PROGRESS OF THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 44, 15 November 1917, Page 4

PROGRESS OF THE WAR

There aro some disturbing features in to-day's news relating to Italy. At ono point, not shown in available maps, the enemy has forced tho passage of tho Piave, tho river on which tho Italians have come to a halt in the low country, and the Italians claim no better restoration of the position than that they repulsed the enemy "towards the river." As indicating that the Italians aro heavily outclassed in artillery, and arc not as firmly established as they might bo on the Piavo line, this event holds somowhat alarming possibilities. In tho northern mountain country also tho enomy has made some progress, but it would seem chiefly in areas in which tho Italians are still withdrawing their line. Thfiy_ report that thoy have thus far maintained the upper hand in a desperate struggle on the Asiago Plateau. Failure at this point would bo disastrous so long as the main battlefront romains as far cast as at present. If his attacks succeeded the enemy would bo able to drive across tho Italian communications. Tho outlook must 'remain critical until tho Italians aro in a position, as a result of tho incorporation of Franco-British reinforcements, to meet tho enemy in superior strength. This applies particularly_ to tho. Trentino front. Tho Italians haves organised exceedingly strong defences in tho narrow belt of mountain country whiob they hold, but throughout tho development of their campaign they havo relied greatly upon holding tho bulk of the enemy's available forces on and beyond the Isonzo front. It is stated that after the Austrian offensive from tho Trentino had been stemmed last year, General Cadohna declared that ho was going to complete the defence of the Trentino upon the Isonzo. Ho did so most effectually in tho successful co\interstroko on the Isonzo with which ho followed up the local defeat of the Austrian offensive. To-day the Italians aro much less happily placed. Fighting as they aro for time on tho Piave line they are necessarily much worse placed than they wero last year to deal with an enemy sortie from tho Trentino.

Late news reports a further successful development of the British offensive in Palestine. It would seem that tho Turks are bcins; dislodged from the line north of the Wadi Sukereir on which they wore reported yesterday to bo making a stand, and have suffered heavily in the battle which led to this result. The position, however, has yet to be disclosed in full detail.

Some of to-day's messages dealing with ltussia state that M. Kbbensky has triumphed, that he holds part of Petrograd, and thatho has formed a triumvirate of which the other members aro General ICoeni,loff and General Kaledin. On tho other hand, tho leaders of tho Bolshevik faction ■which lately overturned the Provisional Government claim in an official message that they havo defeated tho forces with which M. Kerensky was advancing on tho capital, and apparently it is believed in London that the claim is well founded. Tho supposed victory of the Anarchists is for tho time the overshadowing item of news. Obviously if matters havo taken this turn, the development docs not promise to hasten tho restoration of orderly government in Russia, but the situation is not yet clearly defined. The most promising feature of the news is tho prospect raised, as yet _ somewhat vaguely, that tho Anarchist usurpation in the capital, with its accompanying bloodshed and outrage, may provoke a strong reaction in the country at largo. _ Apart from recent and current intimations that M. Kerensky has formed an alliance with the Cossacks, it is reported to-day that tho non-Social-ists at Moscow, including M. Rodzianko (who will be remembered as President of tho Duma) and General Korniloff, are forming a new Government. News that supporters of the Constitutional Democratic Pa-rty have lately_ been engaged in serious conflict with tho Bolshevik forces in Petrograd is perhaps _to be accepted as another indication that tho moderate non-Socialists in Eussia are beginning to realise that there is a war of existence to bo fought within tho borders of their country as well as against external enemies. The situation, as reports stand, is obscure, and it is by no means certain that the Bolshevik communique is entitled to the credence apparently accorded it in London; But it is plain enough that unless the forces of moderate opinion assert themselves speedily, matters are likely to go from bad to worse.

The possibility that the moderate parties may set up a strong Government in Russia, backed, as such a Government must be, by adequate military force, has not entirely disappeared. When he was interviewed some timo ago by Mr. Gregory Mason, the New York Outlook's staff correspondent in Russia, M. Miliukoff (Foreign Minister in the first Provisional Government) declared that sooner or later a reaction against anarchy was inevitable. He was asked: "What will you do if things remain a long time in anarchy, with no sign or an imminent reaction 1 Is there not a possibility that the Russian Liberals, who realise the importance of continuing the war, will withdraw to Moscow and set up a Government 6T their own, with full authority to align 'itself with the Allies?" "That is oertainly a possibility," M. Miliukoit replied. "Things may como to that." M. Miliukofi? also declared his belief that the influence of the mass of the Russian peasants would ultimately be cast on the conservative side—that is to 1 say, in favour of orderly government and a rational policy. Mr. Mason singles out as the two most significant points made by M. Miliukoff what he said in regard to the position of the peasants and what lib said in regard to his own plans for "taking things over" in case of a reaction from Socialism. "It is reassuring to know," the Ovtlooh correspondent observed, "that, Miliukoff and his political allies are not merely idle in tho inaction of disorganisation and despair, but have definite plans for the future." Tho hopes thus indicated aro perhaps not as bright as they were, but they have not yet vanished. Whatever the fate of the present struggle between Kehensky and the Bolsheviki may be, it certainly seems unlikely that the moderate parties in Russia will tamely accept such a Government as has been set up in Petrograd, and it has still to be seen what they aro capable of accomplishing with Cossack support and by an appeal to the armies and tho peasants.

It ia an extraordinary feature of the situation that the reigning turmoil and internal strife in Petrograd and other parts of Russia nave apparently not yet led to any noteworthy change on tho fighting front. A German report to-day mentions that a Russian attack southward of tho Uiga-Petrograd railway was repulsed. It seems re-' markablo that tho Russians should have been able to mako an attack worth reporting with oivil war in progress behind thoir lines, but it is still more remarkable that the Germans should bo content to remain inactive while tho Russian armies are so terribly handicapped. The explanation, of course, offers that the Germans are so well pleased with tho growth of internal dissension and anarchy in Russia ,that they feel it .unnecessary to intervene. But this is not altogether convincing, and thero is at least a possibility that one factor making for tho enemy's present inactivity on tho East front is that ho has not the forces at disposal which would enablo him to undertake any big enterprise in Russia.

Events during tho last few months have supplied some ovidonco on this point which, though not conolusivo, is certainly suggestive. A striking fcaturo of tho campaign during theso months is that the enemy has more than once stopped short of i seizing import," it advantages which seemed to be practically within his grasp. For instance, after the collapso of tho Russian offensive in July, tho Germans advanced to the confines of Galicia and also cleared the Russians out of Bukowina. and recovered Ozernowitz. 'This last was a particularly disastrous development for the Russians. Tho loss of Czornowitz seriously impaired their communications with tho mountain-lino to tho wuth—tho Carpathians on tho western frontier of Moldavia—and converted Moldavia from their point of view into a' dangerous salient. At tho time it seemed to Toe almost a foregone conclusion that the enemy would break into Moldavia, and in tho sequel invade tho rich provinces of Southern Russia. An increased vigour of Russian resistance will hardly in itself account for the fact that instead of developing this promising enterprise tho Germans came to a standstill. * * * *

More recently the Germans gained command of the Gulf of Riga by combined land and naval operations, and for a time the danger was in plain sight that thoy proceed to <i landing on tho mainland with a view to turning the northern flank of tho Russian line and opening an advance on Pctrograd. Hero (again tho enemy was content with a partial and incomplete success. He made a landing on the mainland in limited force, but subsequently withdrew. Tho peculiar combination of aggressive action and moderation discovered in these oporations cannot be fully explained, but it lends colour to tho theory that the enemy; has his forces facing Russia to & minimum. If this ia tho actual position it should mean that Germany has weakened her armies on tho East front to a greater extent than some recent reports (such as the one which stated that 127 enemy divisions were still facing tho Russians) would indicate. It should mean also that unless sho obtains the separate peace which is still an aspiration Germany will be unable to draw to a.ny material extent upon her remaining forces on the East front for servico elsewhere.