PROGRESS OF THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3051, 12 April 1917, Page 4

PROGRESS OF THE WAR

Marshal von Hindenburg is in a fair way to lose any reputation be has hitherto enjoyed as a prophet in his own and other countries. He is credited to-day with a statement, evidontly made at least some- clays ago, that the Western front has become bo strong that the Germans oan withstand every attack. It is added that ho spoke complacently of the Contral Powers' absolute security on all fronts and their unprecedented strength cind preparedness everywhere. The complacency of the enemy Goneralissimo has been quickly and rudely disturbed by the mighty blow struck by the British Army in Northern France, and the absolute security of which ho boasted has disappeared. Tho British offensive has already developed well bbyond tho point of success reported yesterday, ancj that, as one correspondent remarked, was beyond esofiotatidnß., It is ipc* cavlx-iot, as

fcho same writer observed, to speak of a great victory, but the offonsive has certainly opened with splendid promise. At its present stage of development it probably constitutes the most damaging blow the Allied armies have ever struck in a given time. As reports stand at time of writing, the 'British have captured 11,000 prisoners, more than a hundred guns, including a number of heavy pieces up to eight-inch calibre, 60 trench mortars, and 163 machine guns. If other evidence were lacking, the capture of heavy guns would bear witness to the shrewd effect with whioh the attack was driven home and the state of demoralisation into which the enemy was thrown. Risks are sometimes taken with light field guns, and of course with trench artillery, but tho heavy pieces -are invariably posted well behind the line where they are supposed to !>e safe from capture even if tho defences they are detailed to support should bo heavily penetrated by hostilo attack. The capture of heavy guns on the LensArras front is-an.even better proof than the map affords that .the German line in this area gave way dangerously undor the powerful impetus of the British attack.

The principal fighting reported to-day occurred on a front of about nine miles, extending south from the northern end of the Vimy Ridge, half-a-dozen miles north of, Arras. Messages in hand are open to the reading that the enemy retains a footing at the northern extremity of the 'Vimy Ridge, which is several miles long. One official report, it is true, remarks of the fighting at the northern end of the ridge that whore the enemy retained a footing he was ejected, but a later message speaks of the capture of further positions at the northern end of tho The exact position is not clearly disclosed, bub at all events the attackingj troops are in possession of the greater part of this commanding elevation. Over a great part of its length they have pushed down the eastern slopes, which descend into tho low country towards Douai. The capture of the ridge will greatly facilitate an advance through, the low country to the east, but up to the present it is in the area a little further south that.the offensive has reached its most pronounced development so far as gain of ground is concerned. North and south of tho River Scarpe, which runs east-north-east from Arras to Douai and beyond, the enemy front has been penetrated to a depth of from three to more than four miles. Where their line crosses the Scarpe, the British are five miles east, of the eastern outskirts of Arras and rather less than ten miles distant ■ from Douai. Meantime a continued pressure of attack, is being maintained on the direct approach to Cambrai and north-west of St. Quentin, and in both areas ground has been gained. Tho success which is attending the offensive is the more noteworthy and creditable since up to the period covered by the latest reports in hand it has been conducted in deoidedly unfavourable weather conditions. Sir Douglas Haig commends the valuable work done by the aircraft, which in many cases attacked the enemy reinforcements with ma-chine-gun fire, but their operations must, of course, have been hampered and limited by the conditions of weather lately experienced, and an improvement in woather would relieve them of a serious' handicap, and in every way facilitate the development of the offensive.

While the British on the northern front are breaking into the plain south of Lille, with its network of, railway communications, news from other parts of tho front relates chiefly to artillery bombardments. The British offensive is a beginning in an enterprise which will no doubt develop widely and on the greatest scale before long, but the French are biding their time. An unofficial message from, Paris states, however, that the Germans fired eight thousand shells into Reims on Sunday, and are still continuing the bombardment, and that civilians ■ have been warned to prepare for the evacuation of the city. The severity of the enemy bombardment .would in itself warrant the withdrawal Of the civilians who have thus far remained in Reims, but if; an order has been issued in the terms stated it would seem that tho French authorities aro taking precautions with an eye to the possibility of a German counterstroke in the . vicinity |of Reims. If the enemy is any longer capable of such an effort he is as likely to make it at Reims as anywhere else. It was here that he strove to break the French line in the first great battle on the Aisne. However, as matters are developing there seems. no great probability cither that the enemy will find himself in condition to attempt a counter-stroke or that the French will be under the necessity of evacuating Reims. It would no doubt suit the Allies very well that the enemy should open a new version of his disastrous Verdun enterprise, but it is hardly likclv that he will commit.this final folly. .

In Mesopotamia the Turks are endeavouring to make head against combined British and Russian pressure in the area towards the Persian border, north and north-east of Bagdad. They are' attempting a converging povement against the British forces between the Diala and Adhaim rivers, but seem to have made no great progress. The British are in position on both banks of the Adhaim, the westernmost of these rivers, and it is from the west that the Turks are developing their attack.' The flood season has opened in Mesopotamia, but how far this will affect the campaign as the British communications are now organised remains to be seen.

The action of Brazil 'in breaking off relations with, Germany means amongst other things that something like 240,000 tons of interned enemy shipping will be made available for service. Some. of these ships, it is true, are Austrian, but the great majority are German. It is possible, of course, that a brcak'with Austria may follow the break with Germany.