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PROGRESS OF THE WAR

No pronounced development in the Western campaign is disclosed at the moment of writing, but the French are still winning ground in •the area between the Oise and the Aisne, where they have lately beon fprcing their way through difficult country in an effort to turn the enemy line. A. comirmnig'ue states that strong positions have been captured east of Leuilly and Neuvillc-sur-Margival, that is to say, northeast of the Aisne ,at Soiasons, against what has beon described as a vulnerable section of the German front.: The enemy. line extends south from the Oise through the rugged and easily defended area of tho ■ »i, Gobain forest and the high' forest of Coucy. Between the southern' extremity of this latter forest and'the Aisne there is "a stretch of more.open country, Which the Germans have spanned with powerful field fortifications. ,It is against these fortifications that the French are developing what la apparently their principal attack for the time being, though they report some progress also in their movement against the enemy positions at the southern end of the high forest of Coucy. The somewhat bombastic report from Berlin which is published to-day is significantly silent about events on this vital'section of'the front. It olaims that a French advanco' further north, on the west bank of tho Oise,, near La Fere, was repelled with sanguinary losses. It declares also that the British have suffered heavily still further north, on tho northern side of the Bapaume-Cam-brai railway, anb? that the circumstance affords evidence of the successful execution of the German plans. This is convincing. There is no evidence at time of' writing that the Allies are at present attempting to force the issue in the areas mentioned in the German communique, But there >is reason to believe that the collapse of the enemy's defence between tho Oise and the Aisne would force him to make a much more extended retreat than he has yet attempted.

• There is nothing to show that tho enemy has any other plan for the time being than to defend as stubbornly as possiblo the front on which he is now making a, stand, and this state of affairs, if it exists —it is possible, of course, that appearances arc deceptive—gives some ground for surprise. At a general view the present Gorman front is very much weaker from the defensive standpoint "than that, on which Erie battle of the Sommo opened. It is in fact that front with 6no vital section dangerously driven in—a section on which the Allies arc striking at arterial routes leading into the heart of the enemy's main communications. On the, front from Arras to the Aisne tho margin of safety which tho enemy formerly had in hand is enormously reduced; and the stability of his lino is imminently threatened both in- the area between tho Oise and the Aisne and further north, in the locality of St. Quentin. If the Germans hope to , maintain their rjresonb positions be-

twccn Arras and tho Aisno it is obvious that they must be prepared to devote a very large proportion of their available forces to the defence of this section of the front. Mcan•timc the danger remains fully alive that tho Allies may suddenly extend their offensive from the present area of activity to other sections of the front. Late events have not diminished, but increased, tho prospoct of a British attack on the northern front or a Ei-ench attack "~in_ the Champagne or elsewhere It is a reasonable inference from existing conditions that tho enemy, western armies are in a position of extreme peril. The . inconsiderable shortening of line which has resulted from their retreat is probably much more than counterbalanced by the extent to which the front has been weakened and made vulnerable The Germans arc certainly badly placed to attempt tho forlorn-hope offensive in the Western theatre upon which it was recently thought they might stake their fortunes this year. On the other hand, if they are committed to a purely defensive polioy in the West, their natural course would rather bo to risk an extended retreat than to attempt to hold the long 1 and vulnerable line on which the armies are at present in .'contact.

Portion of -the Gorman commumquc already quoted carries a distinct suggestion that tho enemy has uneasy expectations' of attack in the Champagne area. It states that the Germans repelled French attacks north of Eeims and captured trenches south of Biponb. The latter place is situated at tho eastern end of tho front on which tho French developed their offensive in September,, 1015, and .closely approached the Somme-Py railway, an important lateral Jino behind the German front. There was heavy local fighting in the Ripont locality some weeks ago, when the Germans entered a French salient which has since been largely recovered. The fighting reported to-day , seems > to have been upon a minor scale, but as has been remarked it- suggests an expectation of greater, events. From the enemy's point of view,the prospect of a French offensive in the Champagne in concert with the operations further west holds very soriouß ■• possibilities.

There is not much news at time of writing from the British section of the.front. His. Douglas Haig's report shows that his troops are pressing forward slowly, against strong opposition, on tho approach to Cambrai. Further south, tho British have captured two more villages situated about half-way between Peronno and the railway, connecting Oambrai with St. Quentin.

A late ■ message published yesterday conveyed a rumour that Germany had offered Bussia a separate peace. There is happily no reason to suppose that Bussia is likely for a moment to consider any offer of the kind. The leaders of the revolution and the mass of their, followers aro, above all things, loyal and inspired by a firm determination.to carry the war with Germany to a victorious conclusion. Germany has more than once offered Bussia a separate peace, but even in' the days when pro-German influences . made themselves heavily felt in /Bußsian governing circles, the loyalist forces had a sufficient /command of the situation to ensure the rejection of the onemy overtures. Germany's prospects of obtaining' a separate peace with Russia have been so muoh impaired by i the revolution that there is some reason for doubting whether the offer now reported has been made. Every effort will, of course, be, mads by the Germans and their agents to work upon the peace at any price party whioh exists in Bussia ; as in other Entente countries, but it may be taken for granted that any German advances will receive short shrift from the Provisional Government, and' will be regarded with contempt by tho great body of the Eussian people."

A', cokeespondenx at Petrogi-ad, whose dispatch appears to-day, gives a highly satisfactory account of tho progress that is being made in expediting military preparation, and in effecting reforms in both civil and military ■ administration that were neglected or obstructed under, the old regime. i,lt would be premature to assume that smooth and uninterrupted progress on these lines is absolutely assured, but the news as it stands is good and makes the outlook hopeful. Unless the correspondent mentioned paints an -unduly optimistic picture the Provisional Government already has substantial achievements to its credit. .■••

Reports tell of a stir of activity at many points along the Eussian main front, on the Dvinsk sector, in the Baltic Provinces, in the, vicinity of Baranovitchi, on the Stochod, facing Kovel junction, on. the Moldavian, frontier, and elsewhere. At one or two points, the Russian defences have been penetrated by the enemy, but no really definite development is disclosed, j The outlook in. the Eastern theatre is, and will romain, ,to some extent uncertain, until the conditions arising out of tho revolution have been ! more clearly definod. Unless the Eussian armies are handicapped by political disorders, the enemy will presently have ■ problems on his hands,in the Eastern thoatro only less serious than those by which he, is faced in the West. •' i

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/DOM19170330.2.14

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3041, 30 March 1917, Page 4

Word count
Tapeke kupu
1,339

PROGRESS OF THE WAR Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3041, 30 March 1917, Page 4

PROGRESS OF THE WAR Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3041, 30 March 1917, Page 4

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