PROGRESS OF THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 15, 12 October 1917, Page 4

PROGRESS OF THE WAR

The serious importance- of the mutiny in the German Fleet reported ' to-day is clearly apparent. It may bo added that the efforts nmdo by the German authorities to minimise- the grave character of tho outbreak aro on tho face of things weak and unconvincing. The Chancellor and Admiral von GαI'ELliB both make appoint of fastening responsibility for the affair on the members of the Independent Socialist group in tho Reichstag. They possibly hope to gain a political advantage by this course, but their ruling motive seems to be_, a desire to distract public attention from the mutiny and the punishment inflicted on the mutineers. Their denunciation of the Independent Socialists is palpably insincere. The mutiny occurred six weeks ago. but the Socialist deputies accused of complicity aro still at large. They would certainly have been called to account long ere now if their complicity had been as plainly established as the Ministers assert. On this account and others the tone taken by tho Chancellor and von Capeli.e goes to strengthen a conviction that tho German Government was and is, seriously alarmed by the mutiny, and anticipates further trouble. Another indication to the same effect appears in the report that tho Kaiser ordered one mutineer in every seven to be shot, but that Dβ. MicnAELis vetoed this ruthless sentence, on tho ground that he could not assume responsibility for it before tho Reichstag It may bo taken for granted that pity for the unfortunate mutineers had less to do with tho Chancellors stand than fear of tho political and other consequences which _ho expected would follow if the Kaiser s Ecntence were executed. # * * *

Circumstantial accounts' transmitted'from neutral'countries show that tho mutiny, though it was speedily suppressed, attained serious dimensions. On' tho latter point they directly contradict von Capelle's suggestion that:. ttw> mutineers were a small body. Ho stated in the Reichstag that "tho few persons who forgot their honour and duty suffered tho deserved penalty," but detailed reports declare that tho crows of four battleships that in addition the crew of tho cruiser Nurnberg. roso against their officers while at sea, and were taking the ship to Norway when they were intercepted and captured by a torpedo flotilla. _ The immediate cause 'of the mutiny is not clearly disclosed, but it seems likely 'that tho official version is a partial admission of a state of affairs which very seriously threatens the war lords.

This revolt against authority in a quarter where it was least to have been expected is certainly a highlysuggestive indication that ideas hostile to the existing order are making considerable headway in Germany. As it took skapo, the muitiny was ineffective, and it was 'speedily suppressed, but its significance as a symptom is to be measured with an eye to the nature of German discipline and the character of German traditions. For Generations tho whole German nation has been drilled in obedience to its war lords and tho land and naval forces have been subjected to an iron discipline. Only the unquestioning obedience of tho masses has made possible tho system and organisation which enabled Uer,many to plungo Europe iDto war. A revolt of the rank and tile attaining the dimensions of tho recent naval mutiny means something more than a flaw in tho mechanism of "blood and iron." It means that the organisation as a whole- is threatened with collapse. Admiral ok Oypman Bridge, who is quoted on the subject to-day, does not seem to be going further than the tacts warrant in accepting tho naval mutiny as a serious symptom of revolution to come. With the German Fleet disciplined as it is, it is.unthinkable that the sailors of four battleships and a cruiser mutinied on sectional or petty grounds, .it is much more reasonable to siippose that tho impulse which found vent in the naval mutiny is widespread throughout Germany. it is, in fact reported that there have been mutinies in the land as well as in tho naval forces, though on a less serious scale. This may only mean that the Army mutinies were supnrcssed with less publicity. ihc naval mutiny, in any case, suggests nothing less 'thau that tho German Empire, as it is now constituted, is threatened at its base, as well as by tho rising power and material and moral ascendancy of its external enemies. The attitude of Ministers in the Reichstag lends not a little- support to this estimate ot the situation. * * * * If Hindenbukg, as one report declares to-day, has declined to accompany the Kaiser to the Balkans "owine to the situation is I , landers," it must bo admitted that the motive of his refusal is yalid. in their latest stroke tho Allies have won an unqualified success: Ihc only redeeming feature from the enemy's point of view is that weather conditions appear to be w;tr |j,,<r in which threaten to reduce the Flanders countryside to the state ot an impassable quagmire. As reports show, the task ot the attackno- troops in Tuesday's battle was terribly complicated by the swampy nature' of tho ground, and in Ihc oilo area, where tho. important- gains made wcro not fully maintained,

waterlogged ground was the determining factor. .In the area in question—the low country between l'oeleiipclle and the Passchendaele Ridge—an average advance of two thousand yards was accomplished and made good, but slight additional gains on some parts of this sector had to be relinquished for the sake of a sound line. More than two thousand prisoners are reported, and it is,indicated that tho return is incomplete. Particularly fine work is reported by the Allied aircraft. The record of their achievements is one of the most stirringl passages in the story of a battle which witnessed many splendid deeds. It is plain that everything is in train for a continued victorious advance except conditions of weather and grouiid. With rain and mud for allies, the Germans may perhaps be able for a time to seb limits to a defeat'which in any case is disastrous.

Tub Litest return of British ships sunk'by mine and submarine shows an increase on the figures of the , preceding week. Fourteen ships over 1600 tons were sent to the bottom. This compares with an average of cloven in the four preceding weeks, and is the largest number accounted for sinco the week ending on September 2, in which twenty big ships werb sunk. Only two ships under 1(100 tons were sunk last week. Another feature of the return is a very low percentage of unsuccessful attacks as compared with an exceptionally high percentage of such attacks in tho preceding week. While unsuccessful attacks imply iu many cases the efficient use by merchantmen of their defensive armament, a low percentage of these attacks is probably less a proof .of efficiency on tho part of the submarines than of tho successful development of naval counter-measures. A marked decline in the number of unsuccessful attacks has occurred coincidently with a decline in tho number of ships sunk, and, as appeared from a recent Admiralty statement, an increase in the number of submarines captured or sent to the bot-

An announcement bearing on the submarino campaign which is transmitted from London to-day would have to be elaborated to make its actual meaning plain. It is to the effect that new tonnage launched in British yards last week exceeded the total tonnage destroyed by the enemy in the same week, \\ nether the week was exceptional from the point of view of shipping output, 'and, if so, to what extent, is not disclosed, hut the remark is added that it is authoritatively stated in shipping circles that shipbuilding is proceeding at a greater rate than is generally admitted. In August, Mit Lloyd George stated that Britain's net losses of shipping—that is to say, the tonnage lost in excess ot now construction—since the- bcrmans opened their unrestricted campaign in February averaged under 250,000 tons per month. \- Losses have heavily diminished since- tlie campaign was at its height, and arc on the whole maintaining a downward tendency, and the output of new tonnage is rapidly increasing. It is therefore 'possible that, a week in which now construction exceeded tho tonnage sunk is not now very far removed from normal. On the occasion mentioned, in August, Me.. Lloyd George stated that Britain Would add 1,420,000 tons to her mercantile fleets during tho last six months of 1917 (1,100 000 tons the output of her own yards), making a total for the year of 1,900,000 tons.