PROGRESS OF THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2845, 9 August 1916, Page 4

PROGRESS OF THE WAR

According to a London message, which awaits confirmation meantime, the Russians under General IJrusiloff have again taken the offensive along the whole extent of "their southern front. The onethird of the East front mentioned in tho message no doubt means the whole southern front between the Pripet marshes and the Carpathians, on the southern frontier of Galicia. This may be either reliable news or another of the .floatiug rumours which have lately been coming through, along with the official record of actual events. The development alleged, however, is by no means improbable. Of late sh» Russian offensive has been developing by stages. The enemy has been successively assailed on widely-' 1 separated sections of his long front in Southern Russia and Galicia in a manner calculated to coifipel a wide distribution of his forces and hinder effective concentration. The Germans, it is true, have contrived recently to inass considerable forces in Southern Russia, opposite Kovel, and have been heavily counterattacking in that region, but there is no evidence that they have succeeded in materially impeding the ordered development of tho Russian offensive, and much to suggest tho contrary. ' Within the last week or two, at all'events, the Russians have made continuous and important progress, not at all points simultaneously, but at one point or another where their inroads vitally threaten the stability of the AustroGerman front. In the period named the Russians have forced the "Stochod line, which was a formidable barrier opposing their progress towards Kovel; they have captured Brody, in Northern Galicia, and covered more than half tho distance which separates that placc from the main trunk railway running through Galicia by way of Lemberg. On top of this they have advanced in Southern Galicia; both north and south of the Dniester.

These ovonts have been coincident with the enemy's counter-strokc in

Southern Russia, on the ' KoVcl front, and are eloquent of its "failure. The position definitely established is that in spite of what' the eucray has done or attempted in the way of a counter-offensive on the Kovel front the Russians have passed the formidablo Stochod barrier, and advanced some distance further west. All the recent fighting 'in Southern Russia, which has been definitely located, lias taken place in the area botween thu Stochod and the parallel River Turija, on which Kovel stands. At the same time the Russians aro making such good headway in Galicia as to indicate that the enemy is threatened hero with a disastrous collapsc, which would speedily and inevitably react upon the position further north. Many detail features of the situation admittedly remain to bo filled in, and cannot be filled in as information stands. It is also true that some sections of the front— notably west of the Stochod, and in the near neighbourhood of the Carpathians, in the south—have recently witnessed'stationary or even a certain amount of give-and-take fighting. But the Russias have all the time been irresistibly thrusting forward, at ono point or another, in movements of decisive importance. This is truo' to the present hour, when they are in the full tide of a movement which promises to placc them_ astride of the most important railway in Galicia. That they aro not attacking, .at all points simultaneously is an evidence, not of weakness, but of strength. As a result of this policy they are compelling a weaker enemy to his strength. It is precisely tho policy that was. effectively employed by the Germans against the Russians at many stages ot the great campaign of last year.

The suggestion of the message reporting a general offensive is that the Russians have now gained such a position of advantage as enables them to subject a weakened enemy to maximum pressure all along the line. Possibly tho report runs somewhat ahead or events, but tho. state of affairs it .anticipates is in plain prospect, and will inevitably be reached unless the Austro-Ger-mans can stem the raothodical invasion of their front which up to the present has proceeded'without definite check. Current official reports largely speak for themselves. In recent fighting in Southern Russia the Russians have captured strong positions west of the Stochod and in Galicia General Sakharoff is making prosperous headway in his southward thrust against the crunk railway, east of Lemberg, and during the last day or two has captured thousands of prisoners. He is now within about a dozen miles of this railway, which, incidentally, is the main supply line of the enemy armies in Eastern Galicia. to an unofficial roport tliese armies are already retreating to positions about 40 miles east of Lemberg, and ;t is very possible that such a retreat is imperatively necessary if they are to escape envelopment. It is said also that the Germans have sent three divisions (60,000 men) into Galicia as reinforcements. If such a transfer of 'force has actually been made it should materially affect the position in Southern Russia, and may clear the way for a rapid development of the direct attack on Kovel.

All the news from the Western theatre is good, though no sensational change in the position reported yesterday is disclosed at time of writing. It is of the highest importance, however, that' the positions lately captured by Anzacs and other troops on the Pozieres plateau have been firmly maintained against all efforts by the enemy to win them back again/ Tho enemy's general position on tho Somme front has been so greatly weakened by his loss of the dominating ridge on which tho British left-wing forces /ire now established that he. was bound to strain every nerve in attempting its recovery. On that account the failure of his counterattacks must bo regarded as a significant indication • of waning strength. The facts of the case make it extremely probable that the report is genuine, which states that an enemy army order declared that , the Pozieres plateau must be recaptured at all A lull on the remaining extent of the battlefront has been broken by a French advance in the area immediately north of the Somme, involving a further penetration of a section of the' German line, which has been defended with the utmost desperation. I 1

Events of more than ordinary importance are astir on the Italian front, but they are reported as yet only in the barest outline. The Italians are attacking on the Lower Isonzo, and thus far have captured some enemy entrenchments and 3600 prisoners. These details imply «n attack of some magnitude, and tend to indicate that the Italians are opening an offensive which would round off the action of their Allies in other theatres. It is oh the Isonzo line, extending north from the Gulf of Trieste, that the Italians may expect to make their •weight; tell with the utmost effect, since this line represents to them, vhe one reasonably practicable gateway leading into enemy territory. Assuming that their Trentino front has now been made secure—a matter which seems to_ admit of little doubt —it is unquestionably on the Isonzo line that they can, most profitably bend their efforts. Even hero tho Austrians have a groat advantage of position, but in the past passages of the campaign the Italians have shown themselves capable of making headwa-y both against the "hill defences of Gorizia, which is the fortress key to the Isonzo line, and across the -ridges of the Carso plateau, further south. Their prospects of developing the, attack on this formidable line to a point of decisive success arc greatly improved now that the Austrians are labouring under such heavy difficulties in the Eastern theatre.