PROGRESS OF THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2910, 24 October 1916, Page 4

PROGRESS OF THE WAR

As battles go in the Sommc offensive the latest British attack, reported ia late news yesterday, was not of the first magnitude.' But evidently it was a smashing blow and one that told heaivily upon the enemy. This is sufficiently attested in the fact that though the battle was fought on a narrow front, more than a thousand Germans were taken prisoner. Some evidence is thus supplied of the accuracy of recent reports that the Germans are packing heavy garrisons into underground shelters in the hope of making head against the Allied assaults. The battle was fought in tho area south-west of Bapaume, between the Ancre and the Albert-Bapaume Road. The front extended from north of Thiepval to the Albort-Ba-paumo Boad at Tie Sars. On a great part of this front the British are facing into the flank of the German main lino. The ground invaded was therefore heavily fortified and tho advance of a quarter of a mile which was effected must oh that ac-. count be reckoned 'all the more important. The general effect is to advance the western flank of the British front south of Bapaume and tho principal positions captured, the Begina and Stuff trenches, or redoubts, have boon defended by th Germans very obstinately, and no doubt at great cost. Their losses ip the latest encounter must havo numbered at tho least several thousands.

Gekmany has given many proofs of a spirit of effrontery which is as little limited by a sonso of justice as by a senso of humour, but in ber present dispute with Norway 6he seems determined to excel even her own past record in this direction. She is protesting loudly that in excluding German submarines from her ports and coastal waters, Norway is guilty of a breach of The Haguo Convention. Any appeal by Germany to the international regulations she has so often and shamelessly violated is ludiorous enough, but her present demand is something more than ludicrous when it i 6 remembered that her submarines arc busily engaged in sinking Norwegian ships. One report to-day speaks of three Norwegian steamers and as many sailing vessels being sunk, and another states that several Norwegian steamers have shared the same fate. Apparently what Germany desires is that her submarines should be allowed to freely uso the Norwegian coast as a base of operations in order that the destruction of Norwegian shipping may go on more expeditiously than ever. It is hardly necessary to point out that legally Germany has not a leg to stand on. The ordinary warships of a belligerent are entitled to call at a neutral port at intervals of not less than three months, and may take aboard enough fuel to carry them to their nearest home port. Submarines, a new factor in naval war, have no formal standing, and a neutral pre sumably has full freedom to exclude them from its ports and territorial waters, though the United States has declined to accept the contention of the Allies,that a neutral is bound to adopt this, course. Even if the submarine were admitted to some of the rights conceded to other warships, it'would be difficult, in view of tho cruising range of modem underwater craft, to imagine any circumstances which would justify German submarines in demanding harbourage in Norwegian ports. Exactly what motive underlies Germany's present attempt to dragoon Norway it is not easy to guess. But Norway seems to be safely out of reach of any other German revenge than tho outrages against her shipping to which she has been subjected since tho submarine campaign ttgan. Interest as well as justice should therefore induce her to firmly repel the insolent German demand, and give effect to the Allied contention that submarines are not entitled to enter neutral waters.

In their total effect the later reports dealing with the Macedonian campaign point to an improving situation and hold out a certain promise of action. Recently something has been made known about tho obstacles placed in the way of the Allies by the pro-German King of Greece. Taking events on the "frontier as a guide, there seems to do no doubt that by the reluctant concession of transport facilities, and in other ways, Constantine and his party have seriously handicapped and impeded the Allies in the development of their campaign. Today's news, as has been said, is of a somewhat more hopeful cast. This applies particularly to messages dealing with the dispatch of Allied reinforcements to Macedonia. If they are reasonably in accord with the facts, the force under General Sakrail's command must be assuming formidable proportions, and it is not at all likely that so great an army is being assembled in the Southern Balkans merely < for the purposes of a" standfast winter campaign. According to one report the Italians have sent two hundrod thousand meu to the Balkans, and with this we have statements that further' contingents are arriving. These contingents includo Russians, but nothing is said about the aggregate strength of tho Russians in.

Macedonia aiid pvobably it is not great. The only route by which the Russians can roach Macedonia is long and roundabout, and on general grounds it will pay Russia hotter to send any troops available for the Balkans to Eumania, where, in fact, eight or ten Russian divisions are said to have arrived to take part in the Dobrudja operations. In sending some troops to Macedonia, Eussia probably looks in part to the ■moral effect upon the Bulgars. In addition to that the Allies have evidently determined to give a practical demonstration of the fact that they_ are acting in the Balkans in a spjnfc of unanimity. The presence on the Macedonian front of troops representing all tho Powers of the Entente group oxcept Belgium constitutes an achievement in diplomacy, since at one time Italy and Serbia were acutely at variance in regard to the future disposal of the Adriatic coast, and a risk existed that other members-of the Entente group might bo involved in the dispute, • •

However, while the dispatch of Eussian troops to Macedonia is probably accounted for by other than purely military reasons, Italy is in a position to play an ■ important part in the campaign in the Southern Balkans, and the reports regarding the strength of her contingent indicate that she is minded to utilise the opportunity in full measure. The forco of two hundred thousand men mentioned may include the troops based on Valona, who have now advanced across practically the whole breadth of Albania, and are thus safeguarding General SarRAlii's western flank. _ Some time ago tho Italians were said to have fifty thousand men in Albania, but even if this .number has been' increased, enough would be left of the two hundred thousand to constitute a material addition to tho Allied Army in Macedonia. There are already the French and British contingents, some Russians, and the reconstituted Serbian Army, numbering something over a hundred thousand men. In the aggregate General Sarrail's army must heavily outnumber the Bulgarian and any other enemy forces by which it is opposed, and this certainly seems to point to the probability of an early general offensive. .

At the moment, however, no big eventjs reported in the Macedonian campaign. The French have made some progress on the right bank of the Vardar, but no further developments are reported in tho Monaster region or. beyond the Struma, and the situation in the frontier zone is, broadly, unchanged.. A late report that Constantine is still quibbling over some of tho demands in which, the Allies aim at safeguarding themselves against attack ia rear, and at securing unhampered communications. It states also that, M. Venizelos, as head of tho Greek Provisional Government, has sent an ultimatum to Bulgaria.demanding tho immediato evacuation of Eastern Macedonia. This looks like a prelude to a further development of the Allied campaign, though, the announcement loses some of its significance on account of tho fact thai the Provisional Government is already organising land and naval forces with intent to co-operate with the Entente against tho common enemy. • •

In Home respects the Rumanian situation is clearing. It is true that there are reports or a continued retirement in the Dobrudja, where tho Bulgar-Germans are vigorously pressing the offensive, but messages from different quarters declare that the Rumanians have now received considerable reinforcements from Russia. Apart from the report above mentioned, that eight or ten Russian divisions have been sent to Dobrudja, Hungarian newspapers are credited with a statement that further Russian reinforcements havo arrived in the Transylvaniau frontier regions. On this front the enemy appears to liave made no further headway, and his attacks at many points have been repulsed. Except in regavd to events in the Dobrudja the news is good, and unless the reports regarding Russian reinforcements are exaggerated, the Bumanians should soon be in a position to'materially improve their present situation in the Dobrudja and elsewhero. .