PROGRESS OF THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2851, 16 August 1916, Page 4

PROGRESS OF THE WAR

' ? E , ® ,l,S3laQs . a.re still making good headway in Galicia—in some places very rapid. headway. Attention nag been fastened during the last ifay or two upon the spectacle an enemy army in full retreat from positions in Eastern Galicia which it had maintained obstinately and at increasing risk since the Russian offensive opened, nearly ten weeks ago. The possibility, however, that the Russians, having gained advantageous positions on the flanks of the retreating army—more especially on its northern flankmight contrive to outflank and envelop it, in whole or part, seems to have passed. This was only a possibility at best, and one that could not be accurately estimated in the ruling stato' of information, and it now seems that there is little prospect of its being realised. The opinion is expressed in a Petrograd message that General' Bothmer, who commands the retreating enemy army, will probably succced in extricating it from its present perils and escaping a debacle..

This view of tho matter is borne out by tho detail official news as far as it goes; >Vest of Tarnopol tho Russians aro shown to have advanced nearly 20 miles (to Zborow, about 50 miles cast of Lemberg) in a day or two. But this progress has been made, in the wake of tho retreating army and not on its flanks. Tho most promising feature of the situation when the retreat bogan was that the Russians, striking south into Galicia from tho northern frontier, had advanced to within about eight miles of tho main railway east of Lemberg, about 25 miles west of tho positions then held by the enemy.' This railway is vital to General Bothmer's forces, but the Russian flank movement against it does not seem to have made any progress since the retreat 'began, while, on the other hand, the retreat has now so far progressed that the enemy's northern flank is much less dangerously exposed than it was a few days ago. An enemy report which tolls of tho defeat of strong Russian attacks south of Brody— that is to say, toward tho Lemberg railway—is possibly accurate. The Russians certainly have every incentive to fight for a position astride tho railway, whilo tho enemy is bound to resist at all costs such an attack upon his communications. In the south, the; Russians are pressing forward on both banks of the Dniester, their immediate objective being Halicz, which stands on tho river, 60 miles south-east of Lemberg. But their progress in this region hardly as yet threatens General Bothmer's retreat to a front, covering Lemberg, which will bo relatively sccuro as compared with tho positions ho ■lately evacuated and th 6 lino of his present retirement.

It is not yet to be taken for granted that tho retreat will be successfully completed, but indications point in that direction, and suggest that though General Bothmer took risks in remaining so long immovable in his eastern positions ho did not carry tho matter to a suicidal extreme. Though threatened on either flank he has a first-class railway and good roads at his back, and thus far, as Russian reports show, his retirement has been orderly. It was not, of course, from mere recklessness that the enemy central front, in Middle and Northern Galicia, was obstinately maintained in _ its original location while tho Russians wore sweeping forward in Southern Russia and Southern Galicia. Manifestly this policy was pursued in the hope that opportunity would ariso for a damaging counter-stroke on tho central front which would neutralise tho Russian successes in north and south. That tope has disappeared. Owing to tho enormous losses ho has sustained and tho necessity of massing immense forces opposite Kovel tho enemy is evidently incapablo of effecting such a concentration in Galicia as would enable him to launch a counter-offcn-sivo in that province. General Bothmer's retreat must thus bo regarded as a very striking confession of defeat even if he contrives meantime to escapo envelopment.

A*n interesting but unconfirmed report states that tho Italians have succeeded in turning the Austrian lino where it extends to the Adriatic, a development which would portend the total collapsc of the Austrian defence on the Isonzo line. No such claim is made in the official reports, but these show that good progress is being mado over the exceedingly difficult ground of the Carso plateau. All tho news of tho campaign at present in hand is dccidcd-

Jy good. This applies even to an enemy report which asserts that attacks have been defeated cast of the Vallone valley. Not many days ago tho Vallone valley presented a formidable obstacle to the Italian advance across the Carso plateau, but the obstacle has now been passed.

According to a report transmitted by a correspondent in Italy, Germany is taking drastic measures to stimulate the failing energies of Austria, notably by securing tho installation of Count Andrassy, an j extreme Gormanophile, in the office of Foreign Minister now occupied by Count Burian de Eajecz. To judge from tho comments of the Vienna Neue Freie Prcssc, tho contemplated extension of German control over the Dual Monarchy is regarded in Austrian official circles with an approval it is not likely to elicit from the mass of the peoplo of Austria, and will certainly fail to command with a large and perhaps predominant section of the Hungarian public. No definite test can at present be applied to the report mentioned, but it at least points to more probable developments than the separate collapse of Austria, which some people navo lately predicted. Nothing is less likely than that Germany will permit her principal ally to seek a separate peace, for Austria would only obtain peace on terms which would ;make her territory an open highway into German provinces which Germany is in poor condition to defend.

It puts no strain upon the facts to say that the downfall of Austria would lead to the downfall of Germany, and it is no doubt equally true that Germany has the power to compel Austria to maintain her status as a belligerent for some time to come. The point of chief practical importance seems to be that Germany can exert this power only by carrying a killing burden, which must heavily increase as time goes on. The Dual Monarchy has oeen_ hard hit in the war, and is imminently threatened with still greater disasters. The lesson of late events in Galicia and on the Italian front is plain for all the world to read, and developments are brewing in the Balkans which promise before long_ to imppse a- new and deadly strain, upon the already tottering military fabric of the Dual Monarchy. Germany may dominate Austria, and even bend Hungary to her will for a time, but bearing the strain involved in supporting and stimulating such an ally she is only one degree better off than if the Dual Monarchy had submitted to the Entente and the frontiers of Silesia lay open to attack.

An Athens report, alleging that Turkey and Bulgaria have made unsuccessful overtures to the Entente for a separate peace is possibly rather an indication of the trend of Greek popular opinion than a presentation of facts. Athens is famous ior the production of frequently unreliable rumours, but in the present instance the rumour has some value as showing "the way the wind is blowing. Both Bulgaria and Turkey have every reason to seek the best available way of escape from tho perils by which they are encompassed, but it is unthinkable that peace would be granted them on any easier terms than unconditional surrender and submission. In tho case of each country the downfall of the ruling coterie—the Young Turks in Turkey and Tsar Ferdinand and his satellites in Bulgaria—would seem to an essential preliminary to any peace discussion of practical importance. .