PROGRESS OF THE WAR.

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2777, 23 May 1916, Page 5

PROGRESS OF THE WAR.

■_ The centre of chief interest continues to be the big Austrian offensive against the Italians in the Trentino. Each day brings additional evidence that this offensive movement by the enemy is being pressed with great determination and in heavy force; and it is equally, plain that the Italians are so hard pressed' at some points that they haye been compelled to yield ground which in months past it cost them much effort to win. To-day's messages from Austria speak of further gains at various, points, mainly to the south and south-west of Rovereto. It would seem that the Italians, who a few days ago had •their advanced posts in touch with Rovereto, have been gradually forced back in this region towards their own frontier, the latest Austrian claim being that they have driven our Allies from the Borcola Pass. This is an important Pass near the frontier, some iailcs to the south-east of Rovereto. We may be certain that these claims are not under-stated, and it may be also taken for granted that, the Ausr trian offensive in this country' has been a costly one.

Itauan reports, while conceding the importance of the enemy's offensive, display no doubts as to the final issue. As at Verdun, and, indeed, in every important offensive in this war, it has been demonstrated that an offensive on a sufficiently large scale and adequately supported by artillery, can confidently expect some initial success, though it may be dearly bought. It is when the defenders have recovered from the first desperate onslaught, and have. settled down to\the struggle, that the real test begins. The Germans paid the price and gained an initial advantage at Verdun; but the Verdun offensive has now been pronounced a military failure. So with the Ausfcrians in the Trentino. They have gained an initial success, but the Italians arc confident of the final outcome. Already they report checks to the enqmy and the recapture 'of positions lost in the first great rush. It is too early yet, however, to attempt to estimate the real strength of the situation. The one thing that appears to be certain is that so far we have only witnessed the fluctuations of fortune in the opening stages of what promises to ba one of- the great battles of the war. Developments will be awaited with the keenest interest and with some confidence.

' Meantime the struggle around Verdun has sprung into new life again. 'Undeterred by past failures, the Grown Prince is throwing his troops in massed lines' against the French positions, chiefly at Mort Homme and at Hill 304 near by; and with small or no gains to' offset the of the German infantry engaged in the attacks. It would seem that the main attack was along the front comprised by Hill 287, Hill 304, and Mort Homme, covering a distance of about two miles. East of Hill 304 the enemy gained a temporary advantage in the French first lino trenches, but were quickly ejected; while to tho west of the Hill along the Esncs-Hauconrt road the French captured two of the.German trenches. Probably, these were the trenches which tho Germans captured a day or two ago" in their big attack in the vicinity of Hill 287. In any case the desperate all-day fighting on this front seem? to havo again proved a costly business for the

enemy, and the situation at the close left him worse off than before. Whilo this struggle was proceeding to tho north-west of Verdun, there was renewed activity to the north-oast, tho Germans bombarding ' Douaumont. Here also the exchanges were to the advantage of our Allies, culminating in an offensive which wrested the riaudromont quarries from the enemy. It should bo noted that despite the continued German attacks in this region tho French aro more frequently taking the offensive than hitherto. The enemy is not being allowed to pick and choose his own time and place for fighting. It is one of tho signs of tho growing ascendancy of the French in this the most furiously-contested o£ all tho battle centres.

Along the British scction of the front matters are fairly normal. There is just a hint of possible developments, however, in the reported heavy artillery bombardment between Vimy and Loos. This ia one of tho sectors whero a German attack in force is looked for. The British have maintained a steady pressure in this region for some time past, and thcio have been repeated engagements of more or less importance. Wo may hear of heavy fighting from this quarter within the next few days.

The projected great offensive against Russia does not seem to bo developing along the lines generally expected. We nave had scraps of nows, little more, which have indicated that the Germans were showing increased activity in the' Riga region and along the Dwina, but there has been nothing to show that such attacks as have been made on the Russian lines have been anything more than minor efforts designed to test the strength of the Russian positions. A Petrograd message to-day conveys the checrful tidings that every attempt of the enemy to take, the offensive in this region lias been repulsed with 'heavy losses; but there is nothing to inform us of the scale on which these attempts were made. It js not unlikely that the reported activities of British and Russian submarines in the Baltic may have something to do with the delay in the great German move against Riga and towards Petrograd. Germany would be materially assisted in this offensive could she use sea-transport with any degree of safety, but now that .tho Baltic is free from ice the submarines have reappeared, and tlie._ German naval authorities,. are displaying marked signs of anxiety. It is reported to-day that German torpedo flotillas have been strengthened, with tho object of chasing the submarines out of the narrow waters where thenoperations are most feared. It will be no easy task. Meantime a Germ,an cruiser squadron is-reported to lie moving towards Riga; so we may look forward to developments in this direction.

A sensation is provided from Meso-/ potamia; no less'thtin tho junctionmg of a forco of Russian cavalry from the Gkand Duke's command with tho advanced British force under General Gorringe on the Tigris. This is a quite remarkable piece of news. It means that the Russians have' traversed something like 200 miles of difficult hostile territory between their own outposts_ north-east of Bagdad and tho British on the River It is an astonishing achievement. How they managed to avoid the Turks and Arabs en route or to overcome such as attempted to. bar their progress remains to be told. The incident may be taken, however, as indicating how closely the British and Bussian forces are nbw cooperating in tho Mesopotamia campaign. General Gorringe 'is the commander who succeeded General Aylmer in the task of batter a way through the Turkish fortified lines to the relief of General Townshend at Ivut-el-Amara, _ He and his troops performed prodigies of valour. The Turks wero entrenched line behind line between a swampy marsh, and the river at Umm-al-Hannah, and the position was regarded as impregnable. General Gorringe, however, hurled his men at the position, and in one hour's desperate fighting between 5 and 6 o'clock in the morning three lines of trenches were captured in rapid succession, and .in another hour the enemy had been driven out of two more lines, and the position was won. It was an astonishing feat of arms. The same evening the troops marched three miles up the river, and with desperate valour captured the Falahieli Labyrinth, another strongly held Turkish position. This was early in April. The Sunna-i-Yat lines and the defences at, Es-Sinn had yet to be forced, and before this could be accomplished liut-el-Amara had fallen —starved out. i General Gorringe, however, had accomplished wonders—he had succeeded where others had failed, and.ho it is who is now leading the British advancc and pressing forward in the hope of ultimately linking up with the Russians towards Bagdad. The arrival of the Russians, presumably from the left-wing of the Grand Duke's forces, will be a stimulus and an encouragement to the British force, and it is a hopeful sign for the future.