PROGRESS OF THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3159, 10 August 1917, Page 4

PROGRESS OF THE WAR

To-day's dispatches from tho Western front indicate that tho period of comparative inaction imposed by the state of the weather— which Sik Douglas Haig again mentions in his latest report—has ended. Tho airmen arc again aloft, and although tho weather is still against thorn, have raided ammunition depots, railway tracks, and sidings far behind tho enemy's lines. The French havo further advanced their lino beyond Bixschoote, tho scene of their big success in tho Battle of Flanders. The German official report mentions a British advance from Nieuport, which they say was repulsed, but no reference to this appears in tho Allies' communiques. * * * * Fok furthor indications of the development of tho situation some dispatches from tho German side will bo read with interest. It is characteristic of tho Teuton to enlarge upon the violence of tho enemy's attack when presenting a speciously garbled version of a defeat. A dispatch from tho correspondent of tho Berliner 'J'tigeblatt furnishes a case in point. Ho warns his countrymen that the Battle of Flanders, up to the point at which the British, and French reached their objectives—ho does not concede that the Allies reached their objectives—marked tho first stage of Haig's new attack. He places emphasis upon tho horrors of the British bombardment,,the variety of the incidental scientific devices by which horror was piled on horror, and the maddening nerve-tension produced in the German trenches by this aggregation of horrors. All this is done with tho obvious purpose of creating in the minds 01 his readers tho idea that nothing short of tho superhuman bravery and tenacity of tho German troops could have availed to avert more serious disaster, and preparing them for further shocks to their self-esteem. The conclusion of one phase- of a British attack is by the Germans presented as a check, duo to tho valour of their troops! As has already been suggested, the worst fear of the Germans in connection with the British and French operations in Flanders is that they will lose their submarine bases. Tho correspondent of the TarjcblaU, in tho same dispatch to which reference has been made, refers to theso bases as one of tho main objectives of tho Allies in tho present attack. The loss of those sea bases on tho Belgian coast and iu the canals would ho a most serious blow to the enemy. It is from these bases, more than from his North Sea bases, I hat his depredatory raiders have been most' effective, for their proximity to the Allies' sea traffic ports, coupled with their protecting mine-fields, furnish almost perfect conditions for cut-and-run destroyer raids, and convenient debouching points for I lie Mibmarin"-;. Once th"se ba'es are gone, it is safe lo predici that Ihe Li-boat menace will he- materially diminished,

Though the news from Russia has a disquieting habit of raising hopes to-day in order to dash tliem down to-morrow, the good tidings are none the less welcome when they do come. After tho gloomy messages of tho past two or threo clays it h pleasing to learn to-day from Pctrograd that latest advices from tho front havo greatly heartened the population. Wo are given no details of tho news from the front whfch has had this heartening effect beyond a statement that it is confirmatory of a satisfactory rallying of tho troops at certain sectors. This certainly would bo very good news indeed if the extent of tho rallying spread over any considerable portion of the Eastern front. It is worth noting that recent German reports have mentioned tho stubborn 'fitting of the Russians in face of tho Anstro-German advance; but little valuo has been attached to theso owing to tho extent to which German communiques aro constructed to mislead. The dispatch _of American troops to Russia, mentioned to-day, may havo a useful effect in heartening and welding tho Russian people and tho Russian forces. It is not likely, however, that any largo number will be sent to the East front.