PROGRESS OF THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2791, 8 June 1916, Page 4

PROGRESS OF THE WAR

The nature of the loss sustained by the Empire and the Allies in the untimely death of Lord Kitchener could not be better emphasised than in the particulars given of tho mission upon which he was engaged. For a long time after tho war began his name was identified with the immensely difficult and complex task of organising a British Army on the saale demanded by the war. Towards the latter end of last year, however, tho activities of the Secretary for War visibly took a new turn, and one which indicates that he was trusted in a remarkable degree with tho handling of the largest problems by which tho nation is faced. From the organisation of tho 'Imperial Forces, _he passed to tho even more responsible and onerous duty of perfecting measures of co-operation with the different members of the Entente gioup, and so assisting to bring about the state of affairs in.which their united weight will tell as 'if actuated by a, single will. It was in continuation of his part In this supremely important work of international organisation that he set out upon his ill-fated mission to Russia, and the success of his past, endeavours may doubtless be judged by the evidently wide powers with which he was entrusted on this occasion. Ho was .to have discussed important military and financial questions with I 'the Government of the' Tsar, and the personnel of his party is a further indication of the scope and importance of his mission. Evidently he was to have dealt comprehensively,, in consultation with the Russian authorities, with the problems of supply which so largely govern and impose limits upon Russia's activity in the field. Lord Kitchener was exceptionally qualified also to deal with tho problems of concerted action in tho Eastern campaign in which Russia and Britain are particularly interested.

Just how far the work in which Lokd Kitchener played so great a part has been carried the events of the war must show, but already there ar.i very definite indications that tho ■work _oi the Allies is now that of organising and fighting for victory as distinct from maintaining tho defensive stand with which they have hitherto, in the main, had to be content. The fact is chiefly exemplified at the moment in the news from Russia. At timo of writing details of what has been achieved by the southern armies are still lacking, but a mounting total of prisoners taken, and some general admissions by the enemy equally demonstrate .that tho Russian offensive is being prosperously developed.

Though the enemy communique makes interesting admissions, it is disappointingly vague as 'to localities. "On tnc north our first lino was flattened"—so runs the communique—hut the- precise location and extent of tho sector in question is not stated. It is highly probable, however, that tho Russians have advanced from, their bridgehead at Cbartorysk, and enlarged their area of occupation on tho west bank of the Styr. This would pavo tho way for a further advance to the west though equal success in the areas to the south may be an essential preliminary to such a movement being undertaken. . As to those southern operations, the Austrians report only that' they. repulsed attacks oi the Lower Strypa. This leaves untouched tho most critical areas of all, a section of the Dniester, south-east of the point where it is ontercd by the Strypa, and the remaining southcm front from tho Dniester to Czernowitz and the Rumanian Frontier. Silence on the part of the enemy and the general character of tho Russian claims perhaps equally justify optimistic anticipations as to what lias

happened in this region. Though the .Russian report is general in terras ns regards locality, it affords positive indications of the success that is being won. , Tlio total of prisoners taken has jumped from 13,000 to 25,000, and tho fact that 27 guns (as well as about 60 machine-guns) havo been captured _is convincing proof that the Russians have cut deeply into the enemy's line.

Satisfactory.' evidence that the Russians are now reasonably well provided with artillery is afforded in _ the Austrian statement that their trenches on the northern lino were flattened. This obviously points to an extremely powerful bombardment, and wo may take it that the ibussians will never again fight'on such hopeless terms as when they were overwhelmed on, the Dunaiec and driven through Galicia under a storm of shells to which they could make no effective reply.

* * * * A material slackening of the pressure bearing upon the Italians seems to have resulted from tho Russian southern offensive, but beyond this no very definite development is vislblo in the struggle on the southern verge of tho Trentino. There is some promise, however, o£ a state of affairs developing in which the Italians will be afforded a more or less favourable opportunity of recovering tho ground they have lost.

According to a French admiral, the Gorman High Seas Fleet had two definite objects in view when it made its recent sortie: firstly to strike at the sea transport lines by whioh Russia is supplied through her northern ports, and secondly to cover the escape of two specially equipped commerce raiders, which were intended to operate in the South Atlantic and the Pacific. Ifc is not at all unlikely that the Germans cherished hopes of this kind. The project against Russia, in particular, promised results, if it couTd have been carried out. Now that Archangel open, Russia is importing a full tide of supplies by the northern route, and even a very brief period of activity on this route by a few German cruisers might havo seriously hampered Russia in her summer campaign. Similar considerations apply to the escape of commerce raiders to range at large. Oil any one of a number of routes wellfound ships of this type might havo struck with most damaging effect. That all such projects were nipped in the bud intensifies the importance of tho splendid victory won by the British Fleet.

The full talo of enemy losses in fcho naval battle 'lias yet to be told, but it is quite safe meantime to set aside as well below the mark the estimate of the London Evening News correspondent, that the Germans lost ships aggregating 104,410 tons. This would allow for only three Dreadnoughts, and the recent Admiralty statement, apart from detail evidence, shows definitely that this number was exceeded. Probably the estimate .was , based on earlier reports than are • now in hand.

In the Western theatre, as news stands at the moment of writing, the situation' is broadly unchangpd. There have been further abortivo attacks at Verdun, in the region of Fort Vaux, and the enemy has developed his assaults on the Ypres sector with sufficient vigour t.:> penetrate tho British first line north of Hooge. That the Germans should be able to. devolop so powerful an assault with the Verdun offensive still in full swing, and making increasing demands, indicates that their strength on the Western front is still well maintained. It is to be considered, however, that they, arc very obviously committed to, an attempt to prevent tho launching of an Allied offensive. That they still have

Surgeon-General Henderson, DirectorGeneral of Medical Services, informed i\ reporter yesterday that no fresh cases of cerebrospinal meningitis had oocurred at Featherston since the last case re. ported in the Press. There were thus only two cases remaining, and though botli mon were seriously ill, they were hold, •ing • their own. General Henderson also stated that the average daily sick in hospital of the total men in camp at Trentliam during the past month was 1.2 per cent. He added that the average number of daily sick in hospital in Fentherston Camp during May was 1.7 per cent of' the total men in camp. The number of cases in hospital there yesterday was 110, of which 52 wero measles cases, and two wero cerebro-spinal meningitis. W.F.C.A. calls public attention io the very exceptional merits of "No Rubbing laundry Help," for washing all clothes clean without rubbing or injury. Is, per package; guarantee.—Adv^

reserves to draw upon, perhaps a considerable body, is perfectly well known. The question at tho-mom-one is whether they are using theso reserves wisely andf in a way likely to lead to ultimate profit. On visiblo facts, it is possible to anticipate that the reply to this question will ultimately be given in the negative.

The greatest of these facts Is that at Verdun the Germans are still in the position of having made a huge outlay without securing a compensating return. on the British front must bo considered in tho light of this fact. That the enemy has gained a little ground in itself is unimportant. It is natural to suppose that at the present time the tactics of the British Army are dominated by those of the French at Verdun. When the Western Allies strike they will strike in uttison. and the French elect meantime to continue their defensive. The German attack on the British front may reasonably bo interpreted as a sign of uneasiness, while an economical dc-fence on tho part of the British implies that their tactical plans aro carefully harmonised with those of their neighbouring Allies.

An interesting statement of iKc principles upon which the French are working in their defensive battlo at Verdun was given in a recent article_ by Mr. Warner Allen, the accredited British correspondent with the French armies. ' The battle, he states, has been carried on in strict conformity with the French official text-books. In such a battle advanced positions are utilised in breaking the enemy's assault, and wearing down his,numbers before he reaches tho real line of defence. Above all things, a commander expects from his advanced positions that they should give him time to 'organise his • positions in accordance with the information he receives concerning the attack as it develops. If these objects are served, as they'havo' been, served at Verdun, the loss of ground inseparable from a gradual retreat on the main position, arid the inevitable casualty list, which is bound to include many prisoners, arc matters of small moment. Tho advanced lines aro established with a view to their being abandoned as soon as their purpose has been served, and the troops holding them are bound to be sacrificed in order that essential objects may be gained. A defensive, battle on the French model is planned to culminate in an eventual counter-offensive, and speaking generally, Mr. Warner Allen states, it is by- no means likely that a commander would make his riposte until the enemy has reaohed at least the first line of his main position. In France, he adds, everyone is full of confidence in the high command and in its capacity- of finding the exact moment when a counter-attack can be launched with the deadliest effect against a shaken foe, For that confidence there is ample warrant in tlio trend of the battle to the present hour. It presents a combination of steady valour and tactical skill which is probably unsurpassed in the history of warfare.

An official announcement by the Russians that they struck a blow, presumably a successful blow, against the Turks at Manikin is notable. This place' is .situated close to the Persian border, 86 miles north-east of Bagdad. A railway has been surveyed between Khanikin and Bagdad, though no railway has been built, and the Russians have a practicable route ahead of them. It has from the outset seemed unlikely that any considerable force of Russians can descend into Mesopotamia from the Persian tableland as far south as but an advance from this latter point may add materially to the perplexities of'tho Turkish divisions on tho Tigris, which are already threatened formidably on both north and south.

In an amendment to the City Building By-law, approved by the City Council last week, it is enacted in regard to all the reclaimed land lying to seaward of Waterloo Quay, that steel-frame buildings constructed on proper concrete foundations may be covered with painted galvanised iron; bijt the foundations and steel frames of all such buildings shall be so designed and constructed as to be capable of carrying wall coverings or brick or concrete in addition to all floor and roof loads (aa prescribed by the by-laws in part II relating to No. 1 district), siioh wall to bo of the same magnitude as tho wall coverings of galvanised iron proposed to be •orected.

Tho Mayor of Onslow (Mr. C. C. Crump) at last night's meeting suggested "that a public welcome should be given to Colonel lisson, of Ngaio, who. is returning from the front. After discussion a conmiittoo was appointed, to work along with a Ngaio committee set up for a similar object j with a view to common action,