PROGRESS OF THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2787, 3 June 1916, Page 4

PROGRESS OF THE WAR

. one sense tho news from Italy is bad. The Austrians, by their own account-, are still making progress, ooth on the Asiago plateau and in the, Adigo Valley, through which runs the main highway into Italy. On the plateau they are now in possession* of two advanced railheads in tlio Italian system, Asiago, which was captured a day or two ago, and Arsiero, eight miles to the south-west. As to the Adigc Valley, the Austrians report that they, have stormed a series of; heights which give them a footing on the Italian side of the frontier east of Lake Garda. The Italian communique , published yesterday admitted only the partial loss of one of the scries of positions claimed by the Austrians, but tho inconsistency in the reports is possibly only a matter of time. There can be no doubt that the Austrians have opened tho gateway of invasion from the Trentino, which it was hoped the Italians had finally closed, and arc in position for a drive into the Venetian plain. At an immediate view the outlook seems threatening, but in i:oint of fact it cannot yet be taken for granted that tho Austrians contemplate an extended .invasion. They have succeeded in dislodging the Italians from their foothold in the mountains for a distance east of Lake Gard'a, but their advance will necessarily encounter. greater difficulties as it proceeds. • The Italians are, now fighting with their backs to_ a network of strategic railways, which will simplify their problems of supply. The Austrians. arc -.largely, dependent upon the one main line! of railway down the Adigo Valley. They are not yet in a..position_to make much use of tho branch line which runs east through' the Sugana Valley, north of the area in which they have won their recent successes. The relative position as regards railways confers a materiar advantage upon the Italians. It is to be considered also that th 6 conflict is now being carried into country in which it will be possible to make use of the continuous entrenchments which are impossible in the Alpino areas.

■At best the situation is bad enough. Even if the Austrians corac presently to a halt, the Italians are no longer able, as they formerly were, to concentrate chiefly against the Isonzo line and trust to the strength of their defensive positions round the rest'of the frontier. So long as the Trentino gateway re-\ mains open they are vitally threatened, and must take precautions and adjust- their plans accordingly. Very possibly the recovery of the.ground lately ■ won by. the- Austrians is an essential preliminary to any vigorous resumption -of the offensive along the Isonzo. But between this state of affairs and a successful invasion of'ltaly there is.'a wide margin- to be crossed, and- on visible facts it seems rather unlikely that the Austrians will .seek to press the invasion much, further than it has If the unexpected happens, and the invasion is pressed indefinitely, the Italians may Vie compelled to withdraw from their more exposed positions on tho Isonzo in order to make ,hcad against the invaders. But since this turn of events would involve . a conflict under more open conditions than they can hope otherwise to attain, it would not make wholly to their disadvantage. ...

I Though it is vague, and counts | for little as yet, a report attributed Ito tho Berliner TuycbluU possibly portends important events. It is to tho effect that, there is increased Russian activity in Southern Russia and Galicia. Obviously the time has 'been reached, or very closely approached, when the Russians may be expected to throw their weight effectively into the. scale in the main theatre, as well as in Asiatic Turkcv. Any serious attempt to penetrate the conditions ruling in the Russian theatre is hopeless in the present state of information, but Russia will in an ycase'bea very big and potent factor in the decisive struggle which is impending. If the Russians are able to take tho offensive vigorously on their southern front the effect should ho quickly felt both in Italy and the B-iU leans. Much-may be expected from ■a Russian offensive, but whether or not these expectations arc to bo quickly realised depends in the first instance upon a balance of forces in the Eastern theatre, which is very largely a subject of conjecture. The all-importanHactor about which definite information is lacking is tho progressmade by Russia, in the accumulation of equipment and munitions. At the end of last year tho, Russian. Foreign Minister, M. Sazonoff, epitomised Russia's past fortunes in the war, and her prospects, in tho following torso passage :

Wo liuil to • rcliro ill Poland aud Oitlicia because we were short of ammunition and Run?, and even bad to send uiea into tho trenclics unarmed, but uow

the stuff is coming in, and whoa we got enough we'll scatter the Germans as a heavy hail-storm scatters 1111 old ladies' picnic.

Whether Russia is now in a condition to strike effectively in concert with her Allies depends solely upon whether the shortage of material by which she was formerly crippled has -been made good. ,'iThere havo been optimistic pronouncements on the subject,, but only a practical test will finally resolve all doubts.

It is a distinctly favourable circumstance from the point of view of the Allies that the Russians ai n so placed on their southern Irr.nt that a successful forward movement on their part'would have immediate and far-reaching effects: Their offensive in the early part of tins year achieved important results, and they came to rest in posit' ons favouring their further advance at the .appointed hour. In 'he."extreme south their lines are closely wrapped about the Austrian stronghold cf Czernowitz, and further north, in Galicia, and also iii Southern Russia, they mastered important rivi-.r crossings and bridgeheads. A_ niccessful resumption of the otte'usive would enable them to sweep the enemy back from the frontier of Rumania and out' of Bukowina, a development which would bo likely to exercise, a potent influence upon Rumania and other Balkan States. The Germans,..naturally, will do all they can to paralyse Russian activity in the south by seeking to compel them to concentrate chiefly in the Baltic Provinces, and there also events are to be expected in the near future.

No very notable development is "reported at Verdun, though the con'j ilict is being continued with un-! abated fury. . East ,of the MeuseVi after many costly and fruitless at-', tacks, the. Germans capturcd a firstlinc position in the ravine between* Douaumont and Vaux, a locality in which a limited areaof ground has very frequently changed hands. On the other side of.the river no progress by the enemy is reported, and they themselves admit the loss'of a position on the south-eastern slopes' of Morfc Homme. The full weight of the attack in which the Germans are now seeking to strike forward cast of Mort Homme, between that position and the river, lias appar-ently-yet to be felt. Accounts of an ever-increasing concentration of Gern;an artillery in this locality are in themselves impressive, but every fresh exertion that the. enemy.puts forth serves to show that the Allied plans are working well. Whatever turn events may. take. so. far as de-' tails are concerned there is_ nothing that the Germans can possibly win at Verdun- that will recompense them for the tremendously costly efforts they are putting forth. The dominating fact is that the Allies arc' deliberately electing to continue the conflict on its present lines: _ In the aggregate the forces of the .Western Allies are numerically superior to those of the enemy, and they are better off also in artillery and munitions. That they could at any time launch a counter-strokc which would instantly make an end of the Verdun offensive is not open to doubt, and the only feasible explanation of their policy is that it pays them to continue the conflict, in..its present character. . •

Interesting light is thrown upon conditions in the Suez Canal zone by the news that the Australian and Slew. Zealand, mounted troops have captured a Turkish camp, about 50' miles east of, the Canal, on theroute which closely. follows the Mediterranean coast, a-hd.toucncs_.it at El Arish, the coastal town which has recently been subjected to naval bombardment. No doubt there is adirect relation between the naval and military operations. The possibility of the bombardment of El Ai'ish being followed up by a landing must -tend to deter the Turks from attempting-to maintain any great force on the route between that placc and the 'Canal., The engagement now reported is an effective retort to the raid made by the Turks some weeks ago, in which they penetrated -,to within .about twenty miles of the Canal,, and cut off -some squadrons' of British mounted troops.

A state? of affairs is reported in Greece which seems to leave the King ancl Government of that country none but a disgraceful alternative to taking instant action against the Bulgarian invaders! According to the Times correspondent at Salonika refugees are pouring in from the invaded districts, with tales of out-: rage, murder, and pillage by the Bulgarian soldiery.- Detailed instances, are cited of crimes which have been committed against -unoffending Greek civilians, women and men, and there is no reason to doubt the truth of the reports. The Bulgarians have nothing to learn" from their German overlords in the way -of criminal savagery,, they are. the hereditary enemies of the Greeks, and the deplorable state of affairs now described is precisely what the Greek Government invited when it decided that it was bound to afford the Bulgarians the same free access to its territories as it had granted to the' Allied Powers, to _ whom Greece owes her national existence. Good may come out of evil, if the King is now compelled to recall M. Venizelos to power to pursue the policy of co-operation with the Allies which would have averted the calamities to which Greece is now a prey had it not been set aside by an -unconstitutional exercise_ of the royal prerogative; ' The policy which the aixo preferred is bearing its appointed fruits, and its continuance would imply that he prefers to expose his subjects to 'murder, and outrage rather than vim counter to Austro-Gcrman interests.

A question was asked of the Minister of Mines .yesterday regarding the supplies 01 State coal available for sale to coilsinners at the depots. The Hon. W. U. - S. Mac Donald said that the production ' of coal from the State collieries was the ! same as it had been of late years. Owing, however, to the shortage of ships for tho carriage of coal from Australia to New . Zealand, the Railway Department was short of coal, and under the Stato Coal ' Mines Act the liailway Department and • shipping had to be supplied beforo the State could retail coal to consumers. The Railway Department were taking at present a great deal of coal, and would require it for some weeks, until ships could bring coal from Australia. -

The Under-Secretary, Department of Internal Affairs, writes as under: "I have tho honour to' inform you that advlcOi lias been received from the High Com*' missioner that The Dominion contribution of .£l7B 18s. 9d., of January 11 last, to the Serbian E<slicf .Fund, has been handed to t.lfb Serbian Minister in Ijondon, who desires that his sincere thonks be conveyed to you for the generous sympathy shown to the Serbian people in their'distress." •, The £178 18s. ,9(1. referred to , the subscriptions received •during the month of December, 1915. -

' In the course of his many inquiries about alleged Germans, and his questions in the House, which are in effect charges against the persons named, Mr. John Payne !ias named Sergeant 'Schoch. Mr. A. H. Hindmarsh made a statement about •, this man yesterday. Sergeant Schoch, Tie j, said, was tho son of tho late George , Adolphus Schoch, whom he (Mr. Hindmarsh') had known very intimateJy for ; somo 20 years. The late Mr. Schoch was Swiss, and his language was Italian, and not GermHn. He had no sympathies whatsoever with Germany or the Ger- .• mans. Mr. Schoch. staled that 'his family had been Swiss for generations. The late Mr. Schoch's wife, who was an Englishwoman, born iii London, had asked him (Mr. Hindmarsh) whether lie would tell the House of these facts, seeing that .. lie had'known her husband so well. She felt very much aggrieved by the question ' asked bv tlie member for Grey Lynn.' He ■ wShcd to assure tho House that Sergeant Schnch was the descendant of a long lino of Swiss people, of a family which had no sympathies with Germany. He thought it hit duty to tell the House that Sergeant Schoch had no German blood in ' his veins. - •

The Prime Minister was asked yesterday by Mr. Poole whether lie could state ■when the report of the Board of Trade regarding the increase in the price of coal would bs> available. Mr. Massev said that lie had asked the Board of Trade to inquire into the matter, and ho believed that it was now taking evidence. The report should conio to hand in a lew days.

' The petition of . John Henry Thomp.' soii for thti dissolution of' his niarriago with Minnio Thompson, which was_pnrtly heard on Monday and adjourned for the purpose of obtaining the evidence of Mr, W. Hildreth, J.P., -who witnessed the signatures of Minnie Thompson (respondent) and Alfred Woodward (co-respon-dtet)' to an alleged confession ; of misconduct was again before Mr. Justice Hosking in the Supreme Court yesterdayHis Honor granted a decree nisi, to no made 'absolute in three months, with -£15 costs' and disbursements against the,' corespondent. The petitioner, for 'whom Mr. A. JT. Hindmarsli appeared, was, also given the interim custody of the four children of the marriage.

The tallies were turned upon. Mr. John. ■' Payne, o7 anti-Germau fame, yesterday by Mr.. Nosworthy. Was the Government aware, lie inquired, that a younger bro- • tlier of the . Von ICeisenbergsa frequently i mentioned by the'member for Grey Lynn was a year or so ago employed by Mr. Payne in the orchestra of a picture show at Masterton, on Saturday afternoons, for the remuneration of 2s. 6d. ? Will the Government, he asked, take steps to'pre- . vent this clafs of 'sweated labour being - continued? While the House was laughing loudly, ~Tr. Payne called out: "He was only a boy 11 years of age." later Mr. Payne gave notice to move "to place on record"-that the>boy was engaged as a door attendant to allow other men to get a half-holiday. . ;

The question of the competition of tho~ National Provident Fund with the work of the Friendly Societies was brought up in'.the 'Houst'. yesterday. In. a. previous motion Mr. Harris had asked- the tor in,.charge, pf. Friendly Societies whether he' would:'this' year introduce legist Tatioii'.'to. gite; effect to. his promise trf provide a subvention for the Friendly Societies. - Mr! Hauan, in reply, had stated flint the Government's proposals would shortly be announced. Ths Prime Mm-- • ister enuorsed a ,remark made as to flie good work of FHeudly Societies, stating that during the 'past recess a conferenco . liad ; taken place , between representatives of the Friendly Societies and the Hon. Mr. Hanan. and-the jHon. Mr. Myers. Hb was informed that good work had been done by the conference. The'two Minis- • tors who attended', the conference had ... made certain .recommendations to Cabinet, and these would be considered at, ths first opportunity... Ha thought that lis / was entitled to say that the request of/ the Friendly Societies to be placed, in a' better position would receive the favourable consideration of the Govern.inent. ; '" . j

The Freemasons now- in camp at Feath'erston entertained members of tlie Wairarapa district- lodges at a social evening- iii St. John's Lodge, at the Masonio Temple, Featherston, on Thursday night, and presented them with a junior war< den's chair, in appreciation of kindnessc< received - from the Wairarapa , Masons, Past Grand Muster Williams, Deputy Grand Master Peterkin, and Worshipful Brother Shand, of Lodge Tutanekai, were visitors from Wellington. Right Worshipful Brother Moncrief, -of Carterton, • and other Worshipful Brothers from Lodges iii Maslorton and Carterton were also present. Apologies: were ■ Teceived froni Greytown and' Martinborough' lodges. The Camp Staff was represented, , and Worshipful Brother Sergeant Nixon and Brother Daneliy noted as Masters of ' Ceremony. Musical items, aiul recitations were giTon by some of the! visitors and hosts, and an enjoyable evening,, was , spent. . . Commercial travellers are hauling in storekeepers' orders for No : Kubbinff' Laundry Help with commendable zeal, . because it lightens woman's toil on washing days.—Advf..-