PROGRESS OF THE WAR
The account given by the Germans of the position reached in the Western thoatre is that thoy have reached tho lino upon which they intended to retire, and are masters of the situation. A brief survey, of late events and of the present situation of the armies will, show quite clearly what these claims aro worth. The Allies in tho space of,a fow weeks havo taken 33,000 prisoners and captured 330 guns, a'nd tho number of prisoners taken represents only a very small part of tho enemy's total losses. The scale of these losses is indicated in the statement made by a Headquarters correspondent that nine German divisions were placed out of action in the recent British offensive, and that they lost 50 per cent, of their effectives. It_ is the rate of the enemy's losses in relation to those of. the Allies that will ultimately determine the fate of the offensive, but the feature of the situation which arrests attention meantime is that although the enemy lias been dislodged from strong positions on a wide front and thrown h&fck upon a weakerllinte t he is tftDKeiUHx tle-
terred from seeking relief in the only obvious way in which it might be gained—by an extended retreat. The Allied advanco to the outskirts of St. Quentin, and beyond it on the south, the gradual encirclement of Lens by the British, and their approach to Gambrai, the success of tho French in winning uu extended foothold on the Craonuo plateau, and their conquest or partial conquest of dominating positions in the Champagne, mean in the aggregate that tho German lino is desperately weakened, and its stability gravely threatened over a great part of its length. The enemy's prospects of standing firm on this weakened front arc measured by his failure, in spite of counter-attacks made and repeated with a reckless disregard of sacrifice, to hold the immensely strong positions from which he has lately been dislodged.
It is possible, of course, that tho enemy's talk about reaching his appointed lino is deceptive, not only as regards the state of affairs created, but in masking his intentions for tho immediate future. Since he has lost so many of the positions which imparted strength to his defensive line in its present locality, it would not be surprising if he speedily attempted a further retirement. If he awaits a resumption of tho Allied assault on the weakened line on which he now stands, the inference will be warranted that he regards a safe and economical re J treat as an impossibility. Events thus far have demonstrated that the Germans are incapable of an economical defensive, but their ability to obtain relief for a time by retreat has not yet been fully tested.
P.resent indications are that tho test will not be long delayed. While tho French offensive north of the Aisno and further east appears to have slowed for the moment, there is news of an artillery bombardment of the most extreme violence on tho northern part of the British offensive front (north from the positions east of Arras), and the French report a violent artillery action south of St. Quentin. Operations on the front from Lens to St. Quentin have reached a stage at which big possibilities are in sight. Apart from the fact that investing lines are closely wrapped about both Lens and St. Quentin, the British have lately made notable progress towards Cambrai. In particular they have captured the remaining area of the extensive Havrincourt Wood (about, three miles south of the BapaumcCambrai' road), which was lately a formidable obstacle in their path. Tre'scault village, which has alsobeen qaptured, is on the eastern fringe of this wood, and about eight miles from Cambrai. To the south of Havrincourt Wood the lino sweeps forward in a bold curve, and an advance of a mile or two would. place the attacking troops on' a wide front astride the direct communications between Cambrai and St. Quentin. North' of Havrincourt the British front sweeps back west and north, but the enemy in this area is holding a salient which is intensified with each advance made by the British east of Arras and south of the Bapaume-Cambrai road.
Lord CuRZONis quoted to-day as stating that the past fortnight'soperations in Franco had shown the wonderful superiority of our artillery, which had fired four milliori projectiles.. Such figures defeat the imagination, but the tornado of death and destruction which has already swept the German lines does not by any means represent the maximum effort of which the British artillery will ultimately be capable. The latest available particulars of British munitions output .show that in a number of categories is stil increasing at an almost incredible rate. In a statement made in February Dr. Addison (British Minister of Munitions) stated that, taking, tho average weekly output of light field ammunition from July, 1915, to June, 1916, and then in the last completed, week of January, and comparing them, the figure would bo in the first average of weeks 63, and in January 22. For medium guns in the first period it would be 7i, and in January 76. For heavy guns—and this was where' we were beating the "Bochc"—the first figure would be 22, arid the flgiye for the last week of January 365. Tho British Army owed that overwhelming preponderance of heavy artillery ■ to the genius and foresight of Mr. Lloyd George.
Yesterday's report dealing, with events in the Mesopotamian campaign contained an error, which is corrected in a message published today. The error related only to the of tho opposing forces. It was on the left bank of the Tigris, at the Shatt-el-Adhaim crossing, and not at Istabulat, twenty-five niiles further' west, on the opposite bank, that the British . routed a Tfli'kish force and captured over 1200 prisoners at a cost of 73 casualties. Near Istabulat, which is a station on the railway running north from Bagdad up the west bank of the Tigris, the British, as reports stand, are engaged in an attack upon enemy entrenchments. Part of the first line has been reduced, and over two hundred prisoners have been captured, in addition to those reported .' yesterday. The modification of yesterday's news is in a word that instead of being pursued up-river beyond Istabulat, the Turks are defending positions covering' that place.
Some interesting information relating to. the Venezelist array, which is now with the Allies on the Macedonian front, was given by M. Alexander Diomede, formerly Greek Minister of Finance, when he recently visited London on a political mission on behalf of the National Government of M. Yenizslos. The army, he stated, consisted of from five to six "divisions; of infantry (it was then apparently still being increased), with. depots which were capable of maintaining 'their effectives at full : strength. "On several occasionß,"_ M. Diojiede observed, "the British General in command on the Struma, and the Generalissimo, General Sarrail, have mentioned in dispatches the Greek divisions and the Greek mountain artillery for.the masterly manner in which they have prepared their attacks. Our aviators, who have joined up with the British Plying Corps, have also been mentioned for engagements with enemy airmen, which havo been crowned with success."
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Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3061, 24 April 1917, Page 6
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1,206PROGRESS OF THE WAR Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3061, 24 April 1917, Page 6
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