PROGRESS OF THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2969, 5 January 1917, Page 4

PROGRESS OF THE WAR

Further extract 6 from the article by Professor- Meineckk which was briefly quoted in the news yesterday show that it is not what it at first seemed to be. Instead of being simply a confession of German guilt and failure, it is a rather subtle contribution to tho peace campaign which other Germans have been labouring more crudely to advance. In tlie first place, Professor Meinecke's admission that Germany intended military aggression is modified by his further statement that: "Only in a political sense did Germany begin the war as a defensive war. In a military sense it was a knock-out wa.r, intended to knock out. Franca and 'Russia; then Germany would have been able to compromise with England, who wortld have been disarmed." In effect, Professor Meinecke claims ' that Germany, knowing that her neighbours intended to attack her, struck tho first blow. It is not true that France and Russia meditated an attack on Germany, nor is it true that Germany suspected them of such an intention. If other evidence were lacking, the charge would be disproved by the unprepared state in which the war found the Allies, and by the fact that Russia, until tho war began, was almost in German's hands so far as commerce and industry are concerned. In the Central Empires, and even in some neutral countries, however, the story may go down with the more credulous, that in spite of all appearances to the contrary the Allies harbour.ed evil designs against Germany, and that the high state of preparation in which Germany entered the war was not the finished product of Prussian militarism, but only the result of prudent foresight.

Having sought in this fashion to obscure and misrepresent the origin of the war, Professor Meinecke goes on to argue that there are limits to the possibilities, of knockout strategy. It is not in the interests of truth that he admits that Germany's campaign collapsed at the Marne, and that the attack on Verdun failed; but with tho idea of elaborating an argument that "it is no longer possible to arrive at a military decision in a full peacecompelling sense." This, he says, is. tho conviction to which Germany has been led by the Battle of the Somme. Epitomised, his contentions are: "Germany failed to knock out the Entente. Therefore the Entente will fail to knock out Germany. The proper thing to do is to abandon attempts ■ of this kind, and trust for the future to ''balance/' instead of useless attempts at overthrow." Here, after the circuitous journey which the Herr Professor makes, we are back again upon familiar ground. His theme is the old one, that though Germany has failed to win victory she cannot be defeated. This is a matter about which a great deal more is likely to bo known six months hence than is known now. Already, however, tho Battle of the Somme and other great events of the war afford convincing proof evidence that Germany can be defeated and that all her resources, human and material, will not servo to avert that fate.

It may be admitted quite frankly that the extent to which a nation like Germany is capable of spinning out a defensive war, assuming that sho makes the most of her resouroes, is not a thing to be dogmatic about. But prospects of bringing Germany to her knees are certainly good. She has palpably weakened in the main theatres, she is all but besieged, and the aggregate superiority of ' tho Allies is steadily mounting. Moreover, Germany is weakened by tho weakness of Allies with ono of whom at least—tho Dual Monarchy—she must stand or fall. If 1 what tho Allies achieved in defence in the early days of_ the war could ho taken as a criterion of Germany's resisting power now that the tide has turned a very long war would be in prospect. But apart from the fact that the Allies have already'far surpassed German standards in attack, wo ma.y be tolerably certain that the spirit of tho German nation will not rise as high in the crucial test as did that of tho Allied Countries in tho days of their hardest trial.

According to a Renter correspondent at British ' Headquarters whoso information may no doubt bo accepted as accurate, about two million troops are massed on tho British front in the Western theatre. Hard facts of this kind are a splendid antidote to such attempts as Professor Meinecke has made to justify a bad cause and mend a bad case, with words. Tho "contemptible little army," which won glorious renown in 1914 and afterwards, has expanded into perhaps the most formidable striking force ever assembled in a single theatre of war. And this might# force, how'

menacingly massed oti the front] Ironi Flanders to the Sommc, is one of which Germany completely failed to take account when she perfected her elaborate preparations for a-s-Ratilfc iipon the libortics of .Europe. Tho correspondent gives the length of tho lately-extended British front as nearly a hundred miles. From this it would appear that lho front now extends to the north bank oE the Somnio, near Pcronnc. Prior l,u its latest extension tho British front was approximately ninety miles long. The greater length now stated would just about take in the sector north o£ the Somrao on which tire French struck forward during the course of the offensive.

Thk position in Rumania has not improved, nor, as reports stand at time of writing, has it changed materially for tho worse. The enemy has progressed at some points, but he is not yet shown to have developed a full-powered attack on the Sereth line, and the possibility is open that it may be the scene of a- successful RussoRuma.nian stand. A message which was published yesterday regarding Rumania deserves particular attention. It conveyed an announcement by tho Austrian military authorities that the Russian, Rumanian, and British Commissions destroyed the Rumanian cereals. It was already known that similar, measures had been ta.ken at the oil wells and with stored supplies oE oil. The enemy has failed to destroy tho Rumanian army, and ho has not obtained tho immensely valuable supplies he hoped to capture in the invaded territory. These things detract' very greatly from the apparent .success of his campaign. There is a of comfort for the stricken Rumanian nation, which is bearing up gallantly under its misfortunes, in President Poincare's declaration, in a message to King Ferdinand, that he is firmly convinced that this year will bring Rumania victory, liberation, and reparation. . .

Definite news from Greece is still awaited, but the Athens Government is said to have announced that it strongly objects 'to the Allied threat to take strong action if the King gives further ground for complaint. This as far as it goes confirms other indications lately given that real progress is now being made towards a satisfactory settlement of questions outstanding in Greece, and that the Allies are taking effectual measures to secure and safeguard their base for the Balkan offensive.

Some' further extracts are published to-day from the article in which tho Daily Mail advocated a partial or complete withdrawal from Salonika. Not much need be added to what was said yesterday about this proposal. It may be pointed out, however, that the statement that 200,000 Bulgarians are holding up 450,000 Allied troops is confessedly based on German reports, and takes no account of other reports that considerable German reinforcements havo been sent lo the Macedonian front. The Daily Mail ignores the fact that General Sarraiii's army has had to overawe an enemy in rear as well as fight an enemy in front. It is to be noted, also, that what the Daily Mail calls "an expanse of roadless mountains which no modern army is able to traverse," is an area penetrated by fairly good, though not numerous, military avenues (including _ the Vardar railway), and that it was successfully traversod by the Bulgar-Ger-mans in their 1915 offensive, against not inconsiderable opposition.