PROGRESS OF THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3142, 21 July 1917, Page 6

PROGRESS OF THE WAR

There is comparatively little news from the war theatres afe time of writing, nor has the situation in Russia taken coherent shape. Great issues are trembling in tho balance. During tho last threo weeks tho Russian -armies have done not a little to open the way to Lcmbcrg, and they seemed lately to have good prospects of striking a blow where it would bo apt to tell with deadly effect by-carrying tho war into Hungary. Ifc is quite impossible.at the moment to say whether these prospects are still* open. Tho Russian armies are absolutely depondent upon tho efficient support of tho country behind them, and at present reports dealing with thopolitical situation aro not promising. At the same timo these unfavourable reports are not conclusive. Tho position has yet to bo. put to a definite test, and that test will certainly not bo long delayed. ■Hr K * *

When the balloting now begun is completed America, will have immediately in hand the task of raising her military forces to a strength of aboii b 1,200,000 men. Measures have been in train for some time to raise the Regular Army to a strength of 300,000 and the National Guard to 400,000. The 500,000 men now to be balloted aro- additional . to those formations, and, according to the latest information, they will bo accompanied into camp by 125,000 men who are to provide reinforcements. The American division which is already in France has a strength of 24,000 men. It consists of_ trained regulars, including a regiment of marines, and it may not be long bcforo it is heard of on the battle front. / . * , * • - * * ' - A correspondent of the New York Outlook recently contributed some interesting notes on the progress of military preparation in America. He quotes an 'officer of the General Staff as saying that the Army had always been weak on the bitsiiress side, but goes on to show th'at tho disability thus entailed has been greatly modified as a result of the organisation of American factories under the stimulus of Allied demands. "As for rifles," he remarks, "Providence was on our side—Providence and. the private manufacturer. When Congress found we had only seven hundred thousand Springfields on hand, it thought it could speed up production, equip our men, and provide the necessary reserve. But there it ran up against a stone wall. It takes MOO gauges to make a rifle, and it would take at least a./year to produce these gauges. So we arc forced to' turn to the Eufteld rifle, used by the British. Fortunately, private , manufacturers in this country are equipped to_ turn these out in sufficient quantities to equip our troops. We are in the same position as regards machineguns and heavy artillery. Private concerns probably will be able to turn out a fairly adequate supply.

"Our aircraft production," the correspondent added, "is going forward in good shape. "We are concentrating on training 'planes, and by autumn should bo able- to send over trained aviators in sufficient numbers to help out materially. Thcso men will be.. used first at simple tasks behind the lines, such as (lying wit' l ncw machines across the Channel from England to France. By next year we may bo in a. position to build high-speed battle 'planes. In any event, wo shall he able to help maintain thesupremacy of the air for the Allies on tho Western front—a supremacy which now sometimes wavers."

On Wednesday last Charles Thomas liuxon was committed to tho Supremo Court for trial on a charge of bigamy, and was admitted to bail in his own recognisance of .£SO and one surety of ,£SO. Yesterday Luxon appeared in tho Magistrate's Court before- Mr. S. E. M'Carthy, S.M., oharged with being about to abscond in ordor to ovado justice. Mr. IT. H. Cornish, who appeared for Luxon, stated that the latter had no intention of evading justice.; ho had quarrelled with his surety,, and that was the cause of all the trouble. Mr. Cornish asked that the bail be'renewed, and he would get. another, surety. Tho Magistrate; however, committed ...the accused to prison, theip to await km trial.