PROGRESS OF THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2853, 18 August 1916, Page 4

PROGRESS OF THE WAR

Another big_ development in the Western offensive is reported to-day —a successful attack, north and south of the Somme, in which both French and British troops were engaged. Tho German positions wero penetrated on three distinct sections of front, aggregating nearly three miles in length. Tho most important attacks were made on the cast-ward-facing front, north of the Somme, where tho road junction of Combles is tho immediate objective of the Allies. Positions were won on the Guillemont-Maurepas road, which runs a little more than a mile and a half west of Combles.' On this section- of the front the Allies aro also working round tho southern flank of Guillemont, which is a strong hill position covering Combles on tho north-west. Attacking on a front of about a, mile and a quarter, further south, tho French infantry drovo across tne important Comblcs-Clery road, and mastered positions to the eastward. In this area tho French are now established almost due south of Combles. The sucecssful assault south of the Somme, which resulted in the capture of about twelve hundred yards of powerfully organised defcnccs south of Belloy-en-Santerrc, involves a widoning and strengthening of tho French wedge which is 'taking shape opposite Peronne. The lmporLanco of the success achieved in these attacks is emphasised in tho official _ report, and it can be seen, ovon in a gonoral view, that ; tho success is not fully, measured by

the immediate progress made. Account must also be taken of the fact that the Allies as a result of their latest assault aro perceptibly nearer to outflanking raoro than one strong centrc in the German line.

The penetration of ono section after another of the German defences on the Sommo front has comc to bo taken as a matter of course., but continued development on these lines can mean nothing clso than that matters are going hard with the enemy, and proportionately well with the Allies. The history of the offensive in its later stages is that tho Allies have been fighting and winning a succession of battles, any one of which would have loomed large but for the tremendous power and; magnitude of the offensive in its initial stage. At an immediate view tho battles of the last few weeks mark a descent from the overwhelming rush of tho opening assault, but in their outcome they bear unmistakable testimony to the superior power of the Allies. The result on the map is impressive enough, but it is still moro to the point that the enemy is retaliating in waning power upon tho Allied attacks, and that from tho earliest days of the offensive he has riowhero succeeded in creating a diversion of any magnitude. Tho resumption of tho attack on Verdun no doubt represented an attempt to create a diversion, but the . attempt failed ignominiously. Very little can be known meantime about the lines on which tho Allies will develop their offensive, but it is plain enough that tho enemy is pinned down to the defence of positions which are crumbling under methodical blows. If the Allies choosc to advance by stages, it can only be for tho reason that tho method pays and becauso thoy arc working for decisive, and not for sudden or spectacular,- success.

An interesting comparison is to bo instituted between the actual position reached in the mighty struggle on tho Sommc and the account given in Gorman official reports. The discrepancy between the facts and the Gorman fiction is enormousi For instance, a Berlin coviviuniquc ■ published to-day states that ' the English oontinued fruitless attacks at Poziercs." The truth is that Poziercs has now been left well to tho rear of the British advance, and_ that British attacks beyond I ozieres ar# rapidly undermining the remaining' defences of a vital section of the* German line. Poziercs stands on the slope rising to a plateau which stretches east and west immediately to the north of the vilW>- British troops are now established on tho highest ground for several miles along this plateau, and the advance from Pozieres promises beforo long to complcto tnc occupation' of the dominating summit. At and around Thiepval, a couple l west-north-west of Pozieres, tho Gormans still hold tho: high ground, but Thiepval is now a stronghold wrapped about by hostile lines. The British have advanced a mile north-west of Pozieres. .-This means that they are in posie(JNal distance due west of Thiepval. The "continued fruitless attacks" of which the Germans speak have brought into near prospect the downfall of one of their most formiaable remaining positions on the strongest section.of the line they occupied when tho battle opened and it is very probable that the fall of Thiepval will bo followed i u general forward movement ox the British ]eft wing over the descending- slopes of tho plateau and possibly into the lower country beyond.

Matters have reached a critical stage in the Eastern theatre, but news at tho moment of writing is scanty, and throws- no great amount of light upon the latest events of tho campaign. The feature which took chief prominence yesterday was a development of the Russian offensive on the southern flank—a development which opens up some prospect of an attack on tho Jablonitza Pass through tho Carpathians as a preliminary to an invasion of Hungary. Tho Russians are established in the town of Jablonitza, at the entrance to the pass, and they hold the railway which approaches the mountains alt this point from the north. Available reports disclose no very pronounced change in this section of tho campaign. The Russians state that they are driving the enemy west in the area extending north from Jablonitza, but there is no news, at the moment, of an attack upon the pass.

It may appear on some grounds unlikely that an attempt will be made to invade Hungary at this stage of the campaign. The Russian sou them armies certainly seem to have .their hands fairly full at present in holding the enemy in Southern Russia and pressing the converging attack on Lemberg. General Bkusiloff, however, has deliberately elected to develop his offensive over a very wide extent of country, and it is possible that he has more to gain than to lose by still further extending the range of conflict. The enemy's powers in defence have been chiefly manifested in the heavy concentration of troops and artillery on particularly important sections of his front, like the railway approaches to Ko.vel and Lemberg, but nis utmost efforts have failed to prevent a practically continuous Russian advance at one point or another. It is quite possible that these general conditions would be accentuated if the Russians set themselves to break through the Carpathians into Hungary. This apart, it is not impossible that thi as yet tentative movoment by the Russians against the mountain gateway leading into Hungary is' connected with the prospective Allied offensive in the Balkans as tending to bring Rumania to the point of a decision in favour of intervention.

General Russky has returned to tho command of the Russian north-, em armies, in which ho was replaced for a time by General Kuropatkin, and wh'ich ho tilled in tho critical days of last year. It was under his leadership that the Russians made tho historic stand on tho Dvina line which brought Hindenburg to a halt. Some months ago illhealth compelled General Bussky to lay down his command, though ho continued to bo associated with tho higher direction of tho war. His return to activo service very possibly portends early and important developments on the northern front.

Tlio Commissioners 'of the Land Purchaso Board' (says the "Otago Daily Times") liavo acquired for subdivision GOOO acrcs of Mr. William Telford's famous Clifton estate. It is expected that tho blocks will bo' survoyed and ready for balloting about February, or March.