PROGRESS OF THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3195, 20 September 1917, Page 4

PROGRESS OF THE WAR

_ « , ■There is very little news from the war theatres at time of writing, and available reports disclose no important change at any point, though an early resumption of the Italian offensive east of the Isonzo is foreshadowed, and it is stated that an Italian offensive in the Balkans is also in prospect. Ono alarmist report concerning Russia is transmitted on the authority of a Washington correspondent, but it is contradicted by other messages, whioh speak of continued improvement and of some successes on the fighting front. * * * » The fact that the almost stationary fighting which, is at present the rule on the British front involves a tremendous intensity of 'conflict is clearly emphasised in a recent dispatch from a Manchester Guardian correspondent. "The war," he remarks, "was never much hotter along our front, though no battle i? being fought. We live in a storm of artillery that shocks the air over a hundred miles of country—British artillery and German artillery—and the belt of war grows deeper and deeper. A 15in. shell or. two fell recently 20 miles from the front line; thousands of gas shells were poured into Ypres; heavy shells were concentrated 'during the day at Coxyde, on the coast, five miles behind Nietiport, and at night at Oost-Duu-kirk, near Ooxyde. The back areas at a score of places untouched for two years are almost daily searched, and at intervals little stretches of front-line trench are blotted out by sudden storms of fire, sometimes preparatory to a raid, as yesterday at flonnccourt, sometimes without sequel, as near Armentiercs, a few hours later. What the German is, doing we are doing in greater volume. Of courso we open more attacks and. deliver many more raids than the enemy. There is this difference also—the- German fires more by night than day, wo firo' more by day than night." **' * * An announcement cabled yesterday that the United States is now acting as "dictator of Allied shipping" is probably to some extent figurative, particularly in view of the added remark that the United States is virtually directing the whole war. It is probably true, however, that an important agreement in regard. to the control of shipping has been concluded by the United States and other Allied countries. Such a development was foreshadowed by a Washington correspondent, who wrote towards tho end of July: — "The regulation of ocean steamsh'p rates between the United States and the Allies has been agreed upon in principle by Great Britain, France, Italy, and the United States. Negotiations are now in progress between officials of the British Admiralty, tho American Shipping Board, and the State Department to make such regulation effective in order to secur6 a reduction of the present prohibitive steamship rates. Tho regulation of shipping rates will probably also be adopted by Japan. • It is understood that the plans under consideration enntnroplafA reductions in the rates in many instances, and tho inclusion ultimately of all vessels flying the flags of the Allies in any quarter of the globe. The amount of neutral shipping is regarded as too small proportionately

to affect tho situation. Tho probable inclusion of Japan in tho negotiations is said to be largely due to the possibility of Japaneso vessels being engaged in tho Atlantic trado in the future to a much greater extent than hitherto." *** # _ A later report states that tho Japanese Government is quite willing that a large portion of its mercantile shipping shall bo utilised by the United States or tho Entente Allies to meet tho necessity created | by the German submarine warfare Ono of tho principal objects of tho .arrangement which is now said to have been concluded is, of course, to provide the United States with tho shipping needed to transport an army to Franco. Commenting on a j statement by tho German Chancellor that there is not enough tonnage I to transport tho American armies to [France and keep up tho necessary flow of supplies, an English miliitary writer remarked recently "Has he (tho Chancellor) ever worked out the number of colonial troops raised and transported across the seas 1 Tho samo plan will bo adopted with tho American troops. Tho [transport for a million American. troops coming across completely equipped with horses and artillery j would bo enormous. But horses aro I not required, tho field artillery can be supplied by France, the heavy artillery can bo supplied by Britain; and if this plan is adopted tho shipping required for tho transport of men will bo nothing liko so great as tho Germans calculate. . Thire is no insuperable obstacle to transporting at least half a million American troops to Franco before next spring." * * » * Several recent messages have revealed tho fact that Allied merchant ships in tho Atlantic trado .are now being organised in convoys as a mea,suro of protection against submarine attacks. News published in America shows that the system has been in operation for some time, and that British and American destroyer flotillas are co-operating in tho work of convoying merchant fleets to and from British ports. Tho convoys arc escorted through a certain zone and, the ships afterwards rely for safety upon their own speed and guns. * * * * The American Secretary, for the Interior is quoted to-day as stating that tho United States is making full steam ahead and will continue fighting until the world lias no further fear of Kaisorism. A late example of the fashion in which America is speeding up her military preparations appears in the fact that the number of candidates admitted to the second series of officers' . training camps, opening on August 27, was increased by 25 per cent, on the number originally proposed. Sixteen thousand were to havo been admitted. The number was raised to 20,000. This, no doubt, means that the number of troops to be trained in a. given time has been correspondingly increased. Forty thousand young officers had been put into training in tho United States prior to the opening of the August camps.