PROGRESS OF THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2907, 20 October 1916, Page 4

PROGRESS OF THE WAR

At an immediate view it is serious news that the enemy has forced one of the passes on the Transylvania frontier and penetrated ten miles into Rumanian territory. The mountain barrier on. which tho Rumanians have taken their stand is wide, and the loss of one pass docs not necessarily mean that tho barrier is in danger of giving way, but in itself. the event suggests that some difficulty is being experienced in stemming VON Falkenhayn's assault. The Gyimes Pass, through which tho enemy has made his entry, runs through' tho. Carpathians at a midway point on the westward-fae-ing section of the Rumanian frontier.' It is traversed by a railway which connects the Hungarian system in Eastern Transylvania with the trunk line running north through Rumania, and if the enemy got astride this latter line one of the two best routes by which Rumania is in touch with Russia would be severed. As yet, however, he is still separated from the central railway by a fairly wide belt of mountain country. The enemy invasion, if. it were extended, would quickly assume serious importance, but tho latest reports in hand are to the effect that the Rumanians are successfully developing a vigorous counter-offensive on the southern section of tho Transylvanian front, while violent enemy attacks further north have been defeated. According to an unofficial report, the liusso-Ruraanians have also resumed tho offensive in the Dobrnja-. As a whole the situation is not by any means clearly defined, but whether or not they have received large Russian reinforcements, as is stated in a message from Budapest, tho Rumanians are evidentty not reduced to a merely passivo defence against von Falkeniiayn's offensive. It is an official report which tells of their counter-offensive in the Brasso region and' olsowhere in Southern Transylvania.

'I'm: present Gorman attack on llumiinia, acottus io havo koeuo fea-

turcs in common with tho Austrian offensive against Italy about six months ago. Tho enemy is attempting now as ho did then to strike a smashing blow in a secondary theatre. In the main theatres ho ;s now hopelessly outclassed, but evidently he hopes to mass such a force in the immediate field of operations as will givo him a big local superiority. This was the nature of his enterprise in tho Trentino, and for a time, as in the caEO of the present Operations against Rumania, it assumed dangerous proportions. Tho Italian line gave way to some _ extent, and fears wcie entertained 1 that the Austrians might sweep across the Venetian plain and cut the railway communications of the Italian main front on the Isonzo. In the end, however, the offensive was defeated locally, and the call upon his resources which it involved contributed to the enemy's subsequent disastrous defeats on the Russian southern front and on the Isonzo. The point of present interest is that for a time the Austrian offensive developed with an appearance of success which later events showed to be in every way delusive.

' At the moment attention is arrested by the penetration of the Rumanian, frontier, but the invasion is still far from being driven home, and it is obvious that as a result of the extent to which the enemy is involved in the heavy struggle on the Rumanian frontiers conditions are created which favour action by the Allies in neighbouring theatres. As tho balance of strength now stands they should be able to turn these conditions to excellent account, and if the precedent of tho Trentino offensive holds good they will not fail to do so. No doubt the immediate future is likely to witness big events in the south-eastern theatre, but it is not only in the field of the enemy offensive that possibilities' reside. Now, if ever, action on an important scale may be expected by the Allies in Macedonia, and the Russians also may be expected to take an important part.

Already it would seem that the enemy is massing force against Rumania at the cost of taking risks in a major conflict on the southern section of the Russian front. It is stated by one correspondent today that a never-coasing battle continues on the front between the Pripet marshes and Rumania, and appears to (l be reaching a climax. A break in the enemy s line at Halicz, or elsewhere, would in all likelihood compel a sudden abandonment of tho attack on Rumania and a break in the Kovel region would havo oven more sweeping effect than a similar event in Galicia: That something of tho. kind is in sight is suggested in a quotation from the official organ of the Russian General Staff, to the effect that the results of tho mighty conflict in progress along the whole' of General Brusiloff's front promiso to be important.

The later messages dealing with events on tho Rumanian frontiers are upon the whole encouraging. Fighting continues in the Trotus Valley, whore the enemy has passed the frontier by way of the Gyimes Pass, but there is a distinct suggestion in the reports that the most important battlo is being fought further south, in the Predcal Pass, south of Brasso. Here tho_ Rumanians are - said to have gained tho upper hand, and to bo driving tho enemy down tho Hungarian slopes of the mountains. It is very possible that tho attack ;by way of tho Gyimes Pass is in the nature of a diversion, or at all events stands second in importance to the very heavy attacks which havo been made, unsuccessfully as yet, on the passes south of Brasso.

The. least promising feature at the moment in tho south-eastern campaign is tho comparatively limited scope of the Allied operations in Macedonia. Some further successful fighting is reported, notably the capture of a Bulgarian position west of the V&rdar, but there is not yet the expansion and development of the offensive which would seem to be tho natural reply-to the enemy's attack on Rumania. Continued disturbances at Athens and other internal conditions in Greece, of which these disturbances are symptomatic, possibly aocount for the restriction of the Allied operations, but the whole matter is something of a mystery. *** . »

Sir Douglas Haig reports minor operations, attended by some gain of ground, on the British section of the Somme front, but the French record a. more notable success. They have now captured the whole of the double village of Sailly-Saillisel, portion of which thoy penetrated a day or two ago, and have also dislodged the enemy from heights north-east and _ north-west of the village. This is _ a material step .towards outflanking the ridge fronting tho BapaumePeronne Road, on vhioh the Germans are resisting the British advance, at a little distance further north. The Maisonette-Biaches front, on which tho French ■ have wrested anothor trench line from tho enemy, is situated in the angle of the Somme, opposite Peronne. In this locality the enemy is now thrown back almost to the bank of the river.