PROGRESS OF THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3174, 27 August 1917, Page 4

PROGRESS OF THE WAR

The struggle on tho Verdun front west of the Mouse in which the French have won such brilliant sueccss during the last few days is no doubt quito justly described as a test battle. It is a battle in which tho inferiority of the Germans has been very conclusivelydemonstrated, and this must bo considered in light of tho fact that they have striven desperately for months past to bring such pressure to bear upon the French as would compel them to stand upon the defensive. Tho utter failure of these efforts is now manifest, and 'at .the same time an arresting indication is given of the enemy's failing powers. Repeated defeats have shown tho extent to which the campaign of tho spring and summer has told upon tho spirit, numbers, and material resources of the German armies, but tho French have probably never struck with more deadly effect, at a given cost, than in tneir latest effort at Verdun. In the most recent fighting, having already recovered the famous Mort Homme, they attacked on a front of between threo and four miles from Mort Homme to Avocourt Wood, and speedily gained and exceeded all their objectives. Tho formidably organised Hill 304, which was won by the Germans in long-sustained assaults and at desperate cost in May last year, was carried by a single rush. Ia places, where they have reached tho Forges Brook, the French are now half a mile or more north of tho lino on which they were attacked in tho Second Battle of Verdun and within about a mile and a half of the line which they held on February 21, 1916, when tho Germans made their first infantry assaults on tho Verdun front.

In a few days, and at comparatively light cost, tho French navo recovered positions which were won by tho Germans in the Second Battle of Verdun insom<? three weeks of desperate conflict, in which r.heir dead were piled thickly on the battlefield. The contrast between __tho slow and costly progress of the Germans in May of last year and the swift success of the French last weeii is the more remarkable when account is taken of ruling conditions. Mort Hommo and Hill 304 were probably far more important to the Germans as matters stand than they were to the French fifteen months ago. the time the Second Battle of Verdun opened in early May, 1916, the French had withdrawn their main line west of the Meuso from Mort Homme and Hill 304 towards the Charny llidgc well to the south. They held tho hills in no great force, and' made it their principal aim to take the heaviest possible toll of tho enemy. That tho Germans their utmost to hold the hills is indicated in their extremely heavy losses, of which mention is made to-day, and very notably in tho fact that tjo brief battles west of the Meuse havo cost them a loss of rnoro than 8000 in unbounded prisoners. As a wholo the facts heavily emphasise their inferiority and the magnitude of their defeat.

The Italians are pressing their offensive with splendid vigour, and report a very big success to-day in the capture of the summit of Monte Santo, an elevation of liioro than two thousand feet commandingly placed east of tho Isonzo, four mites north of Gorizia. The extent to which tho conquest of mountain positions east of tho Isonzo v-ill affect the issue oi tho campaign is as yet an open question, but developments like the capture of Monte Santo certainly very heavily increase the strain under which the Austrian defences have lately shown signs of giving way. The enetny has a wide range of strong positions to retire upon, but how long his engineering and other resources vail prove equal to the strain of effectively organising these positions and reorganising his communications is another matter. Thero is not much detail news of events oil the Oarso Plateau at time of writing, but tbo Italians state, in an official report, that they are following up an enemy retreat on part of this sector, and other messages show that a tremendous attack is now being concentrated on the great obstacle of Hcrmada from land and sea. Tho plateau is not by any means completely invested by the. Italian infantry, but a report that twenty thousand Austriansforming its garrison have been without food iind water for five days indicates i'nat the stronghold is effectively isolated by artillery, and at the same time that its fall is not likely to be long delayed. An interesting item :-tates that recent Austrian reinforcements include large numbers of It suggests, not only that the Austrians are°hard pressed, but that iliey have abandoned hope of making effective use of their fleet. All r-ho news goes to show that, much as the Italians have accomplished in reccnt days their present offensive is far from having reached the limits of its success.

No great change is disclosed on the British front. Tho enemy has at one point recovered a little ground, and in the vicinity of Lens and elsewhere the British line has teen slightly advanced. More evidence is afforded that if the enemy is losing ground at a greater rato ou some other fronts, he is nowhere losing men more rapidly than in race of the British armies. This appears notably in thq statement of Mr. Phii.ip Gibbs that apart from portions of other enemy divisions engaged at Lens, six Guards divisions have attacked and have been shattered. Though the defence of Lens is being spun out, it is now less a stronghold than, as Mil. Glints calls it, a Prussian tomb and a city of abomination. The dyiug defence is eating' up troops which Germany can ill afford to lose. The Prussian Guards are no longer to 1:6 compared with the troops who strove to overwhelm the British o~ the Yscv in 1!) M, hut they doubt-less represent the pick and (lower of < ho German armies as they are now constituted.