PROGRESS OF THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2838, 1 August 1916, Page 4

PROGRESS OF THE WAR

The Russian habit of saying littlo about the early passages of a battle until it has been more or less definitely rounded off is very much in ovidence at the moment. Even from the bare and incomplete outline as yefc supplied it is to De seen that ifho latest development of the southern offensive has been attended with marked success, and that'very important issues are at stake, but just how rapidly events are moving it is very difficult to say. As a general rule it is wise to weigh tho war news in a _ conservative spirit, and 'to be cautious about letting expectations run ahead, of definitely reported events, but'the present circumstances of the Russian campaign demand rather a judicious call upon imagination to eke out and give reality to the guarded revelations of the official reports, j Very possibly the fate of Lemberg and Kovel is at tho present moment in the balance. \Tlie Russians at all events, ."have made in their latest attacks another big stride towards the cap'ture of both these vital centres, and in such, circumstances as make it highly probable that the attacks will be rapidly driven home if it is in the power of the attackers to 'do it. - The importance of the struggle now in progress, in which the Russians 'up to the present have prospered well,- is thus fully -manifest. . The fall of • Leniberg, would mean a great; forward sweep of -the "Russian armies in Galicia, and it would bo very likely to involve disaster to portion at least of the enemy forces in that province. Kovel is in some respects even more important than Lemberg. It is a vital point on tho line joining. the rail-' way systems of. Northern Russia, Poland, and East Prussia with the Galician system, being at the junction of lilies leading from the great railway centres of Brest Litovsk and Warsaw, as well as from Ivan-'goi-od on the west. Kovel - thus forms a link in the communications of tho enemy forces north and south respectively of tho Pripet marshes, and -it is the one convenient gateway by which German reinforcements can be brought to bear upon tho southern front anywhere near its present location. The capture of 'Kovel ,by tho Russians would be a "disaster of, magnitude to the enemy, .and would'do a great deal to isolate Austria and cut her off from effective German aid.

* Current reports, though not rich In details, show definitely that tho Russians are meeting with pronounced success in the latest phase of their offensive. In Southern Galicia, south of the Dniester, General Letchitsky is pursuing the enemy towards Stanislau, and he-has captured a number of iruns as. well as prisoners, but the story of this, section of the operations is carried no further at time of writing. A little more light is thrown upon the extended and still more important operations further north, north-cast of Leniberg, and. along a front extending over sixty miles north from the Galician frontier. The principal facts thus far made known arc that tho Russians have made important headway towards fully mastering the line of the River Stochod, which is the last great 'natural barrier east of Kovel, and that in two "days (Eriday and Saturday last) General Brusilofp captured 32,000 prisoners and 79 guns, including 29 heavy howitzers. This last item is particularly significant-as indicating the disarray into which the enemy was thrown by. tho Russian onslaught. Heavy howitzer's would be posted a long way behind the enemy's outer defences, and tho capture of these guns is a positive indication that tho •■■ Russian attack made rapid headway and penetrated deeply. The position on the Stochod is not completely cleared up in available ,reports, but late news yesterday showed that tho Russians were building bridges and establishing themselves on the west bank of the river cast of Kovel. An enemy report of the same date admitted a retirement behind tho headwaters of the iriver, south-cast of Kovel. 'Passing

the Stochod, in .this locality, the ".Russians would bo well on'their way towards outflanking Kovel on the south. It is from this stage that matters are developing, and the latest report in hand takes tho form of a brief but satisfactory announcement that lighting on the Stochod lino is developing iu favour of the .Russians. Nothing is added at time of writing to the story of the advance on Lembcrg, but the capture of Brody is a big step iu that direction. ' It is plain enough that the Russians are almost within reaching distance of the two great prizes— Lemberg and Kovel—which would round off the first stage of their offensive in a success of far-reaching "importance, and in considering possibilities it should not be forgotten that since tho Russian offensive opened tho losses of the enemy have been mounting at a rate which is probably without precedent in the war. One message to-day states that in tho last eight weeks the Russians haye taken 400,000 prisoners. This takes no account of killed and wounded, and may easily mean that under all "heads the enemy in these fatal weeks has lost .three-quarters of a million men or more. In the opening stage of the offensive enemy prisoners were captured 'in droves, and their number was out of all proportion to the simultaneous losses in killed and wounded, but in much of the later fighting the Austro-Ger-mans have offered a firmer resistance, and tho proportion of their dead and wounded to prisoners must have risen accordingly.' A total of three-quarters of a million men put out of action by the Russians since their offensive opened is therefore probably within the mark'. It is to be added that the total, whatever it is, is at the present time being rapidly augmented. Giving duo wqight to the_ colossal losses suffered by the enemy, tho Russians should have distinctly good prospects of breaking through the vital defences against which their assaults arc now .directed. • It is suggested b.y Mr! Stanley Washburn, a correspondent, of some note, that the Goi'mans have probably abandoned the idea of risking their remaining strength in the cf'fort to support a collapsing ally, and ho montions tho rapid disappearance of German battalions from "the Austrian front. A message just received puts matters in a distinctly 'different light. It 'declares that, the enemy is concentrated in defence of "Koyel, and that tho battle now developing for that place is becoming tho fiercest of the campaign. Tho attack on Kovel,'it is added, threatens the entire German front, and tho enemy troops aro fighting like "demons in resisting tho Russian advance, many of them refusing to surrender even when surrounded. This 'last. detail gives ' additional significance to the heavy total 'of prisoners captured by General Brdsiloff's troops in their advance. In its total effect the message gives' a more realistic glimpse of the existing state of affairs on the southern front than is to be expected of tho communiques, ©bviously the enemy is staking high upon a desperate effort to maintain'his vital defences and avert a terrible 'disaster. With this and the fact, officially attested, that tho Russians aro persistently working forward in spite of all tho enemy can do to stop them, the essential elements in tho existing situation are sharply fined. * ■ * > * » The importance of Kovel is not over-estimated in tho .statement that the Russian attack threatens the whole front in the Eastern theatre. Apart from the fact that the capture of Kovel would enable the Russians to drive, a wedge between 'the Gorman and Austrian armies, the Germans have no visible prospect of gaining by retreat a front upon which the pressure of the Russian offensive, will tell upon them less severely than . now. Driven westward they-will have to continue the struggle on a longer front than they now hold, under conditions which must tend to favour the army in a position to freely exert its powers in attack. Given the opportunity," they would no doubt choose some s such alternative as is suggest-. Ed by Mr. ,Washburn, and leave Austria to fight a defensive campaign in the Carpathians, while aiming themselves at tho most economical defensive possible in the 'Eastern theatre. Manifestly, however, recourse, to such a policy is denied them., It 'is- unlikely <that 'their present line will be maintained even by the' desperate'efforts they are now putting forth, and if it gives way they will be imminently threatened by further disasters, and certainly will gain no respite from the strain to which they are now subjected. Concerted operations by the Allies on the Somme front nave resulted in another fairly extensive gain of ground. The attacks'were made on a front,' of about seven miles north from the river, and penetrated the German line to a varying depth— in some places more than half a mile. On tho northern section of the attacking front the British arc now in-very close touch with the hill position of Guillemont. Further south_ the French have reached the outskirts of the village of Maurepas, south-west of Gombles. The latter place is. an important local centre in the enemy's communications. The French arc now within [two miles of Combles, and the British have approached it almost as closely on the north-west. The latest advance makes a material addition to the great cleft the Allies arc.driving in the enemy line. '

At A meeting' of tho Hoard' of Governors of Cnntorbiiry College, Bays a Press Association telegram from Christclnirch yesterday, a letter was read from Bisliop Brodio regretting his inability to net us one of tho governors of tho col. lege on the ground of conscientious scruples. In tho letter tendering his re. aignation tho Bishop said ho was pledged to fight for tho recognition of Roman Catholic tiecondnry schooLs in the samo manner as sooondary State schools wera recognised. He found a seat ou tho board included tho control of the Christ church High School, and this -would con. stituto n difficulty which would prevent his undertaking tho duties of membership. He had always protested -against tho difficulties under which private secondary schools laboured. These difficulties arose from tho fact that the State withhold financial aid from these secondary schools conducted by Roman Catho. lies, Anglicans, Presbyterians, and Methodists, although all denominations contributed their share to -revenue required for tho work of secondary education. As a Roman Catholic Bishop ho must uphold the cause of tho Roman Catholic secondary schools and strive by all constitutional means to havo these disabifltjfs removed. Until these efforts met with success, he felt that to accept the membership -'of the board would involve grave inconsistency and endanger the assertion of Roman Catholic rights and principles. The letter was received with regret. It is officially announced that tho 13th Reinforcements have arrived safely ■at their destination. « At both tho Hutt and Petone Councils last evening: communications wore received from the Prime Minister .in respect to.tho holding of a public meeting on Friday (Declaration Day), for the purposo of affirming tho resolution to continue tho war to a successful finish. - Mr. Stanley Grant, representing ,f. C. Williamson, Ltd., arrived yesterday fiom Sydney with the great pictorial and historical film "Tho Birth of a Nation." It is .understood that the picture will bo 6hown at tho Town Hall towards tho end of August. Sunday (says a Press Association telegram from Christchurch) marked an eveut in tho history of tho Methodist Church in Now Zealand, when tho jubilee Df the Springston Church was celebrated, and memorial windows to the momory of the Church's pioneer mombors were unveiled. An Anzac window to tho memory of soldiers who fell at Gallipoli, and «. roll of honour wore also unveiled. Mr. P. Virtue telegraphs as under from Auckland:—"lt is apparent that if something is not dono in tho way of an adjustment of tho tariff for/tho allied industries of wheat and flour, 'the Dominion business will pass to tho Commonwealth and then Canterbury and North Otago will become huge sheep runs, and good-bye to the allied industries, with tho numerous adjuncts and labour, in all its phases. How will it affect land values? It is evident that the farmers and the Labour party of. tho Commonwealth are more a'lcrt to their interests (judging by its protective tariff) than tho Dominions arc." Tho' police at Stratford received information on Sunday that a fatal shooting abcident had occurred at Te "iVcra. It appears that whilst a party were out pig-hunting, one of the number Arthur Simmtfns, was accidentally, shot dead. Deceased, who was engaged as a railway surfaceman, leaves a wife and, fivo children. The Palmerston North representative of a large manufacturing firm in England received a cablegram on Saturday stating that tho firm's colonial trade would be resumed immediately. ■ Previously it had been manufacturing, munitions and tho firm had practically suspended its shipments to New Zealand. The vital statistics for Napier for July, as compared with tho same, period of Inst year, are as follow, the latter being shown in parentheses—Births, 42 (41);. deaths, 18 (20); marriages, 14 (14). During thi) past seven months there have been 02 marriages, as compared with 128 last year. An accident happened on the main road, near Belli Block, New Plymouth, oh Saturday, about G p.m. A youth named Jack Copestake was motor-cycling from town, and although lie had a full light showing, evidently did not see a man on a push bike going in the same direction, and into whom ho crashed. The cyclist escaped injury, but Copestake fared considerably worse. Ho was taken to the New Plymouth hospital suffering from a fractured skull and severe bruisings. \rx his renort> upon, the . friendly societies, the actuary (Mr. A. T. Traversi), makes :the following reference to the effects tho waj: upon the societies:— "No allowance has, so far, been made 'in tho valuations for the prospective effect of the war upon the liabilities of the societies, and that fact will require to bo borne in mind in basing any transactions upon the results. &o far ( as immediate mortality is concerned, the financial effect of tho war will to e. great extent disclose itsolf during tho continuance of tlio war—that is to say, the first valuatiou following the war will automatically indicate the exact effect of deaths that have actually occurred' in action or from disease. The case is different, however, wiien we consider temporary or permanent impairment caused by the war and involving prospective sickness or early death, or both. This will constitute an additiou to the liabilities of the societies, depending, of courso, upon the manner iu which societies deal with these eases. "There is no doubt that, if it were feasible, the proper course would be to estimate the prospective effect of thia factor, and add it to the liabilities in the valuation. An alternative courso is to leave the matter in abeyance pending the end of the war, and then to make estimates on the beat iacts' that con be obtained. Meanwhile each valuation must be considered to bo subject to -i reservation. It is, of course, possible that in many lodges the additional liability so produced may be negligible when measured against tlio total strength if the lodge."