PROGRESS OF THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 35, 5 November 1917, Page 4

PROGRESS OF THE WAR

The importance* of the German retirement on the front norffi of the Aisne is not bo much in its immediate and local result as in what it implies. Ever since April last, when tho French gained tho crest of the Aisne heights along a great part of their length, the Germans have been struggling desperately and at enormous cost to recover the crest, and, failing this, to retain :i footing on the descending northern slope. They persisted in attempts to this end, although the _ French, during months of battle, gained full command of tho eastern end of the Aisne heights (ab Craonnc) overlooking a wide extent of open country to the north and east, and extended their hold on the crest at other points. They have now abandoned the struggle, and retired across tho Ailetto Valley to the rising ground on its northern side. The retreat, as a Paris communique _ points out, is a sequel to the brilliant success lately won .by the French in the region of Fort Malmaison, at the western end of the Aisne heights, and further north. _ Besides tho heavy captures of artillery reported to-day, and more than eleven thousand prisoners, this battle gave the French positions looking down upon the Laon Plain. They are now posted at-a distance of seven miles from that city at the head of a great valley looking down into tho plain. There is muoh to be done before these seven miles can be traversed, but the enemy has confessed defeat in the long-continued struggle for tho heights of the Aisne, and his line is dangerously threatened not only from the commanding positions held by the French in the vicinity of Oraonne, but by the French advance from the western end of the heights towards Laon.

Another effective blow has been struck in Pallcstinc. Oh this occasion tho British developed thenattack in the coastal zone, against the western and south-western defences of Gaza, from which place they are not more than Cvo miles distant, and captured the Turkish first line on a front of 5000 yards. Everything seems to have gone well, for three counter-attacks wero beaten off with heavy loss to the enemy. No doubt the attack will be continued with little loss of time. Further accounts of the capture of Becrshcba emphasise the importance of the British success in that quarter, and show that splendid work was done by the mounted troops, consisting of Australians and New Zealanders and Yeomanry. The mounted men executed a night march of fifty miles—a very fine achievement in the conditions that obtain—and out the enemy's line cf retreat. This must have contributed very largely to the sweeping character of the success which followed. Tho details given of the strength of tho' enemy force, which was practically wiped out—two full regiments and other detachments of infantry and a brigade of cavalryindicate that it consisted of not far short of ten thousand men. If it. has been adequately reinforced the army of invasion _in Palestine should bo able to achiove important results in the near future. There is already a- fairly definite assuranco that the enemy • will not be permitted to concentrate his main energies against the British forces in Mesopotamia.

Sir Eric Geddes has given some cogent reasons against risking tho British Navy in the Baltic, but there is news to-day which shows that effective watch and ward is being kept on the entrances to that sea. The German auxiliary cruiser, armed with_ six-inch guns, which was sunk in company with . ten armed patrol boats, was presumably detailed for raiding service, either in the North Sea or further afield. Its mission in any case, thanks to the vigilance of the Navy, brought it to speedy disaster.

Another item of naval news, and one which has unusual features, relates to an attack made by an elec-trically-controlled high-speed boat on the British patrols on the Belgian coast. The attack was defeated and the boat was destroyed, but its appearance possibly implies a new departure in naval warfare. The suggestion convoyed in the phrase "electrically controlled" is not amplified, but the Admiralty message on the subject is open to the reading that the attacking boat was some sort of bomb-vessel carrying no crew and directed by wireless. Experiments with craft of this character have been made in America and elsewhere, but there has not hitherto been any recorded instance of such a weapon being employed in naval warfare. If the boat in question was controlled by wireless it was a pioneer of its kind, and details of its performance, if they are made available, should be interesting. A fleet bottled up in its ports is perhaps less likely to turn .etich weapons to useful account than the adversaries who are searching for means of bringing it to action.

The Germans claim to-day that they have captured a number of American prisoners "along the Rhine-Marne Canal." Some doubt is cast upon the claim by a message from Now York, which states that tho first Amorican battalions sent into the trenches have been relieved by others without suffering any losses, but tho enemy report is chiefly interesting _ in any case as indicating the section of the battlefront_ selected as a school for the American troops. The canal mentioned runs across tho front on tho Lorraino border, cast of Nancy. Tho locality is ono which has witnessed very little fighting for a long time past.

In its immediate* import to-day's news from Spain holds out no groat hope of a ohange in the official attitude of that country towards the war. One item of news is that Senor llauiu, a Germanophil Conservative, who has been outspoken in his antagonism to the Entente, has failed to secure the support that would have enabled him to form a Government. This is to tho good as far as it goes, but the new Premier appointed is not Count Romanones, who is pledged to a strong and patriotic policy, but tho Marquis Prieto, who held offico for a few weeks after Count Romanones was compelled to resign in April last. So long as the Prieto Government remains in power Spain is not likely to seek satisfaction of the outrages inflicted on her by tho German submarines. What tho now Government's prospects are thoro are no present means of judging. According to a recent message, the Dato Government resigned because it was not prepared to yield assent to demands made by the Army, but military grievances aro only one of a number of factors disturbing the political life of Spain.