PROGRESS OF THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3034, 22 March 1917, Page 4

PROGRESS OF THE WAR

The German retreat on the Western. front continues to bo the subject of vital interest. Amidst all the speculation and conjecture as to the causes leading up to tho retreat and tho extent to which it may.' be continued, the outstanding fact remains that the backward move of the enemy has not been stayed. The German people are told by Major Moraht, one of the bestknown and most popular of their military writers, that Hindenburu is leading the British and French into a trap, and that everyone in Germany should be pleased at the retreat. Unprecedented losses are to be inflicted on the British and their Allies as the result of this manoeuvre. This sort of stuff may' be swallowed in Germany or it may not. The point that concerns U3 is that it enables us to_ form some idea of the extent to which this tremondous backward movement of the German armies on the Somme front is affecting the civilian population of Germany. It must be plain that it is having a vory bad and depressing cffect on the German people when a military writer of such standing as Major Moraht is compelled to resort to the pretence of publicly disclosing the plans of the German High Command in order to chcor up the downhearted populace. If there wero a trap, behind this move which would involve the British and French troops in the annihilating slaughter conjured up by Major , Mokaht's optimistic explanation of the unhappy position of the German troops, we may ba certain that we should hear precious little about it until the ' trap was sprung. Hindenburg has his plans, no doubt, but it will probably bo found as' evonts dovelop that, they arc entirely of a defensive naturo so far as the Sommo front is concerned.

Where will the retreat stop 1 This question may only bo answered by conjecture. Between their old line of impregnable" defoncea and the borders of Belgium and Luxemburg thero is no defensible line as strong as that which tho Germans aro now 80 hurriedly leaving. A lino from Lillo to Reims by way of Cambrai, St. Quentin, and Laon may Ho held for a time, but with the weight of artillery which the Allies now possess il) is doubtful whether it could be held for very long. Moreover, there is tho factor of our pursuit being pressed home before the enemy can sottlo himself at. his chosen ground. We'are . not losing touch with the Germans in their flight. Our cavalry aro driving back the Uhlans who form the enemy's rearguard somewhere betweon St. Quentin and Ofimbrai. From the uorthwest of these important towns the British are moving forward in spite oi adverse we.ithor; and from the r.outhwcr.toide the French have met with brilliant successes. What tho exact position of tho pursuing armies is cannot be noted w-fch anything liko accuracy, but we know that they have liberated thousands of people from t.ho domination of Germany, have repossessed themselves of hundreds of squiiro milos of territory, and have captured many points over •thirty miles in advance of the lino that marked the German defence for nc&rjig two. and a Jialii spars after

tho'Battle of the Marnc. These gains are significant, and to-day's uuws shows that tho forward movement. is being maintained.

The points mentioned by Sir Doutu.As Haki as having now been passed—St. Leger,.Velu and Nurlu —are well in 'advance of the Ba-paume-Peronne lino x while the passing of St. Leger indicates that the northern Sink is swinging in a. north-easterly direotion. This latter move is creating a dangerous salient for the Germans east of Arras, and we may expect to learn of a further "voluntary retreat" in this quarter. The town of Croisilles, if it has not already fallen into our hands, is likely to do so at any moment.

The latest French a.dv'ance is equally noteworthy. They indeed appear now to bo even further forward than the British. Their encircling movement against the important railway junction at St. 'Quentin is progressing apace! They have reached Roupy, a little over 4\ miles to the south-west of St. Quontin, but further south they are at Tergnior, a small town from which two railways branch, and due south of St. -Quentin. A very significant item in tho day's news is tho report that French aviators have noted conflagrations 50 miles behind the German lines. The Germans are not likely to destroy property in their rear unless their intention is to retreat beyond that point. Therefore, taking the reports referred to as being correot, it may be assumed that the line of prepared defences to which the enemy has been forced to fall back lies somewhere along the line of the Mctise on the Franco-Belgian frontier. ' Such a step would open up tremendous possibilities. It would probably be followed by _ a retreat further north, possihly a retirement from the whole of Northern France and the greater part of Belgium. It would also shorten the fighting front to such an extent that Germany would have more men available for each milo of her Western fighting front thain sho has had at any stage of the war. The Allies' strength in this respect would of course bo proportionately increased, but the German High Command would be in a stronger position from the milSfcary point of- view to fight a defensive strugglo than it is at the present [ time. There is, however, the moral effect to be considered both on the German troops and the German population. .We are told to-day of growing unlrest and rioting as tho news of the Russian Revolution (no 'doubt coupled with the news of the Somme retreat) filters through the German Press; The Gorman High Command, however, may have no choice in deciding between the pros and cons of the situation. As in the case of the retreat now in progress it may prove the only course open Bo them to avert immediate disaster. It is worth noting, in view of Moraht's bloodcurdling warning of the' losses we are to suffer from the German retreat, that a French official message states that the losses suffered in pushing back the retreating Germans have been insignificant. This is not only good news; it is also very illuminating as to the hurry with which the Germans are hastening to the rear.-

■ As indicated in these notes treats ing of the fall of Bagdad, the moral effect of that capture is having farreaching influences throughout the Turkish Empire. There issued at once feverish orders for the recall of Turks fighting for Austria-Hun-gar jr and Germany in Galicia, Bukowina, and Bulgaria. Suoh orders cannot be fulfilled in a day, and the onward march of our troopß, under General Maude, is proceeding. Germany cannot afford to weaken her lines upon the Eastern fronts, and so in all probability the Turks will riot be allowed to return. Following the loss of Bagdad, and failing a reply to tho recall of other troops, the Government at Constantinople has ordered the mobilisation of the nation's manhood. That is' not all. A political crisis is imminent. Panic prevails in the Turkish capital, and tho issue of a Holy War has been raised by tho Mahommodan hierarchy. This movo ■was tried in the early stages of the war and failed. It is more likely than ever to fail now. The Government of Turkey has long been supported by German money, and its policv controlled'from Berlin. Under German influence Turkey has been' guilty, of massacres in Armenia and Syria, more horrible than any recorded in the history even of these unhappy countries.. That the Turk should be driven out of Europe has become almost as much an objective of the war as the restoration of Belgium , and Serbia, tho return of Alsace-Lorraino to Franco, and the Italia Irredonta to Italy. And from theso evidences of disruption in Turkey the end of tho "Union of_ Progress," which has been a Union of Corruption and Retrogression, docs not seom to be too far distant. The further suoccsscs of General Maude will accentuate these difficulties and the increasing pressure of the Russians, too, in Asia Minor will help to iiv testify tho Turkish situation.