PROGRESS OF THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3096, 29 May 1917, Page 4

PROGRESS OF THE WAR

Now (.hat' Italy is so brilliantly seconding the achievements of the Western Allies, the fact stands out very clearly that Russia has it in her hands to do -much to make- or mar Allied prospects in the present year's campaign. Though the summer is young, the Allies in tho AVest havo made heavy inroads upon the enemy's effective strength and dislodged him from formidable positions. To-day they arc pinning clown nearly three-quarters o£ Germany's total divisions in the field, they are compelling the enemy to exhaust his strength to little purpose or profit, and they are well phecd to resume their forward drive when that course scciiis advisable. Italy, though she is on the whole much less advantageously placed than the Western Allies, has, like them, given proof of her ability to excel what was accomplished last year, and is attacking with deadly effect the Austrian armies to which she stands opposed. If it could be assumed that Russia will co-operate a-s effectively with her Allies _ this year as she did last year and in tho previous course of tho war the outlook would be extremely bright. Unfortunately it is still an open question whether Russia can be depended upon for effective co-opera-tion this year. Wo are within a few days of the _ anniversary of Brusilofi''s victorious offensive in Southern Russia and Galicia, and within a few weeks at most it will be determined whether Russia is in a position to builS upon her achievements of last year, or is destined to fail her Allies.

Tt is, of course, obvious that Russia's action or inaction in the near future will heavily influence events in this year's campaign. There is evidence that the enemy has weakened his armies on the Russian front, apparently to a serious extent, in order to'send much-needed reinforcements to the Western and Italian theatres. According to one recent report the Germans have even withdrawn forces from the Mitaii region, in the Baltic Provinces,

where a successful Russian attack at the beginning of this yea-i , compelled thorn to con centra U> heavily in defence of their threatened northern flanki If the llussian armies had been even moderately active in local attacks iincl demonstrations 'during the- iast mouth or two, the enemy would have found it necessary to pursue a very different policy on fiio East front. Up to the present the Allies have had no assistance from liussia in their offensive) and it is fairly plain that at the moment lack of Russian cooperation not only sets' limits to what is possible in the main 'theatres but is more seriously felt in the- Turkish campaigns and in the Balkans.'

Ox the other hand, granted a disciplined effort by liussia, what is unfavourable in tho existing (situation of the Allies should be speedily reversed. The statement credited to-day to Austrian prisoners that an attack by the Russians on the Carpathians front would speedily place Hungary at their mercy may not bo far from tho truth. A recent report stated that Germany has no more than sixty-six divisions, each of 13,000 men, on the whole East front, and this, if true, means that she lias reduced by something like a quarter the armies she had opposed to the Russians up. to the end of last year. Considering that tho Austrians also have drawn heavily on the East front to obtain reinforcements for tho Italian theatre there can be little doubt that the Russians are- faced by a remarkable opportunity, and it is too soon yet to assume that they will fail in turning it to account to their own advantage and that ot their Allies. g f No big - movement is rcported_ on tho West front at time of writing, but tho news as far as it goes is Kood The Britieh have gained tome ground north of Bullccourt, further narrowing the German salient which extends to the westward of that village. The trench have extended their positions in the hill country east'of JReims, and have defeated further attacks by the enemy on the Aisne front.

The Italians are steadily forging ahead on the Carso plateau, and to-day report the capture of further positions in its southern area, where they arc closing in-upon Mount Hermada, the formidable stronghold still opposing their progress along the coast route to Trieste. Ihcy arc now apparently a little over a mile distant from the Hermada

C HfOKNTIiV it was announced that British heavy batteries were operating on the Italian front, and latei a report stated that they played an effective part in the successful offensive on tho Garso. In view of the fact that Italy has developed hei war industries on a very great scale, it seemed a .little surprising that she should have to depend on Britain to augment her strength in heavy artillery, but lights thrown upon the matter in an article by Mr Lewis Freeman, entitled "Italy's Industrial Effort, ' which was published recently in Land and \ Water. Mr. Fihbman obtained some interesting information _on the subject from an officer attached to one of the Allied military missions. "The magnitude of Italy» industrial achievement,; said this officer, "mav best bo judged aifoi first considering the fact that she started with almost negligible muni-tion-making facilities, and then notinc tho extent to which, in the face of a. consumption that is doubling and trebling every few months, sne has not only becorao independent oi 'import but has even been turning out in certain lines a surplus ,to send abroad to various ot her Allies. In the early months of the war Franco and England had come to Italy's aid with heavy artillery (though it was httlo enough that could be spared), with machine-, euns, and with munitions of practically every class Munition machinery was, of course, badly needed, but neither of her nearest Allies was able to spare much in this line for Italy. For some time now this country has been turning out all the light artillery and ma-chine-guns she has needed, ami it there has been a comparative slioilage of heavy guns that is only a difficulty that is shared by every other one of the belligerents on both sides In the smaller calibre, of Sβ she is also independent of import, and recently, indeed, she has begun to put a surplus at tho clispjal of her Allies. The small arm problem Italy has had fairly ijell Fn hand from the first, and she nas been exporting these in increasing Quantities for some time. . • ..Ail o" this, it should be> borne in mind has been accomplished in the face of the- handicap imposed by the fact that Italy, unhko France and England, has been abe to import but little, and has, there ore, .had to mike practically all of the special nrichinerv used in munition manufacture •' What Italy has done in this connection must rank as one of the most surprising achiovcmente of the war." The position, therefore, em to bo thaf though 1 aly is fairly strong in-heavy artillery as a Silt of her own efforts, Britain is ablo to augment her resources m this particular arm.

Actuated bv motives thai, can only bo guessed at, the Germans have sunk a Spanish mail steamer, apparently in circumstances involving rvcrv heavy loss of life. The only report available at the moment states that 133 passengers and members of the crew are missing. An outrage- of this character is calculated to inflame public opinion in Spain in a fashion with which the Wends of Germany in that cortntr/may find it impossible to cope The Do'licy of the Government at present in office is to maintain peace with Germany at any price, but the Premier .(Count rSnUs) holds that the time for passive endurance has passed. Conceivably Germany's latest act may cadto his being returned to power with a mandate for war. The case, at all events, is one in which Germany has gratified her taste for fdghtfulncss with apparently _ . •total disregard of her own materia! interests'. It is familiar knoIcdeo that she has been enabled to nake free use of Spanish territorial waters and has depended to a conderablo extent upon the assistance of tents in Spain in the prosecution of her submarine campaign.

The Third Wellington M'litary Service Board will sit again ni. Wellington oJttv. The Military Service Boards throughout New Zealand have been hJarin" appeals at the rate ol some hundreds a week lately, and it is reported that Uipv nre fairly well abreast ot their work. They are likely to overtake practically all arrears before tho appeals nrisin" from the eighth ballot, to be drawn to-day, begin to reacji them.