PROGRESS OF THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3026, 13 March 1917, Page 4

PROGRESS OF THE WAR

Though expected, the news cod- | firming the fall of Bagdad is none j the less wclcome on that account. I There have been so many delays and disappointments in connccfcion with tho Mcsopotamiaa campaign that the rapid succession of victorious blows struck by Ceneeal Maude during the past few weeks have completely changed the outlook. Since General Maude began to move in earnest against Kut-cl-Amara, the advance has been conducted in brilliant stylo. Not only i have the Turks been driven out of j their fortified positions, but the j British Commander has struck so hard and followed up his blows with such rapidity that the enemy has been completely demoralised. Retreat developed into a rout, and position after position has fallen with little more than 'a pretence at resistance. The la'ter stages of this campaign ; appear to havo been planned with great thoroughness and carried through with conspicuous skill. It should not bo overlooked that before the final attack on Kiit was made, the British communications had been strengthened by the building ot a, light railway, which relieved the river transport and facilitated the rapid advance subsequently made. Thjs railway is being cxl-caded, and will be an'important factor in future operations Ui this region.

In spite of tho efforts of the TJenate minority to block tho arming of American merchant shipping, tho United States continues to drift rapidly towards the danger zone. Preparations for (lie arming ol the vessels goes 011 apace, and it is stated that when thoy are armed they will not hesitate to fire on submarines jwhen suspected of hostile intent. If they wait until the.v arc fired on or torpedoed, they will |bo acting in a remarkably «clf- | sacrificing, not to say 'stupid, ; fashion. Ex-Pjiksidknt Tot's Btimj miug up of tho situation is much to j tho point. "If_«,n armed American : merchantman sinks a German sub- ! marine, as T. hope 6ho will, tho next step _ will be with Germany. If n, submarine'sinks an American ship, the next step will be with America." It grows increasingly clear 'that American opinion is becoming rapidly reconciled to the probability of war with Germany, and this fact will have its influence on tho attitude of Germany. There can be no longer any hope on-tho part of llio Kaiskb and his advisers that the "too proud to fight" idea holds any sway in tho United Stales, and even at this late stage it will not occasion any great.surprise should Germany back down. If, as seems to J)e the case, the ''submarine frightfulness" campaign has fallen far short of expectations, thon clearly Germany would be mad to force America in on tho side of her. enemies when there is so liLtle l;o counterbalance so grave a step. Ma. AiiFKhD Noyes, tho well-known writer, expresses tho opinion that a decision by America to convoy her morchant shipping would causa Germany to ''throw up the sponge." I erhaps this is a too sanguine view of the situation, but in tho light of the comparatively disappointing results of tho submarine campaign Germany might well deeido that it was not worth tho risk of adding tue_United States to the list of her active loes.

Mr. Giiiuni) has ari ived safely at Havana on his homeward journey from Berlin, and Count Bbrnstoiw has been equally fortunate in . his trip across the Atlantic, having reached Christians, It is not likcjy that Mn. CjURARD will bo able to add much to the information ho has been able to iorward to his chief in Washington, but Count Beiwstokw, who has not had quite the same facilities for commumcaUog with Berlin should have a great deal to say to ® ETHMAIfIi '"HoLLivEG regarding conditions :ind possibilities in the United States. This interview at Berlin should not prove an altogether pleasant one. .In spite of his unscrupulous scheming and his ex treme activity, Count Bkrnstorw's record has b&sn largely mado up of iailuros. He has caused embarrassments enough, but. they have been ot a temporary and passing nature onl.y, and not iufreciuoufcly Lhny have reacted to tho detriment of the country lie sought to serve. If he now tells the whole, truth regarding the feeling in America towards tiermany as the result of tho submarining, tho Mexican plot, and tho disclosures o£ German intrigue and conspiracy within the United States, then it may have an important influenco in shaping Germany'ii future policy along somewhat different lines to those now being followed. Froii Ypres to the Sornmc the guns arc. thundering at given points or. tho British front, keeping the enemy in a con- j stant state of suspense as to where j and in what strength tho next attack will be made, „tii§ Douglas I

Hajg's reference to this artiilerying to-day may not imply that anything out of the ordinary is in progress, but the activity recorded ccrLainly appears to suggest something out of the common. Apart from a little 'raiding there is nothing else of importance to be noted. t* * # #

The cxtromely severe winter on the Eastern front is being felt in many ways, and not the least of these is its effect on transport. "Heavy snowfalls are stated to have "blocked the railways over which supplies are said to have been in transit, and rioting and disorder similar to that recorded in many German cities is reported to have occurred at Petrograd. This unfortunate condition of affairs has no cloubt been contributed to by the excessive strain placed on the railways for the carriage of munitions for the coming great offensive on the Eastern front. There is no particular shortage of foodstuffs in Russia, but the transport to the centres of population has been seriously interfered with by the use of the railways for purposes directly associated with the conduct of the war. Our Allies have had to transport supplies to Rumania as well as to their own front, and with the approach of spring the tax on the railways is likely to be greater than ever. The difficulties of tho situation are apparent enough, but the remedy, for the time being, is less easy to sec. Food supplies are essential to the civilian population and munition supplies aro essential to the safety as well as to tho success of the. men in the fighting lines. A spell of fine weather may relieve the situation so far as railway transport is concerned, .but the roads arc likely to continue bad for some time to come.