PROGRESS OF THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2777, 22 May 1916, Page 4

PROGRESS OF THE WAR

There is a pause, but plainly it is only a temporary pause, in the great Austrian offensive against the Italian lines stretching through the Trentino east and west of. Lake Garda. Everything points to a tremendous struggle in this region, and it would seem that something in the nature of a surprise has been sprung upon our Allies. It will be observed that the messages emphasise the furious nature of the Austrian artillery bombardments, and when consideration is given to the mountainous nature of the country over which the operations are spread, and tho difficulties of transporting heavy ' artillery one is set wondering. We know that the Italians have done marvellous things in the way of conveying heavy guns to seemingly inaccessible points; moreover, owing to the configuration of tho country, they have better lines of communication to tho frontier than arc available to the enemy on t!,e Trentino. Yet during the ter months, when active fighting was practically at a standstill, the Austrian would seem to have succeeded in outmatching tho Italians in this region in the matter of artillery preparation. It is true that the Italian report,;, claim that their main defensive lino is intact, and it may be that their advanced posts were not strongly, held, but the Austrian figures reporting the capture' of 10,000 prisoners and 60 guns hardly bear out this view of the situation, arid so far no attempt has been made to contradict these figures.

Two points are worth noting. The first is the statement of the Giomale d'ltalia, to the effect that Macedonia has been denuded of Austrian troops, and that the Russian front has also been weakened- for the purpose of bringing troops for this offensive against Italy. This may or may not be true, but it at least suggests that in Italy the Austrian offensive is regarded as a serious effort of the enemy, backcd by heavy forces. The other point is contained in' the Rome message, which states that the fighting is mostly on Austrian territory. Almost from the outset of tho war the fighting has been wholly on Austrian teritory—or so the - messages have led us to believe—and the admission now that in the present offense the fighting is partly on the Italian side of tne frontier may have significance. It may, of . course, mean little, for at many points tho Italians have penetrated but a short distance. into the mountain ranges which offer so formidable a barrier to an advance into Austria; but the fact, _ nevertheless, should be noted as indicating that our Allies, despite their splendid achievements" have mado little progress in this region towards pressing back the enemy's line.

Taking the position at its worst, however, and accepting- the Austrian version as being a correct presentation of events, there is nothing in tho news to hand to suggest that the main Italian defences against invasion are yet seriously threatened. That the Italians have been forced to fall back at certain points is clear enough, but in the mountainous country in which tho fighting is taking place tho advantage fluctuates to one side or the other, as the configuration of the ground changes. The Italians took many months to traverse a few miles across tho mountains in fa"e of the Austrian resistance. Each pass ind valley had to be .won by desperate fighting, and tho Austrians arc not likely to find the task of driving back our Allies over the dame country any easier. This -should give tho Italian commander ample time to add to the strength of bis forces in this region should it be necessary. Italy can spare more nun for tho Trentino than can Austria. It is noteworthy that in the' Valley of the Sugana, through the greater part of which runs a branch railway from tho Austrian base at the fortified . town of ; Trent, the enemy are reported to have been everywhere repulsed. This is certain to have been one of the' main points of attack.

The reason for this great Austrian offensive in the Trentino is difficult to get at. Thero _should be little danger of the Italians making any great progress in this region under the conditions which exist there, and it would bo thought that with the pressure on her forces in other directions, Austria would find it a sound policy to act on the defensivo there. With comparatively few troops acting oil the defensivo she might hold the Trelitino for months, while at the same time keeping occupied a much larger body of attacking Italians. Why, then, should sho attempt a costly offensive, for to attack there must prove costly? The reason may perhaps be found in the lccenfc closer understanding between Italy and her Allies. It has been stated that as tho result of tho Paris Conference a better understanding was arrived at as to the disposition of troops along the Allied fronts, and it is bv no means unlikely that Italy has already, moved some of her forces or was about to move them to some frontier whore they might bo expected to be of greater service than struggling against the mountain barrier along the northern Italian front. To pievcnt the transfer of troops say, to Valona, where the Italians have established a powerful base ready for a move in the Balkans-to prevent a move in this or some similar direction,, the- natural course would be an offensive by Austric. at soma chosen spot likely to show immediate results. Certainly there is something, more than appears on the surface in this latest Austrian offensive. It probably is aimed more at the general plans of the Allies than at the northern frontier of Italy.

Wc have been told so often through Dutch sources of fending German movements in Belgium and along the Western front which never materialised that we may reasonably view with suspicion the story supplied us this morning concerning further laige concentrations of German troops along the British front. Particularly may we doubt such detailed statements as that which informs us that 20,000 fresh troops have been sent to La Bassee,. and that the greatest activity is between Ypres and Lens. One naturally wonders ivho inspires these stories; and it is somewhere north of Ypres or south of Lens that one's thoughts turn to rather than to the portion of tho line suggested as most likely to bo attacked. There is a stirring story to-day giving details of the achievement of tlx; Lancashires a few days ago near Viiny—which, by the way, is just south of Lens. • Tho capture of certain cratcrs at this point was something more than a dashing exploit. It, served to introduce a new type of British machine gun which seems to have fully realised expectations, and it securcd a position for the British line which evidently is regarded as being of considerable

local importance. We may expect to hear of further fighting in this locality for the mastery of this coveted position.

_ The attempt to break the Belgian line at Stcenstraatc and Hetsaas, on the Yser Canal—both places aro north of Yprcs—recalls the fact that in a previous effort at this point some months ago the Geimans came very near to scoring a success which' might have had serious consequences. It will be remembered that they succeeded in crossing the canal, and it looked like a clean break through tho Allied line, but reinforcements were rushed up in the nick of time. On the present occasion the attempt was a complete failure. Around Verdun, more especially to tho north-west of tho fortress, there has been renewed fighting of a desperate nature. The Germans are still striking at tho western approach to Hill 304, and incidentally threatening other French positions to the east. The French account of this fighting speaks of desperate attacks on Hill 287 (to the north-west of Hill 304 and Mort Homme), while the German account localises the attack at Haucourt, which is the same thing for the purposes of identification. According to the French account, two separate attacks were made, each with 15,000 troops. Tho first 19,000 was shattered so badly that a fresh force of similar strength was brought up, and the only result to compensate for a further heavy loss was the capture of what is described as a small field work. .The Germans claim that they captured some trenches, which perhaps sounds bigger, and means the same thing. Tho persistence with which these costly attacks against the same positions aro .maintained by tho enemy cannot be ignored. They must purely cover some deeper design than'is apparent.

A late message brings news of further desperate fighting around Morfc Homme, in whioh tho Germans gained a little ground, at terrible cost. At one stage of the attack the enemy got as far as tho French second line trenches, and paid dearly for their enterprise. There is also reference to fighting along the British .front, but nothing of outstanding importance is recorded. It is plain, however, that instead of slackening off the German offensive in the West is again' becoming aggressive.

Whatever the Turks may be preparing for in the way of an attack on_Egypt it plainly is tho policy of Britain to make matters as uncomfortable as possible for the enemy in advance. Following on the recent land raid into tho deserts, a sea raid has now been carried out by British warships assisted by seaplanes and aeroplanes, on the Turkish jumping-off place along the eastern shores of the Mediterranean. It is. from El Arish, we have been told, that the Turks and their German masters are to make their move against the Suez Canal and Egypt, and El Arish and the troops gathered there have now been bombarded from tho sea and bombed from the air, apparently with considerable effect. The threat of an attack on Egypt may not be taken very seriously v/ith the Turks so fully occupied elsewhere, but it is just as well to take no risks of a surprise, and to miss no opportunity of harassing the enemy.