PROGRESS OF THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2912, 26 October 1916, Page 4

PROGRESS OF THE WAR

The war situation has manifestly called of late for some powerful answering stroke to the enemy's determined attempt to overthrow _ Rumania, and the demand is satisfied in part at least by the splendidly successful offensive east of the Mouso, in which the French have captured some thousands of prisoners—3soo have been counted as reports stand—and recovered a considerable section of the territory which was slowly and painfully won by the Germans in the course of their disastrous enterprise against Verdun. Tho French attacked on a front of something over four miles, smashed the whole line, and advanced nearly two miles. They have recaptured Fort Douaumont, which was the scene of long-sus-tained and desperate fighting months ago, and the neighbouring village of the same name. Further west they have recovered the Haudromont quarries. Fort Vaux, about two miles south-east of Douaumont, is not mentioned, and presumably remains meantime in the enemy's possession, but the German positions at Fort Vaux ■ and in the vicinity are dangerously threatened by the big forward movement on the west. By those who followed the course of the Verdun offensive, it will be remembered that Fort Douaumont crowns the highest crest of a commanding ridge, and possesses on that account an importance which no longer attaches to it as a fort. The immediate position in tho new offensive is good and full of promise.

That a big extension of tho Allied operations at this critical juncture should be entrusted to the French is striking, and will afford the enemy much cause for discouragement, We know now that ho hoped in- his mighty effort against Verdun to so weaken the French army_ as at least to reduce it to inactivity. He hoped, also, that the hastilycreated British Army would fall distinctly short of the standards demanded by the war. Both hopes have collapsed in ruin since tho Allies opened their grand offensive on tho Somme. While the British Army has splendidly demonstrated its efficiency, the French army has demonstrated that it is very far indeed from being exhausted. The demonstration is strikingly fortified and emphasised by the magnituda and success of the new offensive in the Verdun area, more particularly as it is an enterprise which seems likely to develop and expand. The French offensive is perhaps but ono of a series of similar blows which will presently fall upon the enemy, but in itself it tends in no slight degree to justify an opinion that the enemy has diverted troops to tho secondary theatre of . Rumania at the cost of vitally endangering his position in the main and decisive theatres. There is a report today that the Kaiser is in the Bapaume area supervising preparations for a great counter-offensive. How far the Germans are capable of such an attempt may be judged from tho defeat they have just suffered in the Verdun area, and, as has been said, this is very possibly only the first step in an Allied programme calculated to meet and checkmate the enemy's effort to' recover the even in a secondary theatre. Like every other major move by the Allies, the new French offensive will tend to relieve the extreme pressure bearing 011 Rumania. The immediate position in the Rumanian campaigns gives ground for concern, and it is possible that direct as well as indirect aid is needed to extricate her from

hor present difficulties. That the Allies have been able to so notably expand their operations in the VVestem theatre makes, it all the more likely that Russia in her turn will bo able to render her neighbour and ally effectual aid.

In their aggregate effect, to-day's messages and some of those pub-, lished as late news yesterday go to show that tha situation on the Transylvanian frontier has not improved, from the Rumanian standpoint. Up to the moment of writing, the Rumanian communiques have admitted the of only one main pass—the Gyimes Pass, on the Moldavian frontier— and two less important defiles, the Uzu Valley, south of tho Gyimes Pass, and the Jinl valley, near tho western extremity of Wallachia. According to an unofficial message received yesterday, however, Falkenhayn's columns have forced five of the Transylvanian passes,' though it is not suggested that thoy have yet succeeded in deploying on the Rumanian side of the mountains. On top of this the Germans report to-day that they havo captured the Predeal Pass, which ranks as the most important gateway in tho frontier on account of the railway which runs through it and south to Bucharest. The enemy report is contradicted by a Rumanian communique, of apparently even date, which declares that attacks on the Predeal Pass were repulsed, so that the actual position at this point is for the time being doubtful. Another claim made by the enemy is that he overcame the resistance of the Rumanians at the southern exit of_ the Rotherthurm Pass, the next railway pass west of the Predeal, and threw them into disorder by a cavalry pursuit. This' obviously is bad news if it is true. It is a matter meantime of awaiting further developments, but while there does not seem to bo any reason to doubt that tho enemy has penetrated a number of the Transylvanian passes, it may be pointed out that the experience of the Russians in the Carpathians has shown time and again, that the capture of a pass is not by any means equivalent to gaining a free entry to the country lying beyond. In such a case the attacker _ is handicapped as a rule by the impossibility of bringing to bear anything like the force that can be posted to resist him. A material factor in the situation, which has been mentioned before, is that the slopes descending from the Rumanian side of the Transylvanian Alps and the Carpathians bear numerous roads and tracks affording reasonably good facilities for transport. , In the Dobrudja campaign tho question immediately at stake is whether the Rumanians are in sufficient strength to maintain the Cernavoda bridgehead. It is at Cornavoda that tho railway from Bucharest to Constanza crosses the Danube. The Cernavoda bridge is from every point of view exceedingly important. It is an immense structure, bearing a double track, and, with the viaducts leading to it from either end, it stretches for twelve and a half miles across the rivor and the surrounding marshes. It is the only permanent bridge spanning the Danube on tho southfirn frontier of Rumania, and granted that they are in adequate strength to profit by the advantage which its possession confers, it'will be of immense value to the Rumanians in the process of stemming the further progress of Mackensen's offensive. With the railway which approaches and passes over it, the bridge represents a splendid avenue for the rapid transport of reinforcements and supplies. While the Rumanians as yet are fighting with the bridge and railway at their back, the enemy's transport lines run through an oxtensive area of badlyroaded country, which is marshy on east and west, towards the Danube and towards the Black Sea coast. Marshes and lagoons around Cernavoda should facilitate its defence.

As news stands at time of writing, the enemy has occupied Constanza, tho coast-terminus of the railway across the Dobrudja, and Medjidia, an ' intermediate station, twenty miles west of Constahza and fourteen miles east of the Danube at Cernavoda. ' On the east the enemy has advanced considerably to tho north of Constanza, but on the west, where his flank rests on the Danube,, he seems to have advanced no further than Rasova, which is a riverbank town about eight miles south of Cernavoda. For the time the Rumanians thus hold a strong defensive position cast of the Danube. Mackensen should find it no easy task to drive them across the river, and while this remains unachieved lie can hardly venture to advance much further north in the coastal eono of the Dobrudja.

Mackensen's offensive must, of course, be considered in conjunction with the accompanying effort against the Transylvanian frontier, to which it is intimately related. The problems by which he is faced in the Dobrudja would be much simplified if Falkenhayn, or whoever commands the enemy armies in Transylvania, could execute. the plan which is outlined in some of to-day's messages. Falkenhayn's aim, it is stated, is to drive across Rumania by way of the Buzeu valley to a junction with Mackensen in the Dobrudja. The Buzeu valley runs south-east from the passes east of the Predeal, and divides Rumania into two approximately equal halves, Succeeding in the design here outlined, the_ enemy would eecuro enormous gains. The whole of Wallachia, with the Rumanian capital, would be included in his area of occupation, and for the time being he would safeguard his Balkan communications, and, still more important, outflank the Russian ftiain armies. In addition, he would secure heavy supplies of grain, petroleum, and other valuable commodities. However, as yet, the general position in the Rumanian campaign is open, though critical. Russia has yet to show her hand, , and one of the correspondents at Petrograd, who reviews the situation and the enemy plans, states that the magnitude of the .issues at stake is fully realised, and that for the time being Russia will concentrate upon assisting Rumania to the temporary subordination of. the 'Galician campaign. Tense as the situation is, it thus docs not lack hopeful aspccts..

Some recent comments upou the loss of the port of Constanza seem to rathor exaggerate its importance, or, at all events, to unduly subordinate the fact that Rumania still has excellent facilities for obtaining supplies from Russia by sea. Constanza was her best port on the coast of the Black Sea, and the onlyone of any importance, but the I enemy is still considerably short of

the mouths of the Danube, of which the Sulina mouth at all times forms the gateway for a considerable' proportion of Rumania's sea-borne commerce. From Sulina to 'the river-port of Braila, about sixty miles north of Cernavoda, the Danube is navigable for sea-going vessels up to four thousand tons register, and both Braila and Galatz, another river-port further north, are in railway communication with the interior-of Rumania.