PROGRESS OF THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2871, 8 September 1916, Page 4

PROGRESS OF THE WAR

A VEity confident tone is taken by the Petrograd correspondent of ono of tho English dailies in regard to impending developments in Eastern Europe, and he has something to say about a "mysterious and entirely new" Russian army which is about to take tho field with a special mission, which will further simplify Russia's task as regards bases of foreign supply. The language carries a suggestion of straining aftereffect, and on that account tho statement is not as well calculated as it might be to win confidence.However it is within tho facts to say that Russia now has reasonably good prospects of soon getting into much freer touch with her Allies, and thereby greatly increasing her effective fighting power. Tho conquest of tho Balkans, and the subjugation of Turkey, are not by any means in such distant and uncertain prospect as they were a faw'months ago, an'd if the minor allies of tho Teutonic Powers were _ overcome, Russia would at once be in a vastly improved position in regard to the importation of supplies, and it is quite possibly true that the result would be to increase her striking power fifty per cent. She has had time to train great reserves of men, and though her armies in the field are now reasonably well- equipped and supplied, she could no _ doubt increase thom largely if additional supplies of artillery, munitions, and other necessaries were readily available.

The Russians are now definitely engaged with the Bulgars in the Dobruja, on the south-eastern confines of Rumania.. The suggestion of the correspondent quoted, for, what it is worth, is that they aro about to bring a new army to bear, presumably cither upon Bulgaria or Turkoy. If there is anything in the report, it may mean that, the range of conllict is about to be extended from the Dobruja along tho Danubian frontier of Bulgaria. A movement across the Danube and an advance upon Sofia is quite within the bonnds of possibility. Failing this, the suggestion would point to an impending landing by the Russians cither on the Bulgarian or the Turkish coast. It does not seem likely that they would undertake a landing on the coast of Bulgaria wih a land approach available, but a landing on tho Black Sea coast of Turkey may not be in the same dcgrco open to objection.

Wiiatever plans they may bo maturing in tho Balkans, the Russians are making continued and important progress in their main theatre. Tho latest report in hand tells of the capture of a fortified position, in tho direction of Halicz, and 4500 prisoners, of whom 2000 were Germans. This would have been a notablo success in any case, but it is doubly important on account of the locality in which it was gained. Besides being close to a railway, Halicz commands important roads in tho region south-east of Lemberg, and tho enemy has defended its approaches very stubbornly. ,In spite of his efforts tho Russians must now l>e within a few miles of tho town. They have also captured a further series of heights in the Carpathians.

On tho Sommc front the Allies are still extending their successes, particularly the Frcnch in the area south of the river. They have now captured most of the village of Borny-en-Santerre, six miles south of the Somme. Further south' they 'have captured part of Vermandovillers, .and worked forward to 1 tho outskirts of Chaulnes, nine miles south of the river. At Borny-en-Santerre, tho French are about a mile and a quarter aheafr of the line they left on Sunday". North of tho Sommc a grim struggle continues in the vicinity of Comblcs; but at time of writing no visibly important chango is reported in the position disclosed yesterday.

There has been a certain amount of protesting talk in neutral countries recently about the rigour of the British blockade of Germany and its effect on neutral trade, but some reasons exist for doubting whether even now the blockade restrictions are as strict they might tie, and should be, in order to turn command of the sea to full account', When Britain early in July formally withdrew the Declaration oft London, it was hop'ed that an end had been made of half-measures, and that henceforth- simpler as well as stricter rules would be observed in dealing with the problem of cutting off enemy supplies. According to the London. Morning Post, this 'point has not yet been reached, and the British blockade procedure still embodies elements of confusion, and is based upon rules that are in part contradictory and mutually destructive.

As it the facts, when the Declaration of London and its amending Orders-in-Council wore withdrawn, a new Order-in-Conneil was issued re-enacting some of the pld provisions, such as that relating to the rule of "continuous voyage," but containing also serious elements of contradiction. Thus it is laid down that a vessel carrying contraband shall be liable to capture and condemnation if the contraband forms more than half tho cargo. It seems to follow, as the Morning I'ost remarks, that, provided a neutral trader takes care to keep within the limit, lie may supply tho enemy with contraband without interference on the part of the British Fleet. At the same time, tho new Drder-in-Council re-enacts that of March 11, 1915, under which "commodities of any kind" 'arc to be prevented "from reaching or leaving Germany." • This clausc, with its attendant clauses, actually empowers the Navy to enforce a blockade, but why such an authority should be modified and restricted by provisions like that ordaining that more than half a cargo of contraband shall render, a ship liable to capture and condemnation is something of a mystery. As- they stand, the rules seem to betray a lack of the consistency and fixity of purpose which are tho essential foundation of an efficient blockade, but it is possiblo that the blockade in practice is much more efficient than the rules in themselves would suggest.