PROGRESS OF THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2835, 28 July 1916, Page 4

PROGRESS OF THE WAR

In the later accounts of the Sommc offensive much is said in praise, of the Anzacs, but nothing that is half as impressive, as the simple recital of what they achieved and how they bore themselves in the most terrible "battle of tho war. The Australian and Now Zealand troops mastered one of the strongest positions in the German line—the village of Pozieres —and having gained it took a full part in rolling back the attacks in which the enemy for two days sacrificed thousands of his best troops in a vain attempt to recover the ground he had lost.' No more searching test of quality could be imagined than the Anzacs have passed through in this battle, and, as one correspondent remarks, they have se£ the seal upon thoir fame.

_ The capture of tho remaining portion of Pozieres village is tho principal event in the Western theatre reported to-day. It marks the successful completion of a stage in tho Allied offensive, and the disastrous failure of costly efforts made by the enemy to retrieve his defeat. Amomentary lull has succeeded to the late tempest of fighting, but it will probably not bo long before the Germans are again powerfully assailed in the line of strong positions they still hold across the path of the British advance. The capture of Pozieres marks an important step towards tho reduction of this barrior, and beyond it there ,is low country, in which the enemy will have an even harder task than now in resisting the British advance. Some indication is given of tho straits in wlfich the enemy already finds himself. He has thrown reinforcements into the battle drawn from various sections of his front, including Verdun. At the «ost of weakening his front' elsewhere, he has thus been enabled to launch numerous powerful counter-attacks, hut the final result has been to emphasise his failure and defeat. The rising fortunes of the Allies are in no detail moro strikingly excmpli'ficcl than in ' what one correspondent calls to-day their complete mastery of the air. This phrase involves a sweeping claim, but it is supported and justified by detail particulars, showing that the German airmen are driven to earth except on occasions when weather conditions grant them concealment, but make it impossible for them to* render any useful service. Mastery of the air, carrying with it freo observation of tho measures of a blinded enemy, is of incalculable value to the Allies, and will .immensely assist their progress.

Occupation of the important Turkish base of Erzingan completes the Russian conquest of Armenia, and should mark the opening of a new era in tho campaigns of the Middle and Near East. The Turks arc said to be already concentrating in defence of tho Bagdad railway, which now, no doubt, becomes the main objective of tho Russians, and also their communications with Syria. This last statement may mean that they are taking . additional precautions against the possibility' ot an Allied attack on tTic Mediterranean coast, wherp it is closely appro'ached By the Bagdad railway. Such an enterprise may quite conceivably be undertaken in concert with a Russian advance from the east. At tho moment there is hardly a word of news from the Balkans, but there alsfo 'tho crushing discomfiture' of the Turks in Armenia should make its influence felt. It is 1 unlikely, in any case, that the Allied army at Salonika, said to number in all something like 600,000 men, will remain much longer inactive.

Though the movement against Lemberg from tho north is * being more deliberately developed tlian sortie of the earlier strokes of $ie Russian southern offensive, it 'is definitely leading up to results, and gives the enemy every cause for concern. It is just a week since the Russians set themselves to drive tho enemy back upon the Galician frontier, north-east of Lemberg, and already their enterprise has made most important-headway. Tho position reached is briqfly described today by a correspondent on the spot, Mr."Stanley Washburn. Since they opened their,attack on July 21, the Russians have driven tho enemy back eight miles, from the Lipa River to the confines of Galicia, , about CO miles north-north-cast of Lemberg. _ This progress is the more notable since it has been made in a time of extremely unfavourable weather conditions, and moreover in an area in which the enemy had himself concentrated heavily, with a view to rolling back the Russian advance. For weeks before the Russians opened the latest chapter in their offensive they had been meeting heavy attacks in, the region through which' they arc now advancing, and from Mr. Washburn's report it appears that tho enemy was making elaborate preparations for a still more determined effort to retrieve his position. The Russians have broken in upon these preparations with disastrous effect to the enemy, and the importance of the success which has thus far attended .their drive is emphasised accordingly. Meeting the Russian attack, - the enemy was favoured by his preparations, and also by rains which, in their effect upon the roads, have done much to' hamper the Russian troops and transport in their advance. That in these circumstances ho has been rolled back in defeat, losing very heavily in men, guns, and material,- augurs as badly as possible for his prospects. # * « »

Materially as it has progressed, the drive is still at a comparatively early stage, but the latest communiques in hand show that the Russians aro pressing hard upon a retreating enemy. It would seem that the rate of advance is determined rather by weather conditions and_ the state of roads than by the failing Austro-German .Tim advance must, of course, bo' considered in its relation to the general development of the Russian offensive, and it is only when it is so considered that its importance will bo realised. In the seven weeks since, they assumed the offensive, the Russian armies have swept forward in Southern Russia, and also in Bukowina and Southern Galicia, but thus far thoy. have attempted

[ and made very little progress in the wide extent of Galicia lying between these lines of advance. As a result,'the Austro-German front across a great part of tho breadth of Galicia is now in the shape of a pronounced forward bulge* Portions of the eastern face of this bulge, which extends nearly to Tarnopol, seventy miles east of Lemberg, have not' even been attacked lay the Russians, though at Buczacz, about ten miles north of the Dniester, they have attacked and mastered somo points of strategic importance. It is plain enough that unless tho enemy can make head against the Russian movement on Lemberg from the north, his armies along the extensive front which bulges forward nearly seventy' miles east of Lomberg will bo in serious danger of envelopment, or may have to evade that fate by a precipitate retreat.

From the standpoint of the enemy the dangers of the existing situation are greatly intensified by the progress the Russians have made in the south, between the Dniester and the Oa,rpathians._ 'No recent activity in this region is reported at time of writing, and floods in the Dniester valley are- assigned in explanation of a temporary stay in operations, but the Russians are already far enough forward to desperately complicate the position of tho AustroGbrman armies in Galicia if tho successful continuation of General Sakiiaiiofe's drive on Lemberg from the north should cdTnpel them to attempt a retreat. AVticn the Russians captured Dclatyn junction a week or two ago, they incidentally gained command of ono of the not very numerous railways which pass through tho Carpathians from Galicia into Hungary. The next line which penetrates ,the mountains is sixty miles further west. The enemy is thus very poorly provided with lines of retreat to tho south. Ho is very much better off in regard to roads and railways running east and west, through Galicia, but the Russian advance towards Lemberg represents an attack upon this system of communications in flank, and if the advance develops in accordance with its present promise the position of a considerable part of the enemy forces in Galicia will soon be exceedingly precarious.

For a number of reasons it is impossible to attach much importance to the statement said to have been made in an interview by General von Linsinqen, who commands the Austro-German forces in Southern Eussia. If any doubt existed on the subject, _it would be resolved by contrasting the claims made by the German commander'with the actual state of affairs as it is revealed in official news. There is little enough need to speculate upon the merits of _ "the ingenious system" under which "a wall of German reinforcements is to chock the Russian offensive," when the Russians arc making prosperous headway in the direction of Lemberg. General von Linsingen's_ reported incredulity as to the- possibility of breaking the Austro-German front is also somowhat_ beside the point. The actual position is that the Russians arc not only in a fair way to break the Austro-German front, but have reasonably good prospects of enveloping _ some portion of the enemy's Galician armies. One point raised in this enemy rovicw of the position deserves particular attention. GENERAL von Linsinqen is 'imade to speak of the, battle for Kovel, tho great railway junction behind tho enemy line in Southern Russia, as if it bad been fought and won by the Austro-Gcrmans. This, of course, is not the case, but the suggestion may carry more weight than it otherwise would on account of tho fact that tho Russians have for some time been at a ■ standstill. before Kovel. Whether they will remain stationary on this line miiclv longer wo do not know, but in any case nothing could be more-' absurd than to suggest that they, have failed in tho move against Kovel when they are'in the full tide of an cntcrpriso which promises as ono of its results to- make Kovel untenable to .tho enemy. When tho Russians reach Lemberg and envelop or drive back the Austro-German armies in Galicia, the enemy's flank in Southern Russia will be left hanging in tho air, and it is pretty safo to assume that Kovel will by no means mark tho limit of the retreat to which ho will then be reduced. The Russian halt, meantime, opposite Kovel no more. indicates that they are at fault than the fact that they are similarly at a standstill, or nearly so, for the time being, -on their northern and central front.