PROGRESS OF THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3132, 10 July 1917, Page 4

PROGRESS OF THE WAR

The situation in the main theatres is not at the moment very clearly defined, but the- Russian offensive, upon which so , * much depends, appears to be developing with good promise on a widening front. A. terrific struggle continues in Galicia, and a German gas attack east of Kovel points to an expectation of battle in that quarter. "A repetition of the immediate and sweeping success gained by the Russians twelve months ago was hardly to be expected. To a great extent the heavy German reinforcement which patched the ■ broken Austrian line last year has been maintained, and the present task of the Russians is correspondingly formidable. So long, however, as they retain the upper hand in a contest with an important section of the _ German armies which now constitute ;so large a proportion of the enemy s total strength, tho- Russians will as effectively assist to bring about the defeat of the Central Empires as in the days when they were gathering in Austrian prisoners by tensi of thousands. Tho pronounced advantage gained by tho French in recent fighting lends colour « to . reports that the enemy is hurriedly transferring strength 'from west to cast. Tho general 'suggestion of recent and current news is .that the Russian effort is still at an early stage of its development, and there is a distinct promise of conditions in which the Allies will he enabled to attack in concert with maximum effect.

Expectations arc entertained that as an outcome of the latest air raid on London the British Government will reconsider its .attitude in rc : ,! gard to reprisals, and if these cxpec-' tations are realised there will bo no cause for surprise. Apart from the moral questions involved, experience has by this timc_ made it quite clear that even a highly organised defence is incapable of protecting a city like London from the murderously destructive attacks m which German air squadrons have lately engaged. The Germans are finding the aeroplane a far moroefficicntcinstrumcnt of destruction ( than the discredited and it would be as foolish to rely upon purely defensive measures against their aeroplane raids as to adopt a. similar policy in roferenco to poison gas. It is only because the Germans disregard the rules of civilised warfare that their air-attacks are formidable. On the Western front their air .service is hopelessly outclassed. There is no doubt that Britain is in a position to defeat them as definitely under the conditions they have set in their attacks on London as in fair fighting on' the battle front. .It is true that a reprisal attack on the German capital presents difficulties, but along the- valley of the Rhine there are many towns and cities, some of them of great size, standing at no greater distance from the French bases of Verdun, Nancy, and Bclfort than London does from the nearest German aerodromes. Britain has it in her power to inflict upon these towns and cities many times Ijhe damage the Germans are able to inflict on London, arid there would bo reason for refraining from this action only if she were able to subject the enemy to still greater damage by confining her aerial, operations within the limits hitherto observed.

In the circumstances it is to be hoped that the French raids reported to-day on Essen and other German towns indicate the lines on which the Allies intend henceforth to shapo'-their aerial policy. The French operations, which extended along the whole length of Western Germany, from Westphalia to Alsace and Baden, were carried out with brilliant success, and of the eighty-four machines, engaged ail but two returned safely. Britain should bo able to devote an even larger number of aircraft to the same work, and if she is there is every possible incentive to follow the French example Apart from any question of reprisals, tHe Rhino towns invite attack as vital elements in Germany's military organisation.-

Coming on top of the definite announcement that Bf.thmann-Holl-WEQ has induced the Reichstag party leaders to agree to the almost total rejection of the demand for constitutional reforms, the stories of political crisis in Germany transmitted to-day carry n distinct suggestion of stage setting. That the German Government is desperately embarrassed by the Russian offensive may be true enough, but this docs not necessarily mean that any strong party in Germany is_ pressing for a- radical modification of

war aims. Bcheidemann, the Socialist loader, is said to be demanding of the Government a, clear declaration thai; it is prepared to accept peace without annexation, but conceding this demand in full the Government would still be standing out against the right of nationalities to determine their own future,' which is the essence of the Entente peace conditions. Hitherto Sciieide3IANN lias been the obedient servant of the German war lords, and his latest utterance 'does not suggest any departure from his past attitude.