was flying in good condition and at a considerable height, and excellent gunnery must have been required to bring her down. Tho submarine completed the. work of destruction, though a German cruiser succeeded in damaging her slightly before she got 'away with tho survivors of the Zeppelin crew as prisoners. Considering that they were operating in the near neighbourhood of a coast . which affords the enemy admirable opportunities of secreting naval force, the. British ships' put up a very fine performance. The affair at Salonika was spectacular. Though she approached in the darkness and was flying at a height of 7000 feet, the Zeppelin was at once caught by searchlights, and became the target for such a storm of incendiary and other shells from the Allied ships in Salonika harbour that her fate does not seem to have been for many minutes in doubt. It was good gunnery, and the incident should havo its due effect upon the Greeks, whom Germany has lately sought to terrorise by the threat of Zeppelin raids. *'*■..# #

Expedience both on land and sea has now demonstrated pretty convincingly that the fighting value of the Zeppelin is negligible. As information goes, the airships have very seldom taken risks, and the number destroyed probably bears a considerable proportion to the number exposed within striking distance of'an organised land or naval force. At all events, it is established that the Zeppelins are extremely vulnerable, and that their offensive power is small. Fancy pictures have, been drawn of Zeppelins playing an important part in a naval battTe, but they will fail to convince now that one of the airships has been brought clown by a couple of light cruisers in the near neighbourhood of stronger enemy force. The Salonika episode in its way is equally instructive. No Zeppelin is likely to como into conflict with a naval force under more favourable circumstances than attended the affair at Salonika. The airship, it is true, might have ' flown at a greater height, but bombdropping from an extreme elevation is a somewhat random business. Anti-aircraft guns are capable of effective work at a range equalling the utmost elevation any Zeppelin is likely to attain while attempting offensive operations. Aeroplanes have- been hit when flyin'g at a height of 10,500 feet, and a Zeppelin is, of course, a vastly better target than an aeroplane. Apart from the definite examples of Zeppelins being destroyed—one of them probably by land-batteries in England—the point has been emphasised in recent news that the squadrons raiding England have carefully avoided the locality of anti-aircraft batteries. Those batteries have lately been much improved, with the result that the raiders have sometimes been deterred from crossing the coast, and on other occasions have beaten a hasty retreat after being fired upon. It is recognised that the Zeppelin is of the utmost value as a naval scout, and that it is capable, in its own conditions, of doing a great deal of damage by indiscriminate bombdropping, hut as time goes on the fact becomes increasingly plain that it is not really entitled to rank as a fighting machine. I

When the last American Note was dispatched to Germany, about three weeks ago, it was announced as President Wilson's "last word"— ' a peremptory demand that Germany should cease her submarine piracy and murder of non-combatants, under penalty of a rupturo of diplomatic relations. Now that Germany has replied, the unending'stream of talk which America has thus far preferred to action seems to be fairly under way again. Germany has . agreed to eliminate the piratical | features of her submarine campaign, but on condition that America should insist upon Great Britain conducting her blockade "in accordance with the rights of neutral shipping." This may be taken to mean that Germany will desist from murdering Americans and other noncombatants if the United StiU/B wUI

undertake to induce Great Britain to let goods pass freely to and from Germany through neutral countries. Yet we arc told that President Wilson is likely to accept the German promises, though whether he will make overtures to Great Britain in accordance with German desires is not known. If the facts are as reported,, 'the President's attitude is adequately summed up in the comments by American newspapers which are reported to-day. The New York Tribune, for example, declares that no country can submit to Germany's counter-ultimatum and preserve its self-respect. '

If the American Note was anything, it was an ultimatum—an ultimatum threatening a rupture of diplomatic relations, which is rather more than a halfway step to war, if Germany did not agree to forthwith discontinue her piratical campaign. Accepting anything less than uncon-' ditional submission to this demand, President Wilson is in the position of swallowing his own ultimatum. The Allied blockade is riot a new phenomenon. It was in forco precisely as it is now when Mn. Wilson dispatched his Note, and if he permits Germany now to drag in the Allied blockade as a distraction ho is simply demonstrating to tho world at large that his most solemn declarations and threats are trifles to be ignored. According to' one version, Mr. Wilson has . decided to accept the German Note as to the cessation of submarine warfare on its present lines, but will allow the condition relating to tho Allied blockade to remain in abeyance. It is added that if Germany- again breaks her promise by sinking merchantmen diplomatic relations will be broken off forthwith. This implies that Mr. Wilson is bent upon accepting what has not been offered. Germany, as. reports stand, has not _ offered to modify her submarine warfare unconditionally, and if these reports are accurate, to suggest that she has is merely shuffling.

Possibly the United States may bo given a lead by ■ one of the Latin republics—over whom it is 'supposed to watch with a solicitude almost paternal. It was reported on Saturday that a Brazilian steamer had been torpedoed, and that while the Government had ordered an urgent inquiry the newspapers were calling upon the President of Brazil to rise to the level of his country's destinies. This may be rhetoric, but it is to be remembered that many German ships- arc interned in Brazilian-and other American ports. Being injured by Germany, Brazil has an easy way of securing redress. The German ships are in her hands, Germany cannot reach her, and if she declares war on Germany and seizes the ships she can no doubt be assured of making peace in such powerful company as to be secured against the risk of ultimate reprisals. A touch of. covetousness as well, as natural resentment may have something to do with the tone, taken by tho Brazilian newspapers. It is not unlikely, of course, that Germany may seek to placate Brazil by offering the fullest possible reparation. _ The republic as certainly in a position to take a very much firmer tone than has been taken by tho United States.' : ''

'■■■ Should the United States go to extremes with Germany, of whichthere seems little likelihood at present, this also would have the effect of making available a considerable amount of shipping now tied up'in port. Sixty-four German and Austrian ships now held in United States harbours represent between £20,000,000 and £25,000,000 of Teutonic wealth. The ships include the Vaterland and other great transAtlantic liners, and. they i represent a gross tonnage, of 527,298. .. As American policy shapes the danger to the German shipping in United States harbours is not, perhaps, great, .but it has been recognised by the Germans themselves. Not'long ago Professor Hans Delbruck wrote: "There is, moreover, always the clanger of conflict with America, which, without declaring war on us, holds a. very valuable pawn in tho great German mercantile fleet now lying idle in American harbours. Have we not just read that Portugal has seized our German ships in her harbours?"

At time of writing no event of major importance is reported in the land war. Tho Allies have gained minor successes at several points in the Western theatre, and on the Verdun front the Germans have effected a slight advance at Hill HO4. This is a position west of the Meuse, immediately west of Dead Man's Hill, There is mention of a very heavy German bombardment, on portion of the Verdun front, to which tho French are making a lighter reply. It is added, however, that the French bombardment/suffices to hold the enemy's troops in check. These arc, generally, the conditions that havo obtained throughout the battle, and'that the.French are still serving their guns with an eye to economy does not necessarily mean that they are at all in difficulties, or that tho conflict is likely to be resumed on' its former scale.'

Details of •: the engagement in which ,a liner, the Clan M'Fadyen, beat off an attacking submarine in the Bay of Biscay, include a statement that the submarine was probably sunk. The underwater craft was struck by several shells from the big gun carried by the liner, so that she was very possibly destroyed. If she was, this is the iii'st recorded instance in which a submarine has been sunk by the gunfire of a merchant ship, though there have been cases of successful ramming by merchantmen. The report incidentally suggests that some at least of the submarines now in commission are no more powerful than the craft which conducted last year's campaign. It is stated that the assailant of the Clan M'Fadycn fired sixty shells at a range of fifty yards. If these particulars are correct, the gun carried by the subma. rino must havj been small.