PROGRESS OF THE WAR.

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2778, 24 May 1916, Page 4

PROGRESS OF THE WAR.

If one seeks in the German Press for explanations of the Verdun failure they will find this sort of thing; —

It is obvious that an attack on Verdun, especially in tho circumstances which prevail, cannot lead to tho goal by such simple means and so rapidly as most of our fortress attacks in the war, but that it will require' thorough preparation and progress step by step. On the other hand, we may assume with confidence that our well-proved Supreme Command will not have been surprised by the situation which has now arisen, but reckoned with its possibility, or even probability, and made the proper preparation for it. The present pause in the fighting is absolutely necessary for the bringing up of the heavy guns which are required and the preparation for their use.

The views above expressed aro credited to General von Blume, and they are a fair sample of the "explanations" which are being offered as a solaco to the German people.. One might well ask how it is the Supremo Command in which General von Blume has such implicit confidence did not foresee the need for th/jsc heavy guns; or why it was that in the months and months of initial preparation for this tremendous onslaught the heavy guns wore overlooked. As a matter of fact, unless all the accounts lie, the heavy guns were there all right and were skilfully enough used. .But they failed to produce the desired results for a reason which the General overlooks, and that is that the French were not defending fortresses as he suggests. The fortresses were practically dismantled and abandoned as the main defcnce, and field works were relied on instead.

Against field works and concealed batteries the German heavy guns are effective than against fortress positions. * * * i In his_ narrative of his personal observations at Verdun—observations, bo it noted, carried out under most advantageous conditions from tho French look-out stations in advanced positions—Lord Northcliffe makes special reference to the relative merits of French and German gunnery. He states that it is recognised that the Germans possess a number of guns of greater calibre than those used by the British or French, and ho adds that the Germans had 2000 monster guns assembled against .Verdun, but despite the hail of shell from this tremendous battery, tho French were not driven from any position of importance. Even that "monstrous deluge," to quote his words, could not search out the concealed French batteries, so cunningly hidden by tho French gunners. Trenches from which the French troops had been withdrawn were blown up and demolished, but when .the German infantry advanced the concealed ma-chine-guns and quick-firers of our Allies mowed them down in hundreds and in thousands. Nothing tho Germans possess, according to all observers, is equal to the French 75's, and Lord Northcliffe goes further, and says that the Germans have nothing at all comparable with the French as gunners. The German artillery is good —Lord Northcliffe was snown a French position which more than one German shell had reached with remarkable precision at a distance of over six miles-,-but the French do'better. * « e « w Still, tho German attack continues. General von Blume penned the "explanation" quoted above towards the end of March, and instead of progressing step by step, the Crown Prince is still where he was. What "explanation," we wonder, is current in Germany today. Ten's of thousands of German soldiers ha,ve since laid down t'aeir lives in the vain attempt to break tho line at Verdun, and the FrenclK hold fast to all the vital positions, and from time to time adopt a coun-tor-offensive arid regain some of the ground lost in the earlier stages of the struggle. So the German failure is accentuated. To-day's news iis but a repetition of that of many days that nave gone before. Furious and costly German attacks, with little or nothing to show for tho ghastly rows of maimed ■ and dead that litter the battle front over which the German infantry has advanced. Tho main offensive continues to tho north-west of Verdun. It is here that the struggle will continue fiercest, for the German plan aims at an encircling movement, to complete which it is necessary to break through the French line to the east of Mort/Hommc. Can it. bo done 1 This is what the GermanAmerican correspondent of the New York World, Von Wiegand, who is with the German army at Verdun, writes to his paper:

Tlmt tlio moral and spirit is still wonderful in tho French army is evident from the French prisoners jvith whom I talked. "Will the Germans take Yetdun?" I nsked. A sergeant among the French prisoners replied: "Never, unless the Germans leave 250,000 dead in front of it."'

Such is the ' spirit of our Allies under this tremendous ordeal.

As anticipated, the heavy bombardment of the British positions at Vimy recorded yesterday has been followed by an infantry attack apparently in some force. Somo 1500 yards of British first lino trenches have been captured, and so far as can bo gathered from General Haig's message they aro still held by the enemy, who have been subjected to _ heavy bombardment At other points along the British front there has also been a stir of activity. Our artillery has been at work near Roclincourt (North of Arras) and elsewhere, and mines have been sprung at enemy positions near'Roclincourt, the Hohenzollern Rodoubt, and the Quarries (south of La Bassee). Thero has also been artillery activity, opposite Lens and East of Ypres. It will be seen from this that the chief centre of activity for the moment on tho British front is between La Bassee and Arras at various parts over a distance of somo 16 miles. Yesterday's messages conveyed indications of tho probability of heavy fighting in this sector, and to-day's news strengthens this view. The happenings recorded to-day aro but the beginning 'of bigger things.

From Russia, again, comes good tidings. All enemy attempts at an offensive north of Lake Narotch — that is on the Dvinsk sector—have been repulsed, and a large gather' ing of German forces south of th 6 lake has been dispersed. It is early yet to assume that Yon Hindenburg's big offensive has been checked—what fighting has yet taken place does not warrant the opinion that any great move has been attemptecl—but it is satisfactory to, know that such efforts as the enemy has made have failed. A further Petrograd message states that a Russian submarine has sunk three German vessels in the Baltic. This also is good news. Whether it relates to the three vessels recently rcported .a# having been sunk by English or Russian submarines, or whether it is a fresh achievement is not quite- clear.

The Austrian offensive in the Trcntino continues, but to-day's reports suggest that tho Italian forces in this region are coping with the situation with some effect. A big attack down the Adige Valley, near Lake Garcia, has been repulsed with heavy losses to the enemy, and the situation generally looks better. That there is severe fighting ahead in this quarter, however, is clear. The Austrians aro making a tremendous effort—for political reasons, it is asserted—and we may expect the offensive to occupy a prominent place in tho war news for some time to comc.